For Clothing Upcyler Molly Kresse, Green is the New Black

Kresse relishes the challenge of working with limited resources, and she finds the time she spends at her sewing machine to be meditative and therapeutic. Just as important is knowing that she’s doing her part to be mindful of the 92 million tons of textile waste produced globally each year. “It’s DIY, using what you have, and seeing what works,” she says. “There’s a lot of clothing that just gets thrown out, but you can find things at the thrift store or something you already have at home that’s outdated and give it new life.”

PHOTO: JASON SMITH Kresse is pictured wearing an upcycled outfit and with a furniture piece she reupholstered with thrifted materials.

Kresse began sewing about six years ago, selling her creations on Etsy and giving pieces to friends. Recently, she’s sold clothing at the Iowa City boutique White Rabbit and collaborated with other designers at the Wright House of Fashion. This past year, she and two fellow students organized the Iowa City Flea Market, a series of downtown events that featured local designers of handmade clothing, accessories, and artwork.

One of the best things about upcycling, according to Kresse, is its accessibility. After all, each of us has a few old clothing pieces languishing in a drawer. “Anyone can do it, and it’s fun to get scrappy,” she says.