upcycle – Crafted in Carhartt

Girls On A Mission: Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I’d like to call to light some of the most memorable up-cycled moments in Crafted in Carhartt history.

Chicago based designers, Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover, of The Indo Projects, are fine artists on a mission. Each one of their masterfully created instillations is crafted from recycled items like chopsticks or cardboard. Read more here.

Pashon Murray of Detroit Dirt strives to use every bit of trash for the greater good. She collects compostable waste and brings it around full circle to create fertile soil. That dirt is then used to further fuel urban farming in the area. Pashon truly lives up to her name in spirit and through her ambition to rebuild Detroit. Read more here.

Rebuilding Exchange in Chicago is a well-known, recyclers’ paradise. I’ve gotten the chance to follow around Meegan Czop as she gathers whatever materials she can from demolition sites and brings them back to the warehouse to sell to the public. Buying used materials is good for the earth and lends itself to a whole new world of history. Where did that wood come from, anyway? Read more here.

Artist Leslie Vigeant visits the Portland dump to source objects that will be used in her pieces. I got to tag along as she rummaged and it was truly an eye opening experience. Read more here.

Janie Mills and the folks at Salt Works in Syracuse salvage old building materials in the New York area, train people who want to learn skills in the art of carpentry, and transform rubble into stunning handmade furniture. Read more here.

Happy Earth Day, all! Don’t forget, we’re all in this together.

Meegan Czop of Rebuilding Exchage

I think there are a lot of women (myself included) who often feel as though they are without a voice; be it in the workplace, the construction site, on the range, in social media, or during everyday life. It can be infuriatingly overwhelming to stand against the dialogue that already dictates those venues and arenas: the ideas that men are better leaders, women can’t perform as well in tough, blue-collar jobs, or even that women are better suited to clerical tasks rather than being out on the field.

Women, let’s stick together and raise our voices simultaneously to create a new discussion. We are capable. We are strong. We can swing a hammer or wield a crowbar. We can be contractors and painters and cattle ranchers and mechanics and engineers. We can do whatever job we want. We can lead, and we can do it well. WE CAN.

That brings me to Meegan Czop and the folks at Rebuilding Exchange. Many women there fill roles that are typically considered a man’s job. Meegan spends time on the ground scavenging through demolition sites for materials that can be resold through the non-profit to the public for re-use. It’s a tough job and she’s often the only woman to step foot in the work zone.

I tagged along on a trip she made to a Chicago warehouse that was ruined by fire a few months ago. With a jump in her step, she explores areas that would make most people nervous. A job that requires an adventurous spirit requires a special person. Meegan is changing the dialogue of what women are capable of with the elbow grease she puts into every day, the hard work she does to preserve and better the community, and the way she defies stereotypes with confidence and competence.

Meegan is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Force Performance Verdon Polo & Series 1889 Slim-Fit Double Front Denim Dungaree

Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover of Indo in Chicago

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that recycling is awesome. Chicago based designers, Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover, believe in sustainable living so much that they dedicated their careers to it. The ladies collect items that would normally be thrown away and turn them into art. The interplay of creative design and recycled objects are perfect for window displays, art instillations, and interior spaces. One of their more recent creations is currently featured in City Soles store front, pictured above. Linsey and Crystal discovered their passion and found a way to spread it around the city of Chicago, adding their own personal touch and sentiment to each display. Check out what their up to now and see how you can help your trash turn into something beautiful.