Welcome to the Artfit Lookbook! Our first cohort of 17 showcasing artists invited us into their world and presented original pieces. We invite you to dive deeper and explore each piece!
Ramneek Thind: Halter top & mini skirt, ‘Bloom Bash’ –
Bloom Bash is an eternal personification of the aesthetics, vibrancy, and spirit of a tropical summer. The design itself deconstructs the hibiscus flower, hence the title, which is derived from a type of Hollywood hibiscus. This influence is evident not only in the hibiscus appliqué and floral lace motifs, but also in the vivid palette of saturated oranges and pinks.
The design is composed of a thrifted matte-satin fabric with a duo-chrome weave, as well as layers of chiffon, a lace panel, beads, sequins, 3D appliqué, tassels, and pom-poms. Construction-wise, the design is completely original. It is a blend of machine and handwork, with most of the details done by myself.
Asma Nayim Ullah: A stretch column skirt, ‘Hoñsu in Bloom’ –
This piece began with an inspiration from my Rohingya heritage, specifically drawing from my previous project, “Meera’s Pavilion.” To bring this vision to life, I applied the sustainable upcycling methods practised in the ARTFIT workshops. Instead of traditional embroidery, every taro leaf and flower petal was meticulously cut from upcycled clothes and permanently fused onto the skirt using Steam-A-Seam 2.
My Hoñsu in Bloom skirt celebrates cultural resilience through this conscious, zero-waste design. The audience will witness a seamless blend of historical roots and contemporary artistry, transforming repurposed textiles into a powerful fashion statement about survival, renewal, and sustainable innovation.
Thi Ngoc Le Nguyen, known as Lucy Nguyen: Skirt made of mixed materials, ‘Denim In Me’ / ‘The Suited Engima’ –
Denim In Me is made of thrifted local jeans and is a play on the phrase “The Man In Me.” Often, women forget that they have the power to dominate the world that society tries to suppress and turn against them. It serves as a reminder that we women can empower ourselves to stand tall, reach for success and hold positions of power.
The Suited Enigma is a look made from thrifted men’s blazers. Inspired by my first-ever piece, it is hand-sewn and pinned with safety pins to symbolise my journey as a self-taught stylist and beginner sewist. The final version of the look is based on a strange dream from very early morning after work. As strange as it is, she is an enigma of my look after all.
Sophie Lambourne: Tube top with gloves & a layered tulle skirt, pink corset with a long maxi skirt, ‘The Moulin Rouge’ –
My idea for this collection was to base it on one of my favourite musical films, Moulin Rouge. I hope to be a costume designer one day, and wanted to try my hand at interpreting not only Satine’s story, but her emotions in the film throughout this collection.
Nae: Two-piece set, ‘Star Platinum’ –
Star Platinum is an up-cycled denim two piece set inspired by transformation, individuality and of course y2k fashion. I wanted to create something bold and expressively me but still wearable.
I wanted to show that thrifted clothes can be reimagined and turned into statement pieces. The piece consists of a pair of 2000s jeans I inherited but never wore, combined with thrifted clothing that was deconstructed and adjusted to fit my body and personal comfort. I made the piece intentionally asymmetrical to mirror myself – imperfect yet constantly evolving.
Star Platinum is a direct reflection of my own self-betterment, as like myself, I turned pre-loved clothing into something new and creative. I wish for audience members to see how powerful and feminine sustainability can be.
Jashi K: Skirt, ‘This is me’ –
This piece was created from two garments: a pair of old jeans and a thrifted skirt. I was inspired by the idea of transforming discarded clothing into something new and meaningful. By combining the structured denim waist of the jeans with the soft, flowing fabric of the skirt, I created a garment that reflects me. The contrast between the materials represents both strength and freedom, making the piece feel just right on my body.
As the garment enters the runway, the audience will see the fitted denim upper section transition into a flowing skirt. The added accessories will bring extra detail and personality to the design, giving a fresh and unique look. This upcycled piece shows how fashion can be creative, sustainable, and deeply personal, turning pre-loved clothing into something completely new.
Caroline Lie: Jacket and Skirt, ‘Garden of Memories’ –
While thrifting at Vinnies Bankstown with 2 other ARTFIT participants, I was drawn to a black dress with a pink and green floral pattern that I planned to upcycle. I felt really bad about cutting up a nice dress, but with a lot of help from Gary and Sky, I was able to turn the dress into a skirt.
I’ve had this black jacket for more than 10 years. The patch on the back of this jacket did not come with the jacket. I created this patch during a different program where I did a paper piecing activity. I really enjoyed learning how to bead and sequin through ARTFIT and Drawing with Textiles. I have found the process of adding sequins to the patch relaxing and therapeutic.
