#1 "Threads of Renewal: Why Upcycling Matters Now"

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT:

HOST (Ashley):
Hey there, all of you beautiful souls, seekers and creators of a more compassionate and conscious world—welcome to Reclaiming the Threads, a podcast by House of Tikkun, where we will talk style, sustainability, and the sacred, all in equal measure.

From a small corner of campus at Harvard University, I’m your host, Ashley , and today we’re kicking off this journey with a topic that’s immensely close to my heart—and honestly, a topic of conversation that’s long overdue.

This first episode of Reclaiming the Threads is called “Threads of Renewal – Why Upcycling Matters Now.”
And I promise with all sincerity, it’s not going to be a finger-wagging, politically infused lecture about waste. Actually this podcast is far from it or anything like that. This is a love letter. A love letter To you. And To the planet. And to all the clothes and garments out there we’ve almost forgotten how to love. Kinda like ourselves.

That’s why im writing these letters of love to you, to remind each of you that you are worthy of love, of mending the parts that are broken and torn. You are a sacred being with the power to weave the world you wish to be in.

Segment 1: Where Did All the Care Go?

HOST (Ashley):
We have so much to share and chat about over these episodes, but let’s give it a start here with some reflection: When was the last time you really looked at a piece of clothing in your closet and thought,
“Wow. Someone made this.”
and I don’t mean, someone designed it, or sold it, or branded it—someone with their hands made it. With their physical body, their attention and Their time.

The recent trend and inundation of uber cheap, quick ship, one-click bored in bed shopping of Fast fashion has trained us to treat clothing like it's disposable. Like it’s a paper napkin. One wear and in the trash, done.
We’ve been numbed and disassociated to the magic of fabric, of fit, of craftsmanship of intentional design. And I get it—life is busy. Budgets are tight. Trends change quickly, And the social media advertising algorithms for more fashion choices than you could dream, is and can be very, very seductive. A hypnotic trap of overnight bargains.

But here’s the thing: the price of convenience and always having the newest instafamous hot look is more staggering than you would think. Way more.

Just let this sink in for a hot second.
that second and Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is burned or buried in a landfill.
Every. Second. That means 60x a minute. I can’t even count that fast to keep up with how many truck loads of discard fashion that equals in the time it takes someone to walk to the mailbox and collect the newest cute dress from amazon.

And what’s even worse is that most of this fast fashion, it isn’t biodegradable. It doesn’t just go away—it lingers, forever. Like a polyester ghost haunting future generations.for eternity. Forever plastics, mean just that, forever. And while that might seem great for the lining of a jet airplane or even the carpet in your car, those forever plastics are a major component in almost all of the fashion we find hanging the racks at these fast fashion giants from Zara to H&M to Shein to amazon.

So, I mentioned earlier about the practice of upcycling? Well, It’s not just crafty and creative. It’s not just quirky and custom.
It’s truly revolutionary.
It’s a way of saying: “No. I’m not going to let this thing go to waste. Not this fabric, not this dress, not this jacket, not this time and not myself either.”

By rejecting the capitalist ideals of always being in lack and needing more, we reclaim our agency, our power of choice and the health of our planet. We, together, can mend and heal the broken threads in the tapestry of our lives. One choice and one stitch at a time.

Segment 2: What Is Upcycling, Really?

HOST (Ashley):
Let’s try and shape the larger idea around this concept—upcycling isn’t just “cutting your jeans into jorts.”
Though, to be totally fair, that’s totally a classic move and I support it and your denim dreams wholeheartedly.

Upcycling is the art of transforming an existing garment—or even textile scraps—into something new, something better something unique.
It’s like a form of alchemy. Fashion alchemy and you’re the mystic. You’re taking pieces of what already exists, often old or broken parts, and creating a space where in they can sing a beautiful new song where you are the composer and orchestra. You work together with the pieces to see beyond the present state of being and envisioned into something transformed and treasured. You create the value from what was already inherent, but was previously hidden.

You don’t need to be a designer. You definitely don’t need a fancy studio. You don’t even need a sewing machine.
You just need imagination, a seamripper, a needle and thread… and maybe a good pair of scissors. Yes.. your mother was correct.. good fabric scissors are worth the fight. Once you get your first pair and start trimming delicate weaves, you’ll understand why our mothers seemingly had a coronary every time we were spotted scissors in hand slicing through ice-pop sleeves. A core memory of many. But back to our main focus.

At House of Tikkun, we see upcycling as a practice of love.
It’s about seeing potential where others see something discardable, broken, unworthy of mend,
And isn’t that what we’re all craving? To be seen not for our flaws, but for what we innately are and could become with love and attention?

To see love, we must be love. To heal the world, we must heal ourselves. And that starts at home and with the smallest of choices, like what and how we wear clothing. We are a reflection of what we desire to be. When they say someone wears their heart on their sleeve, we get that..

Segment 3: Why Now?

HOST (Ashley):
Okay, so why does this matter now—in 2025?

Well, we are standing in a moment of reckoning.
The fashion industry is one of the top polluting industries in the world (third top polluter I believe). It exploits labor, overproduces waste, and with the influx of social media stardom, it seduces us into the need for endless consumption in the name of inauthentic identities, fashion trends, glamor of abundance and five minutes of fame.

