What's your trash story?  Can you recall a specific moment, experience, or person that sparked your love affair with trash? Can you share an early memory related to upcycling trash that left a lasting impression on you?

My grandpa’s hardware store—mixing paint, caring for the right tools, and the “anything is possible” attitude—left a deep impression on me. My dad, a beloved science teacher, taught me to see the world through a problem-solving lens. I’ve always been drawn to creativity and beauty, with a love for color and form. That, combined with an analytical mind, set me on a path to see potential where others see waste.

Describe your job. What’s trash got to do with it?

I’m the Co-Founder of Rewilder and lead all design and R+D. I’ve been a fashion handbag designer for 25 years, working with large fashion houses and managing global production. I’ve seen how the fashion industry operates—how much is made, and how much is wasted. Rewilder was born in response to that. We start from waste, not from new materials. We respect the trash we use—rehabilitating it, working with its constraints, and letting it guide our designs. Design is how we add value and meaning to discarded materials, and it’s how we begin to reimagine our relationship to consumption.

What something you’ve seen or worked on in the world of waste that you found surprising, delightful or inspiring? 

One of our first discoveries was how to work with climbing ropes. We had already figured out how to highlight the texture of beer filter cloth, and were experimenting with pairing it with used ropes from climbing gyms. But the materials didn’t behave well together. Then one night, I woke up with an idea: hollow out the ropes. It changed everything. They became lighter, flatter, and easier to integrate. I told Jenny, and we literally jumped up and down. That moment—that spark when intention and design meet—is pure joy.

This can be dirty, sometimes disheartening work. What’s something in your work that brings you joy right now? 

Joy is in the details. In making something exquisite from something discarded. I’ve been designing handbags for over two decades, and I still get excited by the way a seam is finished, or the perfect curve of a strap. I love making things that are not only beautiful, but that last. Luxury doesn’t have to mean new—it can mean thoughtful, resourceful, and made with care.