Sustainable fashion, recycled fashion, eco-fashion, whatever horrible swearword you want to call it, is usually so ugly that even most of the style-blind hippies it's aimed at are dubious about strapping themselves up in dresses made out of old food wrappers, or carrying bags fashioned out of a 9-year-old's Billabong swimsuit. Belgian-born London-based sculptor and artist Walter Raes is capable of using old objects to create stuff that you could picture on international fashion week runways and in the pages of some of the world's biggest fashion magazines. So far, he's created a bomber jacket made out of old Timberlands, a halterneck made out of tampons, and a whole outfit out of old bike parts, amongst a load of other bizarre stuff that would have suited the kids in Lord Of The Flies if they'd known how to use a sewing machine.Vogue.VICE: Hey Walter. So why wearable art? Why not watercolor?
Walter Raes: Well, the thing about wearable art is that so many extra factors are brought into the equation, like how the piece looks in the light of the day or at night when it's slightly darker, or even the differences between when it's worn inside or outside, you know? Most of all, though, it's the movement. Each wearable art piece really stands out when the model walks around with it on, which adds so many dimensions to each piece. So yeah, I suppose you can see why I didn't choose watercolors—they're too static for my tastes.I see that now, yeah. Are there any of your pieces of clothing that have a specific meaning? Or are they more about just what looks good aesthetically?
No, I intended for some to have meanings. For example, Boiling Point was created with all the electrical and accessory waste that we all never even think of repairing. Dummy Mummy is my take on overpopulation, which, I feel, is the biggest problem mankind faces at the moment.Did you have an interest in fashion and designing clothes before you started using them in your art?
Well, I came from a very artistic background. My father is a sculptor and my mum was a poet, so we were raised to express ourselves in any way we could and clothes happened to be a great medium for me. Flicking through fashion magazines and looking at images always helped me come up with new ideas.How has the fashion industry responded to your work?
There's been global interest in what I'm doing, not just in the fashion industry actually, but also in the art world. One of my aims is to not only make people aware of waste and recycling problems, but also make them smile and think about creativity and the way that these used up objects can be resurrected. Designers and the fashion industry as a whole can sometimes take themselves far too seriously.Very true. Are any of your designs actually intended to be worn, though?
Yeah, definitely. They have been worn at art shows in London and some were used in music videos, so they're definitely meant to be worn. Actually, I even had a model walking around in my clothes at the Louvre in Paris, which was a big hit. I love showing fashion out of context like that.The pieces made out of bras remind me a bit of Jean Paul Gaultier.
Well, I think any designer takes references from other designers. Not just fashion designers, but any sort of designer, from cars to furniture, or whatever.The Dust Mask Bodice.What about the Isabella Blow evening gown?
That happened after meeting at her house in London one evening and she selected that piece to include in an article she wrote called Avant-Garbage.Have you ever tried making clothes out of materials that just wouldn't work?
Well, usually the biggest challenge for me is to create something out of really small objects, you know? Then again, if you really think about it, you can make anything wearable, even paint. Salt would probably be a bit of a challenge but, then again, there are salt crystals that I'm sure you could do something with. You see, anything is possible.That Charles Period tampon top was floating around a lot of blogs.
Yes, the Charles Period top was a big hit globally, but obviously I want to do something that's an even bigger internet hit.What's the idea behind the clubbing tops? Is the foam on them interactive? Like does it expand and retract?
Ah, yes. The foam is an incredible medium. It's used a lot in the building industry. It doesn't expand when you're wearing it, although you've actually just given me an idea.Awesome. I guess that means I'm a secondhand artist now. You label some of the designs high fashion. What is it about those pieces that make them high fashion?
Not too much, really. I think when I tone the design down a bit that's usually when I classify them as high fashion.Oh, OK. Lastly, have you ever got commissions for wearable art from big brands trying to be a bit out there?
Yes, I did a big job for Dunhill once, actually. I designed some shirts for them that they displayed in their new flagship stores. I'm open to anyone as long as I don't have to dumb down what I do.JAMIE CLIFTON
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Walter Raes: Well, the thing about wearable art is that so many extra factors are brought into the equation, like how the piece looks in the light of the day or at night when it's slightly darker, or even the differences between when it's worn inside or outside, you know? Most of all, though, it's the movement. Each wearable art piece really stands out when the model walks around with it on, which adds so many dimensions to each piece. So yeah, I suppose you can see why I didn't choose watercolors—they're too static for my tastes.I see that now, yeah. Are there any of your pieces of clothing that have a specific meaning? Or are they more about just what looks good aesthetically?
No, I intended for some to have meanings. For example, Boiling Point was created with all the electrical and accessory waste that we all never even think of repairing. Dummy Mummy is my take on overpopulation, which, I feel, is the biggest problem mankind faces at the moment.Did you have an interest in fashion and designing clothes before you started using them in your art?
Well, I came from a very artistic background. My father is a sculptor and my mum was a poet, so we were raised to express ourselves in any way we could and clothes happened to be a great medium for me. Flicking through fashion magazines and looking at images always helped me come up with new ideas.
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There's been global interest in what I'm doing, not just in the fashion industry actually, but also in the art world. One of my aims is to not only make people aware of waste and recycling problems, but also make them smile and think about creativity and the way that these used up objects can be resurrected. Designers and the fashion industry as a whole can sometimes take themselves far too seriously.Very true. Are any of your designs actually intended to be worn, though?
Yeah, definitely. They have been worn at art shows in London and some were used in music videos, so they're definitely meant to be worn. Actually, I even had a model walking around in my clothes at the Louvre in Paris, which was a big hit. I love showing fashion out of context like that.The pieces made out of bras remind me a bit of Jean Paul Gaultier.
Well, I think any designer takes references from other designers. Not just fashion designers, but any sort of designer, from cars to furniture, or whatever.The Dust Mask Bodice.What about the Isabella Blow evening gown?
That happened after meeting at her house in London one evening and she selected that piece to include in an article she wrote called Avant-Garbage.Have you ever tried making clothes out of materials that just wouldn't work?
Well, usually the biggest challenge for me is to create something out of really small objects, you know? Then again, if you really think about it, you can make anything wearable, even paint. Salt would probably be a bit of a challenge but, then again, there are salt crystals that I'm sure you could do something with. You see, anything is possible.
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Yes, the Charles Period top was a big hit globally, but obviously I want to do something that's an even bigger internet hit.What's the idea behind the clubbing tops? Is the foam on them interactive? Like does it expand and retract?
Ah, yes. The foam is an incredible medium. It's used a lot in the building industry. It doesn't expand when you're wearing it, although you've actually just given me an idea.Awesome. I guess that means I'm a secondhand artist now. You label some of the designs high fashion. What is it about those pieces that make them high fashion?
Not too much, really. I think when I tone the design down a bit that's usually when I classify them as high fashion.Oh, OK. Lastly, have you ever got commissions for wearable art from big brands trying to be a bit out there?
Yes, I did a big job for Dunhill once, actually. I designed some shirts for them that they displayed in their new flagship stores. I'm open to anyone as long as I don't have to dumb down what I do.JAMIE CLIFTON
