Ancuta Sarca's Upcycling evolution in the footwear world

Footwear designer Ancuta Sarca has experienced a remarkable rise in her career, and her evolution as a sustainable fashion creator has been impressive. Originally from Romania, Ancuta Sarca graduated from the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca, focusing her attention on footwear early on. However, her real turning point occurred in London, where she embarked on a creative journey that took her to the top of the fashion industry. 

During her studies, Ancuta Sarca had the opportunity to intern at the Meadham Kirchhoff workshops in London. These experiences convinced her that London would be her working home, and she returned to the city immediately after graduating in 2015. Her goal was to gain experience before embarking on her own path in fashion. 

She began her career working as a design assistant at Ashish, where she played a crucial role for approximately three years. During her time there, she had the distinction of seeing one of her creations, a PVC jacket, worn by singer FKA Twigs in 2016, a fact that increased her recognition in the London fashion scene. 

However, the real turning point for Ancuta Sarca came in 2019, when she shared on Instagram one of her upcycling footwear designs. The image showed a unique hybrid between kitten heels and Nike sneakers, both vintage. This post generated an overwhelming response, with a significant increase in the number of likes it received. This snapshot marked the beginning of her focus on "upcycling footwear" as her path to success. 

Ancuta Sarca's popularity continued to grow, and several famous names, including a British singer, began wearing her unique shoes. Eventually, she presented her collection at Fashion East, a major platform for young British fashion talent, and her designs sold out in minutes at outlets such as LNN-CC, Browns and Joyce Hong Kong. This confirmed that the combination of sustainability and creativity was a hit in the fashion industry. 

One of Ancuta Sarca's most recent collaborations involves customizing Nike soccer boots, combining athletic footwear with stiletto heels. She has also created custom footwear for artists such as Cher, Rosalia, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. 

The London-based designer has focused her work on sustainability and upcycling since her first capsule collection presented at London Fashion Week in 2020. Her success lies in her ability to fuse fashion and sustainability in a unique and creative way. 

Fashion upcycling is not an isolated phenomenon in the fashion industry. Other well-known brands, such as Valentino, have embraced the circular economy and sustainability in their efforts. For example, Valentino partnered with the non-profit organization La Réserve des Arts to support the recovery of textile materials and carpets from its runway shows. Mango, a major fashion retail group in Spain, has also invested in circularity and upcycling initiatives, such as its accelerator Mango StartUp Studio and startup Recovo.The company's Upcycle Solution project Veepee, launched in 2022, is dedicated to selling limited edition products made from partner brand stock, further promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. 

Ancuta Sarca is a clear example of how creativity and sustainability can go hand in hand in contemporary fashion, and its success demonstrates the growing interest in upcycling fashion in the industry. 

Source: https://www.neo2.com/calzado-upcycling-ancuta-sarca/ 

Photo: Modaes