LARA KLAWIKOWSKI IS LEADING THE WAY WITH HER AVANT-GARDE FASHION FROM PLASTIC BAGS

Meet award-winning designer Lara Klawikowski who’s creating wearable art with a conscience.

Lara Klawikowski is a South African designer and illustrator with a proud Polish and Russian heritage, and a fashion philosophy inspired by her mission to make sustainable fashion. 

She uses recycled materials to create her fabrics and specialises in unusual wedding dresses.

“It was always a childhood dream of mine to be a fashion designer. I spent most of my childhood dressing up and draping clothes and fabric on myself and my sister, and was always fascinated by how clothing is made, what it’s made from, and how you can change up how a piece of clothing looks by styling it in a different way,” shares Lara.  

She adds, “Over the years, I’ve used upcycled and recycled materials and created my own unique fabrics. I’ve used recycled plastics made from recycled materials and fabric offcuts and smocked and pleated and stitched the materials together so that they are unique and special – even more special than something that you would find in a traditional fabric store.”

With a focus on avant-garde design, Lara sees her creations as wearable art. Art that has seen her win multiple awards and featured at various fashion shows.

“I describe my designs as wearable art because they are artisanal in terms of the fabric usage and how fabrics are manipulated and changed. They don’t necessarily all follow one specific pattern. There’s also an element of experimentation and unpredictability in the way that the fabrics fall and how they fall on each person that wears the design.”

Lara Klawikowski’s artistic approach to life allows her to think creatively about reinventing our world for the better. What an inspiration she is for us to make more sustainable fashion choices as we aspire to a more sustainable lifestyle.

WATCH THE SEGMENT

CONNECT WITH LARA KLAWIKOWSKI