Pushing Upcycled Fashion into the Mainstream, with Alterist.
It’s long been said that with so much clothing already existing on the earth (as the famous estimating goes there are enough clothes on earth right now to clothe the next 6 generations) reworking and learning to love what we already have is the absolute most sustainable thing we can do. Wear what you already have - and jazz it up yourself I you have to. And it’s all well and good saying that, but where do we learn how to rework out clothing so that we love it, where do we go to find designers that used reworked and deadstock materials? How do we make the whole process less daunting so that wearing what you are lady own actually feels like an achievable way to lessen your impact and still look incredible. Well, that’s where Alterist comes in.
Founders Martina Sorghi and Hannah Standen have been making waves throughout Londons fashion scene, from Selfridges pop ups to participating in Fashion District Festival, and hosting regular upcyling, crafting and community building events - as well as championing and hosting markets for Londons independent, reworking-focused designers. Having experienced the expertise, community support and welcoming open arms provided by the duo ourselves we couldn’t wait to pick their brains about everything they have been up to.
The Grey: To kick things off, could you introduce yourself to any readers who haven’t heard of you yet?
Martina:
“Alterist is “The Home of Upcycling”, a platform that brings together over 200 designers across the UK and Europe, each transforming discarded materials into new, one-of-a-kind pieces. We operate through an online marketplace where people can discover limited-edition collections from our community of designers, and through collaborations with brands to rework their excess, pre-loved or unsold stock into creative capsule collections.”
Hannah:
“Beyond the digital space, we also host curated pop-ups, workshops, activations, and live clothes customisations, often collaborating with musicians, artists, and diverse creative communities.”
TG: So how long has Alterist been running, how did it all begin?
Hannah:
“Alterist officially launched in December 2022, but the idea had been growing for years before that. We first met back in 2019 while campaigning for change in the fashion industry, protesting its overproduction, exploitation, and waste. At the time, we were both part of a wider activist movement, organising protests, events, and campaigns to push the industry toward accountability and sustainability.”
Martina:
“When we launched Alterist in 2022, we also released our first video campaign, ‘Winter Solstice’, representing the idea of rebirth. The whole project, though, has been a natural evolution of what we were already doing as activists. Frustrated by the lack of real change, we decided to launch Alterist as an alternative, focusing on one of the key issues within the industry: textile waste.”
Hannah:
“We saw so much potential in what independent designers were doing, not just in the impact that it could have to reduce textile waste, but also to make sustainable fashion aspirational. At that time, there wasn’t a platform dedicated to it, or a space where these designers could be seen, supported and celebrated. That’s what inspired us to start Alterist, to give upcycling the platform and visibility it deserves.”
TG: Love the idea of making sustainable fashion more aspirational! We have definitely heard a lot of ‘ew I don’t shop second hand’ in our time. The designers on your books are amazing, how do you meet them and decide who to work with?
Martina:
“In the beginning, we met a lot of our designers through activism networks and creative communities that shared our values. From there, things grew naturally through social media and word of mouth. As a platform, we’re inclusive, but what matters most is that the work is genuinely upcycled and made to a high standard.”
Hannah:
“We love seeing how each designer brings their own story to life through what they make. