A budding designer from Exeter has gone viral on TikTok for what she calls her “thrift flips.”Alexis Kesslen, a student at the School of Fashion Design in Boston, calls herself an upcycling fashion designer.Kesslen has a knack for transforming second-hand clothes. Her thrift flips on TikTok have gone viral. “I did have a couple of posts that got more than a million views, so that was really crazy,” Kesslen said.”I’ll usually look for something with a lot of yardage, either a super baggy dress or something like that, so I know I can get a lot of use out of the fabric,” she said.Kesslen learned to sew in classes at Exeter High School. Now, she’s getting her collection ready for her graduation day show at the School of Fashion Design. “The lace was donated to the school, and it’s an upcycled project,” she said. “Instead of throwing it away, it gets put into a dress.””I love it,” said Sunnyray, a model wearing one of Kesslen’s designs. “I move in it like it’s a glove.””Sustainability is important to me, and minimal waste is important to me,” Kesslen said. “I really have been trying to utilize what is around me.”Leftover buttons complete the look of her suede jacket. “That is also part of the beauty of rummaging through someone’s trash, because it becomes your treasure,” Kesslen said.A teacher helped her put the finishing touches on a pajama set. “She had this lace from when she worked at Victoria’s Secret that was left over, and so she gave me this lace, and it just matched perfectly,” Kesslen said.Her outfit is second-hand.”I really try to do my part to not buy new clothes,” Kesslen said.Kesslen said she loves when a thrift trip inspires her to create something new. “It was a garment that was once loved and cherished and was donated for the purpose of not throwing it away and giving it to a new home,” she said. “It feels good to not be a part of fast fashion. I really want to try to avoid that in my career.”
A budding designer from Exeter has gone viral on TikTok for what she calls her “thrift flips.”
Alexis Kesslen, a student at the School of Fashion Design in Boston, calls herself an upcycling fashion designer.
Kesslen has a knack for transforming second-hand clothes. Her thrift flips on TikTok have gone viral.
“I did have a couple of posts that got more than a million views, so that was really crazy,” Kesslen said.
“I’ll usually look for something with a lot of yardage, either a super baggy dress or something like that, so I know I can get a lot of use out of the fabric,” she said.
Kesslen learned to sew in classes at Exeter High School. Now, she’s getting her collection ready for her graduation day show at the School of Fashion Design.
“The lace was donated to the school, and it’s an upcycled project,” she said. “Instead of throwing it away, it gets put into a dress.”
“I love it,” said Sunnyray, a model wearing one of Kesslen’s designs. “I move in it like it’s a glove.”
“Sustainability is important to me, and minimal waste is important to me,” Kesslen said. “I really have been trying to utilize what is around me.”
Leftover buttons complete the look of her suede jacket.
“That is also part of the beauty of rummaging through someone’s trash, because it becomes your treasure,” Kesslen said.
A teacher helped her put the finishing touches on a pajama set. “She had this lace from when she worked at Victoria’s Secret that was left over, and so she gave me this lace, and it just matched perfectly,” Kesslen said.
Her outfit is second-hand.
“I really try to do my part to not buy new clothes,” Kesslen said.
Kesslen said she loves when a thrift trip inspires her to create something new.
“It was a garment that was once loved and cherished and was donated for the purpose of not throwing it away and giving it to a new home,” she said. “It feels good to not be a part of fast fashion. I really want to try to avoid that in my career.”
