Ecofashion: Deconstruction, Reconstruction

Credit: Mod to Modern

 Wearing one of her handmade wool sweaters, says ecofashion designer Michelle Bergeron-Mok of Mod to Modern, is like being wrapped in a soft, warm hug.

Wearing one of her handmade wool sweaters, says designer Michelle Bergeron-Mok of Mod to Modern, is like being wrapped in a soft, warm hug. If that weren’t enough to give you the warm and fuzzies, each sweater is an eco-friendly creation made from locally sourced materials that would have otherwise padded a landfill.

Before she closed her Cambie Street storefront, Bergeron-Mok used the space to showcase work from local designers, then she delved into the fray and test-marketed her own creations. Working with reclaimed material is a challenge, admits the designer, noting that her hand-sourced material, such as cashmere, angora and lamb’s wool, can be hard to come by. Why wool? “I love the material. It holds colour; it’s alive,” she says.

Bergeron-Mok deconstructs as many as eight salvaged sweaters and uses 14 to 18 pieces to construct each of her one-of-a-kind creations. She pays careful attention to texture, colour and detail when developing a design; a special piece gets reworked into a collar or sleeve, and panels are contoured to accentuate the wearer’s best assets. “It like a puzzle,” she says. “It has to be wearable; it has to be edited.”

The sweaters make a statement, so it’s fitting that each has a memorable moniker to suit, like the Deers for Fears sweater, with its delightful family of deer strolling across landscape of cream and coral hues.

Mod to Modern’s sweaters are available at Hum and Liquid, both in Vancouver. www.modtomodern.com, or call 604-874-2144 for an appointment.