Fashion Files

Join Karis Reneé on this episode of Fashion Files as she delves into the world of DIY fashion. Karis shares her passion for creating unique, personalized items by upcycling, thrifting, and customizing wardrobe pieces. 

She highlights some of her favorite DIY projects, including custom jeans and pearl heels, and emphasizes the importance of using thrift stores for inspiration. Learn how to transform old items into new stylish pieces and get tips on DIY fashion techniques, along with some dos and don'ts. 

Don't miss the Style Spotlight for more inspiration on creating fashionable looks.

00:00 Welcome to Fashion Files 
00:44 Introduction to DIY Fashion
01:23 Highlighting DIY Projects
02:23 Thrifting Tips for DIY Fashion
04:29 Upcycling: Making Old New Again
06:31 Customizable Fashion
15:02 Dos and Don'ts of DIY Fashion
18:11 Style Spotlight
20:10 Conclusion and Farewell

Join The Flame Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FLAMEFashionFiles

Sponsored by Soul Chai: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2532979&u=4527946&m=153430&urllink=&afftrack=
Thanks to our monthly supporters
  • Sarah
  • Micaela Smith
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Creators and Guests

Host
Karis Reneé
Fashion Loves All Minds & Egos 💕 Fashion Files podcast

What is Fashion Files?

Fashion Files is a captivating podcast hosted by Karis Reneé that delves into the glamorous world of fashion. Explore styling secrets, costume design insights, and red-carpet chronicles featuring both solo episodes and interviews with fashion industry experts. Each episode will inspire, entertain, and educate fashion enthusiasts.

17 Fashion Files - DIY Design
===

[00:00:00]

Karis: Welcome back to Fashion Files with Kara Renee. I'm your host, Kara Renee, and I'm so happy to have y'all here with me. Today's episode is going to be about something that I love. DIY fashion. Are you a DI yer because I am a DIY. Any and everything, whether it's clothes, my home stuff, like if I can make it, especially making my own, I'm gonna do it.

So I wanna talk about DIY fashion. So yeah, so if you are not familiar. DIY Fashion is when you take something and maybe you saw something, a celebrity wearing something, and so you want to make it your [00:01:00] own or a designer piece that you saw that maybe a little out of the budget. So you wanna make something your own.

DIY literally stands for do it yourself. Okay. I know everybody knows that, but just in case there's somebody out there that doesn't. Now, you know, so welcome. It's for everybody. And so all of my creatives, we love doing DIY projects like. I have done so many, and so today I wanted to feature a couple that I have done.

So I have my jeans that I made, my custom jeans, and they're like, patchwork. I made these during the Black Lives Matter movement. And so they have all of these different fun sayings and patches that. Symbolize Black, everything. Black. Black lee. Black, black 'cause y'all know? I love that. So, yeah. And then in a previous episode we talked about these shoes that I'm wearing and I think it, yeah, it was the episode with Jessica when we were talking [00:02:00] about shoe design.

And so I actually customized these, um, Pearl Hills, so yeah. So I decided to put them on for y'all. Okay. Now y'all see I'm wearing some other things, but we are gonna get into that a little later, so we'll come back. Those are the first two things that I wanted to highlight as far as my DIY. So let me know some of the things that you have tried to DIY.

Okay. So a lot of times when you are doing DIY, like some of the best ways to find pieces that you can DIY, especially if you're looking for something specific, like, like I said, if you saw something that you were inspired by and you're like, I wanna create a version of that, the thrift store is your best friend.

Mm-hmm. So go ahead and find all of your local thrift stores that are close by and check them out, because I promise you'll probably find something in there. That will work to be able to flip it, flip it and reverse it. You know, what song was that? Who was that? Was that um, Missy Elliot. Missy [00:03:00] Elliot.

Thanks Joe. So yes, go ahead and head to the flip store, the thrift store, so you can flip it and reverse it like Missy Elliot. Okay. So you'll be able to find some pieces and it's a good place where even if you don't have like something that you're like, oh yeah, I want to do this. It can give you inspiration.

