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Designer turns busted umbrellas into luxe goods
BY Elizabeth Lazarowitz
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, September 8th 2009, 4:00 AM
Models showcase fashion line created by Catherine Charlot, who uses fabric from discarded umbrellas to make clothing, bags and outfits for pets.
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Catherine Charlot
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Most New Yorkers are moaning about the soggy summer weather, but for Catherine Charlot, all those clouds have a silver lining.
The Haitian-born, Carroll Gardens-based designer turns discarded umbrellas into boutique-ready bags and clothing, and blustery, wet days have meant a broken-umbrella bonanza.
"I'm so happy. I wish it could rain every day," said Charlot, 44, who immigrated to Brooklyn in 1994 and has spent most of her time in Marine Park. "I'm thinking of moving to Portland just for that."
After big storms, Charlot scours her neighborhood for material. Last week, just two days of searching on her way to and from work yielded nearly 20 busted umbrellas from garbage cans and off the streets.
"This year I've collected more than ever," said Charlot, who now has about 425 umbrellas in her basement-level studio ready to be transformed.
The damp weather couldn't have come at a better time, because demand for her products is picking up.
"People like it because it's waterproof and of course recycled," said Jean Tanler of New York City-made goods retailer Local Labels, which sold Charlot's totes at a kiosk in Grand Central Terminal this summer and also took in old umbrellas for her to convert. "I do think a lot of people are more environmentally aware."
Charlot's handbag line ranges from simple black tote bags that she decorates with paint or embroidery to evening bags fashioned from patterned umbrella fabrics. Prices range from $18 to $100. Jackets, dresses and suits cost $150 to $300.
While selling anything in such bleak economic times is tough, green goods have a growing cachet and give shoppers a reason to stop and look, said Candace Corlett, president of New York-based retail research firm WSL Strategic Retail.
"Recycled everything has an audience," Corlett said. "A third of shoppers tell us that they'll go out of their way to buy earth-friendly products."
Charlot had a busy clothing business in Haiti but pushed that aside when she moved here and began doing medical billing and French translation work.
In 2002, she returned to fashion full-time, launching Himane, a custom clothing, pattern and sample-making business, but she longed to find her own niche.
Four years ago, she decided to try making water-resistant but fashionable clothing and accessories after getting drenched in a rainstorm. Waterproof fabrics proved to be pricey, so when she stumbled across an old umbrella in her closet, a light bulb went off.
"You see them on the street all the time," she said. "You can take an old umbrella and turn it into something nice and beautiful."
Charlot admitted Dumpster diving has its hazards. Once while digging in a sidewalk garbage can for an appealingly patterned umbrella, she was mistaken for a homeless person by a well-meaning woman who offered her lunch.
Charlot said she's surprised at how excited people get when they realize something that seems unusable can find a new purpose. One woman brought her 50 umbrellas she'd collected over the years and was reluctant to toss.
"It's amazing the way people react to this."
elazarowitz@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/09/08/2009-09-08_designer_turns_busted_umbrellas_into_luxe_goods .html#ixzz0QXbmU0Gf
BY Elizabeth Lazarowitz
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, September 8th 2009, 4:00 AM
Models showcase fashion line created by Catherine Charlot, who uses fabric from discarded umbrellas to make clothing, bags and outfits for pets.
Mecea for NewsCatherine Charlot
Related News
Most New Yorkers are moaning about the soggy summer weather, but for Catherine Charlot, all those clouds have a silver lining.
The Haitian-born, Carroll Gardens-based designer turns discarded umbrellas into boutique-ready bags and clothing, and blustery, wet days have meant a broken-umbrella bonanza.
"I'm so happy. I wish it could rain every day," said Charlot, 44, who immigrated to Brooklyn in 1994 and has spent most of her time in Marine Park. "I'm thinking of moving to Portland just for that."
After big storms, Charlot scours her neighborhood for material. Last week, just two days of searching on her way to and from work yielded nearly 20 busted umbrellas from garbage cans and off the streets.
"This year I've collected more than ever," said Charlot, who now has about 425 umbrellas in her basement-level studio ready to be transformed.
The damp weather couldn't have come at a better time, because demand for her products is picking up.
"People like it because it's waterproof and of course recycled," said Jean Tanler of New York City-made goods retailer Local Labels, which sold Charlot's totes at a kiosk in Grand Central Terminal this summer and also took in old umbrellas for her to convert. "I do think a lot of people are more environmentally aware."
Charlot's handbag line ranges from simple black tote bags that she decorates with paint or embroidery to evening bags fashioned from patterned umbrella fabrics. Prices range from $18 to $100. Jackets, dresses and suits cost $150 to $300.
While selling anything in such bleak economic times is tough, green goods have a growing cachet and give shoppers a reason to stop and look, said Candace Corlett, president of New York-based retail research firm WSL Strategic Retail.
"Recycled everything has an audience," Corlett said. "A third of shoppers tell us that they'll go out of their way to buy earth-friendly products."
Charlot had a busy clothing business in Haiti but pushed that aside when she moved here and began doing medical billing and French translation work.
In 2002, she returned to fashion full-time, launching Himane, a custom clothing, pattern and sample-making business, but she longed to find her own niche.
Four years ago, she decided to try making water-resistant but fashionable clothing and accessories after getting drenched in a rainstorm. Waterproof fabrics proved to be pricey, so when she stumbled across an old umbrella in her closet, a light bulb went off.
"You see them on the street all the time," she said. "You can take an old umbrella and turn it into something nice and beautiful."
Charlot admitted Dumpster diving has its hazards. Once while digging in a sidewalk garbage can for an appealingly patterned umbrella, she was mistaken for a homeless person by a well-meaning woman who offered her lunch.
Charlot said she's surprised at how excited people get when they realize something that seems unusable can find a new purpose. One woman brought her 50 umbrellas she'd collected over the years and was reluctant to toss.
"It's amazing the way people react to this."
elazarowitz@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/09/08/2009-09-08_designer_turns_busted_umbrellas_into_luxe_goods .html#ixzz0QXbmU0Gf