Fashion Upcycler Ella Wiznia Repurposes Your Old Linens Into Sentimental Clothing

Ella Wiznia soft-launched the upcycled and genderless fashion brand The Series in 2016 while she was still in college and selling her wares at the Hester Street Fair, an outdoor weekend market in NYC. At the time, Wiznia was in recovery for an eating disorder and she started hand-embroidering and making her own clothing and accessories from pre-existing materials as a way to heal. "Moving my hands was so good for my mental health honestly. It was so necessary to quiet my mind and that’s how I started making things for my own happiness," she says.

Since clothes shopping in stores with traditional sizing wasn’t conducive to Wiznia’s recovery, she turned to thrift and second-hand shops to source apparel that could be reworked, or to uncover beautiful but forgotten heirloom fabrics that could then be repurposed into sentimental, wearable pieces. A sampling of The Series’ offerings include balaclavas made from granny-square crochet blankets, quilted chore shirts fashioned from various scraps, and puffer jackets that once used to be sleeping bags or comforters. Wiznia and her team also take customers’ home textiles like linens, top sheets, pillow cases, or throws that are no longer being used to create something new.

"It was always about honoring these materials that I found to be so incredibly special and overlooked for a really long time," says Wiznia. "It’s a way to prolong their lifespan, to make them into things that can be worn and used rather than folded up in a closet or thrown in a corner." Wiznia also finds the process of reworking these vintage handmade quilts or blankets, many of which have been "historically deemed as women's work because they’re associated with the home and heavily rooted in domesticity," as a way to respect the craft and patience that was put into these heritage pieces.

Given Wiznia’s affinity for quilt-like "mish mosh," it’s fitting that her Upper West Side apartment—which also doubles as The Series studio where she and her small team sew and handle shipments from—is similarly eclectic in style. "I think [my aesthetic] is similar to the clothing I make, kind of classical design mixed with fun colors and textures. I like really well-designed, intentional pieces or items that are historically connected to a childhood memory," says Wiznia. "I always look to Iris Apfel’s or Gloria Vanderbilt’s apartments and interiors. I just love the layered-on textures with more of the modern elements."

The home essentials that outfit Wiznia’s New York City apartment include a design-centric Heller dinnerware set, a wall-spanning mirror from Ikea, a bouquet of fake flowers (due to Wiznia’s allergies), and a large Roman column pedestal. "My most prized possession is that column, which my friends found on the street when I was in college studying urban design and architecture," says Wiznia. "They brought it up to my room and I nearly fainted when I saw it. It was like I had died and gone to heaven."

"We take your old sleeping bags or even a full-size-plus comforter and transform them into a puffer jacket! I love Arthur and found an old Arthur sleeping bag that I made into a puffer that I now can’t get rid of. I’m wrapped in my childhood, you know?"

"I am a big fan of Saul Steinberg’s work. I have a framed vintage poster from an exhibit he did in East Hampton that hangs over my couch. His art is so thoughtful and intricate and witty and New York and no matter how long it has been on my wall, I still see new things in it all the time!"

"There is simply nothing more fascinating and empowering to me than learning about misunderstood, ambitious women of the past. One of my biggest regrets was not going to the Grey Gardens estate sale in 2017, but this coffee table book of Little Edie (Edith Bouvier Beale) will have to do for now."

"My boyfriend and I were gifted these by his parents last year and I absolutely adore them! I am convinced that anything Mackenzie Childs has perfected the juxtaposition of classicism and whimsy!"

"I have lived in New York City for 10 years now and in every apartment I have lived in, mirrors have proved themselves extremely important. Between reflecting light and giving the illusion of a bigger space, invest in a nice large mirror and your seasonal depression will thank you!"

"Another gift that I treasure!! These mugs are super fun to drink from and are very durable. I have these on a floating shelf in my kitchen and they function as glassware and art simultaneously!"

"Bear with me for this one… I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a hollow, sculptural column that was found on the street and it is one of my most prized processions. I use it as a freestanding sculpture and it is a real unconventional statement piece in any room."

"Plants are really important for the happiness and activation of space, but if you are like me and suffer from MANY allergies, live flowers can sometimes do more harm than good. I love these forever flowers from Cosmic Peace Studio as an alternative! I put mine in a milk glass vase in the entrance to my home for a pop of color."

"I spend a lot of time at a sewing machine pinning samples and reconstructing blankets. I used to work a lot on the floor but I developed neck and back pain so at the advice of my boyfriend, I invested in one of these stools. I never thought I would be the kind of person to recommend anything with ‘ergo’ in the name but if you are a crafter or do any desk work that requires leaning and reaching, get this."

"I am such a fan of Vahz Studio! These coasters are so tactile and beautiful and I love that they are made by hand here in NY."

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