KPU design student wins 2023 Upcycled Design Competition
Nina Rozin designed high-heeled shoes using old denim
Nina Rozin is a KPU design student who won the 2023 Upcycled Design Competition for shoes she created using old denim. (Submitted)
Nina Rozin, an international student from Israel, won the 2023 Upcycled Design Competition hosted by Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Wilson School of Design.
Rozin designed shoes using old denim with materials sourced from Our Social Fabric, a Vancouver textile recycling non-profit organization. This year’s theme for the competition was Protopia, which encourages the idea of looking at the future in a positive way.
Individual threads of denim were weaved together to fashion the top of the shoes, and each component was made out of recycled materials, including the sole and heel.
“This [theme] that every little step that we make, every little change, can accumulate into a bigger, positive change in the future was really interesting,” Rozin says.
Rozin wanted to bring a positive outlook on denim through her piece due to the environmental harm of the textile industry and denim in particular.
“We probably throw out several [denim items] every year without thinking about it. So, it seems like an overwhelming problem that we are destroying our planet with these jeans we love so much,” she says.
“It’s kind of celebrating our garbage in a beautiful way and saying, ‘Hey, let’s look at things and get a positive feel about the future.’”
Mozin took inspiration from French designer Roger Vivier for her piece. It took about two weeks for her to produce the shoes after intense research and trips to Our Social Fabric.
Rozin says she recognizes the problems in the fashion industry today in terms of sourcing and producing products, surplus or discarded items, and how upcycling presents a valid solution to end this wasteful cycle.
“I’m not expecting people to just go ahead and buy upcycled materials everywhere. But it’s definitely something we should look into.”
Rozin says she gets inspiration for her pieces from the street, the people around her, their interests, as well as past histories and merging it with the present. She encourages people to stop and reflect on her recycled creation, creating a moment to think about their own personal responsibility as consumers. She also wants her piece to be proof to others that they can be part of the solution.
“If we are all a little more aware, and more considerate of our purchases, [and] maybe buy a second-hand pair of denim instead of buying a new pair, we can create a bigger change. I do believe in that,” Rozin says.
Her designs allow her to express herself and her optimism in a unique way. The competition also presented an opportunity for Rozin to display her work, which is not always an option for students or designers, and gave deeper thought to her creation.
“I’m so appreciative to everybody, all the amazing finalists I have met, and I’ve seen their work. So, it makes it even more special to think that I managed to win the first prize,” Rozin says.
She hopes people understand that design can change the world. Rozin says more talented and forward-looking people are needed in the world of design to find a way to make a change.
