It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Maria Papadimitriou‘s work. Not only does she produce many wonderful collaged illustrations for Amelia’s Magazine but she also creates the most brilliant recycled jewellery under the Plastic Seconds moniker. It’s not only bold and clever but also fully sustainable, adiposity so I am really happy that people are starting to take notice. Right now she has a wall with Supermarket Sarah, ask where you can buy some beautiful bespoke pieces. I urge you to check it out.
How did you decide what to make for Supermarket Sarah?
It is absolutely great that Supermarket Sarah often feature one-off items with a lot of personality, which one would perhaps wear to be different or keep as a special fashion object – a few of the gorgeous items they sell come from prop styling and photo shoots. So I wanted most of the Plastic Seconds items for the Supermarket Sarah website to be both unique and larger or more extreme in a fashion sense.
Can you describe what some of the Plastic Seconds pieces are made from and how you source the materials?
I use a lot of lids – from plastic bottles, glass jars, and other containers. I also love to use one-off finds like the cloakroom tags or the large jigsaw puzzle pieces and other bits from objects that we usually throw away, but their shape and colour is so lovely and fun, especially when used in an unexpected context – examples of this are the pen lids and the sushi soy sauce containers. I have slowly been collecting materials for a few years now from the recycling boxes of the flats I have been living in – and still do. At the moment one of my other main sources is my part-time job where they let me have a Plastic Seconds collection box in the kitchen and where colleagues bring me bags of their collected finds quite regularly – also it is a public space with a lot of visitors and I often do table rounds collecting bottle neck rings from abandoned bottles. Another source is my family in Greece who keep all sorts of bits they can’t recycle in my old desk drawers for me – and I do love sushi…
What piece was the most fun to make and why?
They were all quite fun, but as I said above I really enjoyed making the bigger pieces for Supermarket Sarah – like the headpieces – because I really admire people who have a strong sense of personal style or are playful with dressing up and secretly constantly hope people wore colourful big things on all occasions! Also I find it very satisfying that simple, geometric, striking pieces can be made from readily available forms. Other items that were really fun were the ones which were created by combining two different lids by snapping them into each other without using other means to keep them together – I can spend quite a lot of time trying different combinations to see which ones will fit perfectly! And finally pieces that are very satisfying to make are the ones like the big multicharm necklace made out of a thick found chain, discarded key rings collected over some time and ring pulls from soy milk cartons, because every single element – even the clasp – is a found object and so they are very special.
What next?
I would like to make some even bigger, more complex pieces and perhaps find a way to source materials in a more organised way and a way that might have a wider positive impact. In terms of little things coming up, next week I am taking part in the filming of a new pilot show called Green Screen that introduces environmental thinking in a different light at the National Film and Television School, I am hopefully opening within June my ASOS marketplace boutique in the ethical boutiques section – next to 123 and Goodone! – and in July 29-31st I will be in the Upcycled Market section, curated by the Eco Design Fair, which is part of the Vintage Weekend at the Southbank Centre!
Maria caught me marvelling at one of her recycled lid pendants at my ACOFI Book Tour evening at Tatty Devine a few weeks ago and has kindly offered to make me a pendant out of my old lids, so I’m busy collecting the most exciting ones. Turning *rubbish* into desirable jewellery, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Categories ,123, ,ASOS, ,Eco Design Fair, ,Ecodesign Fair, ,goodone, ,jewellery, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,National Film and Television School, ,Plastic Seconds, ,recycled, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Southbank centre, ,Upcycled
Similar Posts:
- Supermarket Sarah meets Fred Butler for London Fashion Week 2009
- Supermarket Sarah at Selfridges
- Book Review: SuperMarket Sarah Wonder Walls by Sarah Bagner
- Supermarket Sarah’s Christmas Extravaganza
- Tatty Devine and Supermarket Sarah Launch Party!