Isaac Fenech: Shirt, ‘An Expansive Multiverse’ –
The inspiration for this piece came from seeing a Rick and Morty shirt while thrifting. Usually, I would’ve noticed the size and put it back, but after learning how to sew more confidently through ARTFIT, I bought the shirt, cut out the centre piece and sewed it onto a shirt after tie-dying it. After that, it still looked like it was missing something, so I used fabric markers to draw Mr Meeseeks and the portal on the short sleeves.
Zara Saad: Shirt, Skirt and Tote Bag, ‘Enchantix’ –
I went thrifting and was immediately drawn to the men’s button-up shirts. This gave me the idea to use button-ups, which are associated with more “masculine” fashion and patterns like plaid, which are very recognisable in Alt aesthetics. I wanted to play with these ideas and create more “feminine” silhouettes.
Using all the parts of the shirt, I cut out individual panels and godets to create a flowy skirt. For the shirt, I re-did the sleeves to have them be more puffy and voluminous, and I added a lace-up detail to the sides. Finally, I added beading and embroidery to the collar to embellish it further.
Safa Al-bekaa: Jersey, Jacket and skirt set, ‘Liberation Wear’ –
Liberation Wear is about demonstrating the pride I have as an individual from the SWANA region, being Iraqi.
I really love streetwear, but it’s expensive nowadays, and there are times where I don’t want to wear a cultural dress. So I opted to combine the two for pieces I can wear casually. I used screen-printing, embroidery and patchwork skills for my skirt, shirt and jacket.
Rana Mhajer: A Skirt and Matching Handbag, ‘A Spring Morning’ –
This look was created by upcycling an old floral dress I already owned. I was inspired by a similar denim-and-fabric skirt I discovered on Pinterest and wanted to recreate the concept in my own way while giving new life to clothing that would otherwise go unworn.
I selected a pair of thrifted jeans with a blue tone that matched the floral fabric from an old dress. Using the leftover fabric, I also designed a matching bag to complement the skirt and complete the outfit.
The workshop that inspired me the most was making the denim pencil cases; this showed me how denim can be upcycled into a completely different item, leading me to use denim pants in my final project to help make a skirt and ultimately reduce waste and be more sustainable.
BEA: Shirt & Jeans, Untitled –
I took two pairs of jeans that have been living at the back of my closet for years, rarely worn, and combined them to create a wide-leg denim hybrid. The star patches are used from scrap material as well. I wanted the jeans to have a little bit of a scrappy feel—partly because I love that style but often am too scared to pull it off, and partly because my hems and seams are all a bit janky anyway, so I figured I may as well embrace all the imperfections!
My shirt is made of two other shirts, this time thrifted. It’s pretty simple: I cut off the sleeves and down the sides of the main shirt, then used the second to create some triangular side and front panels.
Saffy: Pants, Untitled –
The idea for these pants came from wanting something that could fit you in all seasons of life and fit various people. I found the fabric for these pants at The Sewing Basket; they are made of thrifted, organic cotton.
I have always dressed for comfort, so that was really important with the design. The pants were designed completely from intuition; no measurements were taken. It was important to get thrifted materials, as making it sustainably and without creating waste was important to me.
Rani Sirri: Corset & Skirt, Untitled –
It all started when I was gifted some batik fabric during my trip to Indonesia earlier this year. It just sat in my closet collecting dust, but I still wanted to wear it, so I found a way to make it more me by adding a lace trim on the bottom of the skirt. For the corset, I was inspired by Indonesian beading, for example, beading patterns of kebayas.
My second fit started when I went to Salvos, and I saw this as a dress. I tried it on and decided that I didn’t like it as a dress, but I knew I would love it as a skirt. For the corset, I decided to keep it quite simple and just add some pearl beading, as the skirt was already quite busy.
Aluat Doong: Shirt, Skirt, Bag, ‘Flowers in Bloom’ –
Flowers in Bloom is an upcycled outfit inspired by my love of flowers and the sense of happiness and hope they bring. The outfit includes a white skirt with embroidered floral details and crocheted lace trim, a flower-inspired halter top with a lace-up back, and a matching bag.
All upcycled clothing was sourced from thrifted items and transformed into a new design. The inspiration came from finding many floral garments and fabrics while thrift shopping.
Seeing these pieces inspired me to create an outfit that celebrates the beauty of flowers while promoting sustainable fashion through upcycling. The outfit communicates themes of growth, renewal, and optimism. Just as flowers bloom and flourish, the project demonstrates how pre-loved materials can be given a new purpose.
All images taken by Justin Cueno @justincueno
This program is generously supported by the St George Foundation.
