So you have heard of artists upcycling everyday items to create IKEA sandals and Indomie shorts. Now, 2 Chinese girls, Cara and Kerr, are taking upcycling to another level. The pair use basic items such as tape, paper, chess boxes and even seaweed to model high fashion looks from brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.
If your childhood dream was to be a model, here’s how you can get creative and use your own clothes, as well as items found around the house, to replicate the signature styles of your favourite designer brands.
The Queen’s Gambit is the hottest show on Netflix right now. The girls’ Louis Vuitton outfit is a nod to both the show and the festive season.
During this time of year, glitter and tinsel decorations can be found at every turn. If you’re still looking for an outfit for Christmas or New Year’s, Cara and Kerr show how the sparkly garlands can also be used to spruce up your existing wardrobe.
Simply wrap the garland around your favourite shirt or skirt and ta-dah! You’ve got a fun and festive outfit, and you didn’t have to spend a bomb either.
If you’re one of those who has been inspired by The Queen’s Gambit to pick up chess as a hobby, your new chess set will come in handy here.
The pair used chess boxes as a base to recreate Louis Vuitton’s Damier canvas. Since the board already has alternating coloured squares, all they had to do was draw in the Monogram icons like the interlocking L and V, as well as the flower, into the lighter squares. They then pasted black tape around the chess boxes and used the same tape as bag straps.
For the final touch, the duo scrunched up clean tissue paper and attached it to their tops. Now you know what to do with the excess toilet paper you stocked up on earlier in the year.
And, there you have it. With glitter garlands, chess boxes, tape, tissue paper and a dose of creativity, you too can have fun imagining you’re the next face of Louis Vuitton.
When you think of Chanel, tweed cardigan-and-skirt sets, as well as pearl necklaces come to mind. You probably have a plain cardigan or blazer in your wardrobe, and a skirt in a matching monochrome colour.
The girls, added tape in a contrasting colour to line their cardigans and the bottom of their skirts.
Borrow a few strands of pearls from your mum or grandma, throw on a wide-brimmed hat you got for your last beach vacay, and voilà! You’ve achieved the iconic Chanel look.
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One of Coco Chanel’s most famous quotes is “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” That is the complete opposite of Gucci’s more-is-more aesthetic, under its creative director Alessandro Michele.
To nail this high-fashion look, dig out all the prints, patterns and colours you have in your wardrobe, and get layering.
Throw on some oversized sunglasses and a headscarf, and you are done. If you have flowers at home, you can also use them as props for your mini replica high-fashion looks photoshoot.
Hermès started out as an equestrian leather goods store, and the brand continues to pay homage to its roots. Cara and Kerr’s choice of clothing was already on point, but the accessories took the look to the next level. Hats, boots, belts, gloves, suspenders and, the most crucial item, a cat teaser.
Non-cat owners, you can get creative and source for other everyday items in your home. Even a pointer stick may work.
Last but not least, the girls also recreated Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic Le Smoking suit. Yves Saint Laurent caused a sensation as the first couturier to design a suit for women. Now, of course, no one bats an eyelid at a woman in a suit.
They will, however, definitely take a second look at the next part of this outfit. If you do not have enough hair to cover one side of your eyebrows as needed to pull off this look, hopefully, you have a piece of seaweed or two in your fridge to act as fake hair.
The 2 girls want to make people happy with their quirky videos but won’t be doing this forever. “We won’t be mimicking these high-fashion styles forever because one day, we would have recreated them all,” the pair told South China Morning Post.
Before that day comes, get inspired to have fun recreating your own favourite styles using what you have around the house too. Or jio your besties and conduct your very own photoshoot together.
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