You may find pieces at the thrift store that you're like. Oh, I saw this shirt and now I wanna turn this shirt into a dress or like a two piece. You know what I mean? And so I've done that with so many different things. I used to be a real thrifter, like now I really thrift more for like projects and especially for my editorial pieces.

Like I said, if you've seen, um, our. Patreon episode, costume design. I don't know if it's come out yet. We will see, but I talk about like how thrifting is my first place that I go to. So yeah, it can give you inspiration. Just you might see something that you see is different, something that is vintage or [00:04:00] maybe you haven't seen.

And what I love about DIY fashion, it's normally one of one, so you, nobody else is gonna have it. So that look that you've been wanting to do, go ahead and do it and go to your fellow. You're a local thrift store and see if you can find something that'll help you make it. Okay. And so I am not a designer, I'm a costume designer, but I am not a fashion designer, right?

So I don't do a lot of like things that are from scratch, right? So the next thing I'm gonna talk about is upcycling. And that is taking something that is old and making it new or. Changing something about it. So like for one of my editorials a while ago I had this, um, it was like a ice cream shoot. It was like candy inspired.

My inspiration was the colorful, um, Louis Vuitton monogram BA bags, which have resurfaced. Yeah, you know what? I probably should be putting [00:05:00] that, That shootout, giving it some love again they just dropped, I don't know if it's dropped yet, but it's about to drop that collection again, the Colorful Louis collection.

And that is my favorite collection. 'cause y'all know I'm a color girl and I love it. But yeah, so I did, um, a editorial shoot that was like inspired by that and I wanted. Everything to kind of give you that look and feel of like ice cream or something sweet. And so I got this button down shirt that was like pastel colors and I made like, I customized, I like cut the sleeves and like made like these little, it looked like ice creams that were sitting on her shoulder.

And this is one of my. Favorite looks in the shoot. And so that is upcycling where you take something old and make it new and you kind of just create it and make it your own or change the silhouette of it. You know, a lot of people will like to go in there and get like those vintage shoots suits, like [00:06:00] those suits that you used to see the ladies wearing in like the eighties, and they'll take them.

Like these oversized blazers. 'cause you know, everything was so big back in the eighties and nineties. And they'll re customize it into like a cute modern two piece set. Like the girlies really be doing these upcycling looks. And I, it'd be chef's kiss. I'd be loving it. But I love to also do those two because like I said, I'm not creating anything from scratch, but I can take something old and make it new.

Mm-hmm. And you should too. so the next thing I wanna talk about when we talk about DIY is customizable fashion, which is where I will bring into my stylist sweatshirt that I have on. So I wanted a shirt that just says Stylist. Well, a sweatshirt that says stylist. Especially like that I can dress up and down or even when I'm working.

Honestly, I'm not wearing this when I'm working 'cause I be too hot. And I'm hot right now. Okay? So I'm not wearing this sweatshirt while I'm working. But I [00:07:00] wanted it to say stylist and just have a little period at the end. 'cause you know what? Period. Okay. That's my job. That's what I do. And so I got this customized for me.

It may be coming to a place near you soon. I don't know. You didn't hear that from me. Okay. But you can do customize. You can customize something that you like or you see, or you just want to have so as we talked about customizable, y'all, in addition to that, I wanted to of course highlight the one thing that I have not yet to talk about. My coffee and God hat y'all. Y'all, first of all, y'all know I'm not even a hat girly for real. But when your best friend got a head collaboration, you buy it and support. 'cause that's what we do. Okay. So if y'all want to get this customized it, not customizable for you, but she had it customizable so that now y'all can have it as well.

She has, Erica [00:08:00] has a new collaboration. With Lares Bodega and this is her hat Y'all. Y'all know I'm a tea girly, not a coffee girly, but it don't matter 'cause I'm gonna be a coffee girly today for Erica. So yeah, definitely check it out. I don't even know if there's gonna be any available, but if there is, make sure that you go run and get that.