On the other hand, we are also in a renaissance. People are waking up. People are remembering who they are. They’re done being told what to wear, how to look, or what’s “hot this season.” People want stories, connection, Depth. Honesty and creative autonomy to be authentic.

And what’s more honest than a garment you remade yourself?
your uncle’s old military jacket with a patch from your recent aid work trip to Oaxaca and all of those re-purposed girl scout badges you worked so hard for and have been living forgotten in the bottom of an attic box.
A long silk wedding dress re-dyed and screen printed after a heartbreaking divorce.
A new dress that was once a curtain panel in your grandmother’s living room, a move of a modern Scarlet O’hara .

Upcycling isn’t just sustainable and good for the Earth. It’s personal. Its raw. Its healing. Its conscious. Its authentically you.
It’s innately a reclamation of identity. It’s about cultural repair. It’s about mending broken connections. Continuing stories that were silenced. It’s about saying: “I choose to honor what already exists—and build the things I desire from there.” No need for something shiny and new. The process is what exposes and creates it’s shine. Fashion alchemy.

Doesn’t that feel…well. spiritual? Here we can reclaim what is sacred as well

Segment 4: The Emotional Power of Mending

HOST (Ashley):
Let me tell you a secret: I once cried over a pair of socks.(maybe not just once)..

Not fancy ones. Seemingly just… socks. Wool. Moth-bitten. Shrunk and stretched. Frayed holes where your toes would hang out.
They belonged to someone I loved deeply who’s no longer a part of my life.
And one winter night, I took to mending them for the first time. I stitched that little hole with awkward, imperfect care. And with each movement, I felt like I was holding their memory in place. Knotting them into the fabric of my time and space. Like I was keeping something alive with each and every stitch.

That’s what upcycling can do.
It’s memory work.

It’s heart work.

Its’s creative work.
It’s healing work.
It’s how we stitch the past into the present and we don’t unravel completely. It creates a bridge from where we are and where we want to be or who we want to be. Our divine inheritance is our ability to create. What a gift to weave the threads that make up the tapestry of our lives.

Mending isn’t about making something perfect again. It’s about making it whole in a new and unique way.
And that? Well That’s powerful. That’s reclaiming something sacred and divine.

Segment 5: How to Start—Right Now

HOST (Ashley):
So maybe you’ve been inspired. You want to start. But.. You don’t know how. I get it and

Here’s what I suggest:

1. Pick one garment.
Something you like, but don’t love. Maybe it doesn’t fit quite right. Maybe the color’s off. Maybe it just needs a refresh. Maybe you don’t know but you feel its worth the try.

2. Ask yourself: What story do I want this to tell now?
Is it punk? Poetic? Armor? Celebration? Sexy? Does it represent a part of your culture you wish to share? Does it offer a chance for conversation or an interesting talking point for meeting your new colleagues at the company picnic?

3. Begin with one small change.
Crop it. Dye it. Add trim. Remove sleeves. Remove the collar. Patch it with something beautiful. Finally Sew all those emboirdered patches you collected from your European backpacking adventure onto your dad’s fisherman sweater.
Trust the process—it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be you.

And if you find you need help—come find us. We are ready and waiting.
At House of Tikkun, we’re building a space—physical and digital—where upcycling isn’t a lonely act.
It’s a collective ceremony of communal reclamation and creativity. A rebellion against the idea that new is always better. A soft place to land with scissors in hand when you’re running from a harsh world. I love you, we love you and always welcome you into our space where mending the broken isn’t just about fixing something else, it’s about working to heal ourselves too.

Closing: Threads of Renewal

HOST (Ashley):
So, the big questions,  why does upcycling matter now?

Because we are in a world that is unraveling.
Yet thankfully also—and miraculously—reweaving.

Upcycling reminds us that even torn things can be beautiful again. That value isn’t about price tags. and That we can reimagine, rework, and reclaim… not just our clothes, but ourselves and our community.

So can’t you see sweet friends, It’s not just about mending sweaters.
It’s about mending a harmful disconnection.
From labor. From land. From each other. From our own very hands.

Thank you so very much for offering your time and holding the space to be here with me on this episode of Reclaiming the Threads. And thank you For showing up with your heart, your creativity, and your willingness open and ready to try.

And now, I’ll leave you with this:

Nothing you wear is meaningless.
Every thread woven has a story.
so in a world where you have the gift of choice, What story will you choose to tell next?

[Outro music fades in—hopeful, warm, soft layering of acoustic and ambient tones]

(Call to Action)

HOST (Ashley):
If this episode has moved you, inspired you, or made you want to run with scissors to grab a needle and thread—let us know and maybe don’t run… we are here when you are..
Share your upcycled pieces, tips and tricks with us using the hashtag #HouseOfTikkun and #reclaimingthethreads
And tag us—we want to see what you’re making, the tapestry youre weaving and the stories youre deciding to tell.. We want to cheer you on, all along the way.

Next episode: “Become Your Own Couturier” — how you can recreate high fashion without the haute couture price tag. It’s gonna be juicy.

Until then,
Stay kind. Stay bold.
And remember: You are the thread that weaves the story of your star. Illuminate in love. Stay stitched in friends- you are the change.