Fashion designer Tiffe Fermaint always brings a certain edgy glamour to her work, whether it's a sartorially savvy lush white coat or a pop-star ready, space-age leotard. Her latest collection, dubbed Reincarnation for Buffalo Exchange, is no exception.
To create the line, Fermaint shopped mainly at Goodwill on 50-percent-off days for pieces with familiar labels like Levi's and Calvin Klein. She took those second-hand finds and modifies them to fit her aesthetic by adding studs, spikes, jewels, and glitter, altering hemlines, removing sleeves, lengthening skirts, and cropping pants. The result is a sexy, surprising line of about 200 one-of-a-kind items.
"I wanted to create a concept that is more accessible and reach a much wider market," Fermaint says of the up-cycled, lively line, which includes women’s clothing and menswear at Buffalo-friendly price points (shoes start at $35, shorts at $18, and tops at $25). "With this collection, I hope that people feel not only smart and socially responsible but very chic and edgy."
Sun., Sept. 2, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 2012