Of course, y'all know I'm gonna provide you with the link on where you can do that and support both Erica and Lares Bodega. Okay. All right. Next up. I also wanted to tell y'all that we talked about customizable and, you know, within DIY fashion, and guess what? I got something special for y'all. So if you are a member on our Patreon, or you can go and subscribe now.

I actually have a list for y'all with customizable places that you can go and, and get. Something created like my stylist sweatshirt or a hat or a bag, whatever. I have a whole list of different, um, [00:09:00] places that offer customization so that you can have your one-on-one original pieces. Okay? You'll be able to find that on the Patreon only.

I'm sorry. If you're not a member, you not gonna get that little tidbit, but if you are a member, you'll be able to get that and I might have some bonus stuff up there for you. So be sure to check out the Patreon, y'all. customize. You can customize something that you like or you see, or you just want to [00:10:00] have my favorite. Handbag designer Brandon Blackwood. Do you know that's how he started his business? Mm.

Brandon he wanted to make this book bag and that did not exist. And so he's, I've, he's told this story in interviews plenty of times, but it's always so funny. So he got in contact with the wholesaler and he had. You know, this design in mind, he had no intention of making multiple. But when you work with wholesalers, this is also a little tip and trick for y'all when you work with wholesaler and to get a sample item or a prototype, um, also called a prototype.

They want to make sure that you are going to be placing an order. They don't wanna just make you a sample and a order is not gonna follow. Right? So Brandon had no intention of actually, um. Placing a order. He just wanted to get a sample of this bag that he had in his [00:11:00] head and he wanted it in real life.

So he, that's what he did. He got him a sample made with no intention of making it, and I'm sure they were not happy with him because he just got his little bag customized and he was happy with it. And he went on about his business. But that was the birth of his brand. Like, because so many people loved that bag.

It was a book bag that he made. And hence that's how we got the beautiful Brandon Blackwood book bags that we all know and love. Okay? Shout out to Brandon. That was a, I don't even plan on highlighting him, but look at that. Okay. So anyways, if you have something that you wanna get customized. First of all, I'm not telling you to do that.

Lemme be clear. So if y'all go, don't y'all tell these wholesalers that Karen told y'all to do that. I didn't tell you to do that. But there are plenty of customizable, um, shops or online websites that you can use to get your own custom [00:12:00] pieces made, whether that's a shirt, a jacket, a bag, whatever. The sky's the limit.

So go on and customize you some things. All right, and last but not least, of course, this is where I always tell y'all to experiment and try. So like be a trendsetter, create new trends, and that's what DIY fashion allows you to do. It allows you to create something that maybe you've never seen before. For, but you're like, I wanna try it. You might fail, but you would never have known had you tried it.

Right? And guess what? You might actually get a whole Brandi out of trying something that was just in your head. Okay. So go ahead and create those new trends. I love DIY fashion. Listen, it is one of my favorite things. I actually have to get back into it because I really have a love for it and I haven't done anything in a while.

So it's. It is time to get my DIY Bible out and go ahead and, and find out something that I wanna, I wanna do. I've been able to do so many different things before, whether it's, [00:13:00] like I said, being inspired by a Beyonce look that I want to create because I can't afford what she got on, so I gotta go create it myself.

Like I love stuff like that and there are so many people that do it well. All right, y'all. So it's time to sip some tea with soul chai, both literally and metaphorically. So grab your cup and sip some tea with me. Okay.
[00:14:00]

Do y'all notice anything? More customizable. Yep. My mug says my name on it. Shout out to my cricut. Mm-hmm. Yeah, she makes me, she allows me to be able to make a lot of customizable things too. So yeah, if you are cricut girly. Y'all already know. I tell people all the time, though, cricket is a hobby for me. I don't wanna do it because somebody else wants me to do it.

It's just for me. I like to be able to make personal things for myself and others when I wanna do it. But yeah. So I thought this was the perfect time to pull out this s mug for y'all. All right, so let's go ahead and get into some tea. I'm actually [00:15:00] gonna put this down for a second though. All right, so what I want to tell y'all is some dos and don'ts.

