When eco-friendliness meets body positivity: Ella Wiznia of The Series New York's quest to upend traditional body ideas and create upcycled garments
The origin of “The Series NY”
The piece contains the following disclaimer: “This garment was not designed for a specific gender or body.. The Series NY's colorful garments are designed to exist regardless of season, gender or size. The garments are inspired by mid-century American designs and made from vintage materials. Sizes range from 2XS to 4XL. The NY series is the culmination of founder and designer Ella Wiznia's determination to create a clothing line that straddles the line between sustainability and inclusivity.
When Wiznia was diagnosed with an eating disorder her senior year of high school, she became disillusioned with the images of models found in high fashion brands' catalogs. To escape the bombardment of marketing campaigns she found unrealistic, she turned away from boutiques and toward thrift and vintage stores and fell in love with Levi's denim. Wiznia recalled her heroine Suze Rotolo, the 1960s counterculture icon who sewed an extra piece of denim into her then-boyfriend Bob Dylan's jeans to create a proto-flare, and tried her favorite pairs made from vintage denim to embroider by attaching appliqués and patches to jeans.
Vintage clothing: a challenge for the fashion industry
A formal embroidery class at Brooklyn's Made Workshop. At the time, she was the only student in the class and found a mentor in Make Workshop founder Diana Rupp, who learned advanced embroidery techniques in addition to traditional sewing methods. Evidence of the dedication to these techniques can be seen throughout the collection, as strips of fabric are applied to tote bags and vintage patches are stitched together to create psychedelic work shirts. As she turned the embroidery hobby she had adopted as a recovery tool into a regular business, inquiries from strangers poured in.
Remembering her personal struggle with an eating disorder, Wiznia decided to create garments and turn her business into a tool to address environmentally harmful production methods and clothing size restrictions. Transforming their love of vintage into a promise to only use pre-existing materials and driven by a desire to challenge the fashion industry's norms, The Series NY was launched with sustainability and inclusivity as core principles.
Empathy and reuse
The concept of empathy is essential to Wiznia’s design logic. When she began her studies at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, she was tasked with setting her own curriculum. Fascinated by New York's history and excited by park advocates' love of public space, she set out to become a public garden designer. Concerns about the impact of park planning weighed on their decision. “Learning about park design academically and theoretically – what does that mean against gentrification?” If design is not connected to politics, how does that affect anyone other than me?”. “When I create, I try to see how a 12- or 7-year-old would see it, or how my mentor would see it. I understand the impact this could have on all of these people.”.
In addition, the unconventional “role models” are selected for look books and online product photos to represent different body shapes. “When we do castings, I just contact people via Instagram. If someone wants to model and has self-confidence, the job is theirs». Material for the NY series is sourced from across the country, collected from thrift stores or tracked down online. The brand doesn't just limit itself to remaining stock, but uses all vintage fabrics. From sofa covers to crochet blankets, every fabric is suitable for use in The Series NY garments, and none of them are ordered from a factory.
Combining personal meaning with lasting style
Woodstock, the Great Depression-era quilts, and the 1960s West Village. Wiznia avoids studying the archive collections of major fashion houses. Drawing on intuition rather than a fashion critic's perspective, patterns, patterns and color palettes are chosen on an ad hoc basis. Elements from multiple eras or clothing items are combined into a single piece. The NY series features a quilted jacket made from a found Sesame Street blanket next to a Yo-Yo tank top made from vintage 1960s quilts. At first glance, the use of traditional and vintage materials might suggest that nostalgia must dictate the aesthetic. . “For me, the shapes and silhouettes of the garments from this period have always been what I was looking for.” If you take a quality that was classic at one time and another that was classic at another time, it becomes interesting.” She does not claim to create new shapes or structures, but rather aims to create garments that combine personal meaning with lasting style.
Wiznia decided to add another member to her team – Grace Wells from Houston, who holds the title of Head of Production. However, production still takes place in Wiznia's home in upstate New York. Tucked away in a studio full of quilts, trimmings, scraps and threads, the garments for The Series NY are handmade, with some of the work outsourced to Grace Wells in Houston.
The role of the unique: connecting and passing on
To ensure consistent customer demand, buyers look for uniformity in garments. Changes in the shape, color and material of individual items can cause unrest among shops and retailers. “Upcycling is a way to ensure that the consumer receives a unique item. Someone will see it and say, “That’s what I was looking for” or “That reminds me of my grandma.” It stays in the closet longer than a mass-produced item of clothing.”. Inextricably linked to The Series NY's idea of sustainable practices and increasing value through upcycling is the existence of individual items.
While identical Uniqlo vests may end up in landfill, Wiznia claims that unique pieces are more likely to create a personal connection with the consumer and be passed down to the next generation. “Children don’t have to go to fashion school. At 15, they don’t need a folder or an incredible draping technique.”. Among the topics that interested her as a young girl were silversmithing in Boston, the Disney musical film Newsiesand the Great Molasses Flood of 1919, which she admits have nothing to do with fashion. She insists that people will find their calling, regardless of the timing. “I could have built the park. Then one day, when I'm 45, someone might say, “Would you like to try something else?” But don't rush it».
The NY series
Founded by Ella Wiznia in 2016. Each piece is unique, handmade in New York, entirely from pre-existing materials and gender neutral. Items include made-to-order puffer jackets, tank tops, knitwear and denim