Published by Vanessa Brunner under Designers, Reuse/Recycle

Desira Pesta is one of the pioneers of the DIY movement. Based out of New York City, Desira fashions beautiful, smart, unique, and full on genius designs–all incorporating a model of reuse and recycle.

Working in  this field since 2003, Desira’s clothing has been recognized for its innovation, and featured in publications such as Vogue’s Style.com, Bust Magazine, Martha Stewart Show, Lucky Magazine, VenusZine, DailyCandy, Styledash, Modish, & The Deal.

I was lucky enough to be able to interview this brilliant designer, who has such a special take on modern ecofashion.

I asked her a simple question: What does it mean to be a green designer? While I initially planned on working her answer into a different post, her words were so well put, I decided to post exactly what she sent me (with some points I agreed with in bold).

Q: What does it mean to be a green designer? Are there different “levels” of green? If someone only produces a few organic cotton tees in their line, are they still “green?”

A shot from Desira Pesta's closet. Photo by Desira Pesta

A: To me, being a green designer means that one employs a low energy-using, low/no waste, responsible business or practice.  The product or output should avoid detrimental environmental effects. By environmental, I mean the overarching environment we all inhabit. This is open-ended and obviously provides a lot of room for interpretation.   It could entail anything from using only recycled materials to create a new design; to operating out of a solar-paneled and wind-powered studio; to creating new fleece fabric from recycled plastic bottles.

Another shot of Desira Pesta's closet. Photo by Desira Pesta

I think there are certainly levels of being a green designer.  In architecture, platinum LEED certification is the ultimate level or tier and most godly form of ecologically sound design.  Applying something like that to other areas of design would ensure a much more informed customer, as well as a much more purist idealist design from the manufacturer. Producing only a few organic cotton tees in your line, is “green”, as organic cotton has come to mean green.  Even still, someone who is using dead stock or vintage fabric and producing garments avoiding chemicals and harmful practices while operating in a 18th century barn by candlelight is much more “green”.

Some of Desira's beautiful illustrations (see her site for more!) Photo by Desira Pesta

This green trend has been bastardizing what green should mean.  So many corporations have jumped on the bandwagon to try to stick with trend to increase their profits, yet still they “don’t get it”.  Just because a washing machine uses 1/3 the water of an older model and was constructed from recycled plastics does not mean everyone should discard their own washing machines.  There are so many marketing ploys going on in this “green industry”, that it’s easily a confusing place for a green newbie to get lost or misinformed in.  I recently wrote a letter to the editor at Food & Wine after reading their green issue and becoming somewhat disgusted.  Every product they pushed was completely new  and expensive; and seemingly made what people already have obsolete and replaceable.  Truly sustainable and green, to me, is reusing what is already in existence, as opposed to replacing everything in our homes and our lives with cost-prohibitive state-of-the art brand new stuff. Some people cannot afford a $5000 toilet, nor should anyone completely replace every bag, table, dishwasher, curtain, towel, and light bulb before their time is up.  We have to be imaginative with what we have.   The most ingenious people are those who use every bit of what they consume.  Our ancestors surely did.

photo by Desira Pesta

Several years ago I met an architect, who called himself a “green design” architect.  He started describing a home he was building for a client and my mouth dropped at what he was lauding himself for.  A five thousand square foot home built with ancient wood from (and shipped from) the Amazon is not green!  Truly green and sustainable living can be found when we start dwelling in smaller spaces and consuming less in every way that we can.  In small or big ways and with some creativity, we can give new life to every element of what we use. If you juice carrots, why not safe the pulp to add moisture and nutrients to homemade muffins; or cover your floors with barn wood from a nearby town, as opposed to cheap linoleum that was made miles away in China.

I’m a huge advocate for restoration, as opposed to tearing down and rebuilding.  Why not use what we already have?  Applying this to clothing and my business, why would I not use perfectly good and gorgeous and sumptuous materials discarded by other designers in lieu of creating a need for more production?

The best thing about this recession is the call for downsizing and using less.  I want us to really suffer some more in this economic crisis and come out of it a lot greener and a lot leaner.  Our insane need to chew and clothe and forage for things that are not necessary for life would also be nice to get rid of.

A gorgeous blend of old and new. Photo by Desira Pesta

Well said. I couldn’t agree more.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the green “trend” has been doing more harm than good?

All photos in this post are bits and bites from Desira Pesta’s very own closet–a heavenly and quirky mix of old and new, vintage and eco.

And how would she define her personal style?

“Buying straight from the rack or straight from a catalogue is something very foreign to me.  I have always assembled outfits, using color, texture, and an unsaid balance of femininity and masculinity, as well as vintage and new.  This in turn, has always created a bit of a mixed look and thus personal style.”

*For more on Desira Pesta, and to purchase clothes from her line, please visit:*

Her beautifully designed website

or

Her Etsy Store