Okay? So I created a list of things that you should do and things that you should not do, okay? When it comes to do DIY fashion. So do take your time with alteration measure twice. Cut once, because once it's cut, it cannot be put back. Okay? Now of course there you can get creative and do some things and maybe turn it into something totally different than you originally had in mind.

But if you check yourself twice, then you won't have to make those mistakes. Okay. So yeah, that's the first one. Second one is, do. Don't over complicate it. I know my girls that overanalyze things. I'm one of them putting my hand up. Don't do it. Just have fun with it. It's DIY and sometimes the best things come out of mistakes.

I know I just said measure twice so [00:16:00] you can miss those mistakes. But some of the best things were foreign because it was a mistake. Like, oops. Oh, but wait. That's kind of cute. I kind of like that. Okay, so don't over complicate it. Don't, don't think too much. Just do it. Sometimes when I am doing something, especially making that first cut is the hardest.

Like I think that's with anything, but like sometimes when I'm doing stuff I'm like, I wanna see it. See the end result before I get there, but that's not possible. So I'm like, wait, so be as I say and not as I do. Okay. Just do it. Just do it. It's gonna be fine. Okay. All right. Do use what you have before buying new materials, I promise you.

Go look around your house. Go see what you're not using. 'cause I know y'all still got stuff in y'all closet, even though I told y'all to go ahead and let it go. Go ahead and take those jeans that you can't wear no more. Bring 'em to the front. Mm-hmm. And now we gonna turn that into a purse. Yeah. [00:17:00] So go ahead and find what you already have in your house before you go out.

And anything else that you buy out should be just to add to what you don't already have. Okay? So start first by looking to see what you have before you buy anything new, because you don't need all that stuff. 'cause what, what are you gonna do? It's just gonna sit there. You don't need it. Look at what you got first.

Okay. All right, and last but not least, don't be afraid to fail. Like I said, sometimes the beauty is in the mistake, and sometimes when you fail, it might not work out. But what if it does? What if it does? It's so beautiful. So try new things. You never know what's gonna happen. Don't be scared, okay? We not scared over here.

We let fear what? Motivate not deter. Yep. Y'all got it? Mm-hmm. Okay. So have fun with y'all. New DIY fashion. I can't wait to see the things. Make sure y'all tag me. Make sure you use the [00:18:00] hashtag fashion files 'cause we wanna see it and maybe we will feature it. On the upcoming episode, y'all know how this go.

All right, y'all. So it's my favorite part of the episode of The Style Spotlight, Today's style spotlight is Aisha the gray. Aisha is the DIY thrift queen. Okay. You can find her on Instagram at Aisha the Gray. And that is I-E-S-H-A-T-H-E-G-R, and the number eight.

Okay. Or TikTok. She's all over the place. And when I tell you, she shows you. So many different ways to take thrifted items or items you already have in your closet and upcycle them, recycle them, make them new, like the amount of ways that that girl can show you how to. Take one item and make it look so many different ways is unmatched.

She [00:19:00] is amazing at what she does, and she is, she will go in a thrift store and come out with so many different pieces and then go home and do like a try on hall and then show you how you can upcycle it. And I'm like. Girl, come do me. Me next. Me next. No, I'm just saying she's so inspirational. So I definitely want y'all to check her out because she can help you with coming up with ideas or just giving you tips and tricks on ways you can take some pieces in your own closet and upcycle them or do DIY fashion.

She also does a lot of like, looks for less esp, especially like with a celebrity wearing something on a red carpet and now she's going to the thrift store to show you. How she can recreate that look in, in a, um, more cost efficient way. And so, yeah, I think that you will be super inspired by her. So make sure you go check her out.

And if you do use the hashtag fashion files to let her know that we sent you. And if you have [00:20:00] somebody that you think that we would be inspired by and maybe we will feature them on an upcoming episode. Use the hashtag flame style spotlight and we'll check 'em out.

Okay. All right, y'all, so I hope y'all got some things outta this episode. I know y'all did. I know I always say that, but yeah, I wanna see that DIY fashion. So let me see it. I love y'all. Until next time, stay stylish and keep that flame burning bright.

Bye, [00:21:00]