{"id":10880,"date":"2020-11-01T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T19:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10880"},"modified":"2020-11-01T11:48:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T19:48:00","slug":"upcycle-chic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10880","title":{"rendered":"UPcycle Chic"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Designer<\/a>

Designer Kate McHale Jensen in one of her creations, photo by Steven Krebs.<\/p><\/div>\n

Everything old really is new again in the hands of fashion designer\u00a0Kate McHale Jensen<\/a>. Inspired by the timeless style and comfort\u00a0of men\u2019s shirts, Jensen\u2019s KMJ<\/strong> (shopkmj.com<\/a>) line came about after\u00a0the designer, who says she \u201chas lived and breathed fashion and\u00a0clothing since I can remember,\u201d took\u00a0a shirt from her husband\u2019s closet and\u00a0remade it into something for herself.<\/p>\n

Each one-of-a-kind women\u2019s style\u00a0is fashioned from a vintage men\u2019s\u00a0shirt and hand cut by the designer\u00a0herself in her Santa Barbara studio.<\/p>\n

So \u201cno two are alike,\u201d says Jensen,\u00a0who suggests that their popularity\u00a0may be partly due to the fact that\u00a0\u201csustainability is so much at the\u00a0forefront of fashion these days.\u201d Her\u00a0most-sold design is the Bon Voyage, a\u00a0feminine twist on the classic button\u00a0down, with a three-quarter-length\u00a0puff sleeve.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get the biggest rush,\u201d Jensen\u00a0says, \u201cfrom pulling the next batch of\u00a0vintage shirts to offer them another\u00a0life\u2014digging through, seeing the\u00a0potential of an otherwise forgotten\u00a0shirt to be repurposed in the hope of\u00a0making women feel empowered and\u00a0alive.\u201d She\u2019s also excited by special\u00a0commissions, when people send her sentimental favorites\u2014such as\u00a0a father\u2019s wedding tuxedo\u2014to be refashioned into something new.<\/p>\n

\"805<\/a> This story originally appeared in 805 Living Magazine<\/em><\/a>, October 2020. Click here<\/a> to see the section as it originally appeared in print.<\/p>\n

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