NИold &
other stories
NИ old
Wearing What’s Already There
A note on sustainability and how I practice it
Sustainability isn’t a slogan for me, it’s part of how I work, think, and live. The fashion industry is overflowing: with stuff, with waste, with pressure to always want something new. But through experience, I’ve learned that we don’t need to start from scratch every time. Most of the time, the outfit we’re imagining already exists, hidden in a piece we’ve overlooked or waiting to be reshaped. And if I don’t find it - I make it.
Thrifting, swapping, reworking, none of this is new. It’s been practiced for generations, and thankfully, it’s making a return. Not as a passing trend, but as a mindset. A way of moving forward without leaving more waste behind. Hopefully, you’re already part of that shift. Because let’s be honest: it’s no longer niche. It’s necessary.
That’s where reusing, reshaping, and reimagining come in. Clothing swaps, second-hand finds, a garment from the back of a closet: these are my raw materials. From there, I use techniques like visible mending, plant-based or regular dyeing, art on textile, textile collaging, and felting on fabric to give each piece new texture, depth, and life. I treat every garment like a sketch: it can be reworked, layered, altered, dyed, and mended into something that feels right again. Something that feels like you.
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Kaleidoscoop Kids Workshop (2023)
In November 2023, I hosted a playful “clothing clinic” at Kaleidoscoop's Kunstendag voor Kinderen in Mortsel. Children aged 4 to 14 brought their favourite garments and, using needle, thread, and a dash of imagination, transformed them into unique fashion statements. This workshop was part of a playful day filled with art, music, and creativity, celebrating the power of self-expression.
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Series of tactile workshops where hands lead the way.
The first one promises to be a special edition, as I’m currently in conversation with Pincas, a local Antwerp-based initiative bringing your inner creativity come to life.
These hands-on sessions are about more than technique, they explore where the hands don’t just create art, but bring ideas to life.
Want to organize a workshop with me around this or another topic?
Reach out here.
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This ongoing series explores how our senses can spark creativity, connection, and transformation: through workshops, collaborations, and artistic encounters.
Each sense becomes a starting point:
Sight, Hearing, and Touch are currently in development, each unfolding through its own medium and collaboration.
Taste and Smell are still to come, evolving as the journey continues.Curious to co-create one?
The five senses
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– in progress
Together with a living statue artist, I’m developing a performative installation that blurs the lines between stage and street. It activates only when we are present and becomes a canvas for visual storytelling. Rooted in our shared Bulgarian heritage, the work explores language, memory, and cultural nuance, how we see and are seen across time and space.
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This one’s still simmering.
With a background in horeca and a love for good food, I’m looking for partners to explore how taste can tell a story, where cooking, sharing, and creativity come together.
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No concrete plans for this one yet, open to ideas and potential collaborations!
Reach out here!
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– in development
This project looks at how stories, facts, and histories can slip away, distorted, forgotten, or left unheard. It’s about what disappears when no one is listening. I’m working on an installation around this theme. Conversations are ongoing, and I remain open to ideas and collaborators.