Introduction To Upcycle Design Masterclass

Hi, welcome to my Upcycle Design Masterclass. I'm Noor Bchara, and I'm here to share my passion for upcycling with you and give you the tools to bring your creativity to life. I'm the founder of Noorism, a repurposed denim brand, where we create new elevated pieces from secondhand jeans. My goal as a designer is to keep as many garments out of landfills as possible. The material in this class is based on my personal experience and is meant to be a roadmap for you to follow and find your own path in the growing world of upcycling. This class will delve into the opportunities and challenges of creating an upcycled brand or incorporating upcycled products. 

So a little bit more about me, I studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York city, and I also spent a year abroad in Florence, Italy, and I've worked for other designers in the industry, such as Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Kate Spade as a designer. I founded Noorism in 2015 as a way to make a positive impact and be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. I also teach a class at FIT that's about upcycling, and I've traveled with the Arts Envoy Program through the U.S. Embassy, where I've been sent to other countries to talk and teach about upcycling. 

Upcycle Design Masterclass is broken down into four modules. In module one, you'll learn about terminology and industry landscape. Module two is about sourcing resources and materials. Module three covers scaling and streamlining production. And in module four, we'll cover branding an upcycled product or business. 

Welcome to module one, terminology and industry landscape. But first, this class is about the how, but it's also important to raise the question of why. As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." So, why are you here? I want you guys all to take a minute, and reflect on why you signed up for this class and what you want to learn and get out of it and just write it down, and I'll see you in section one!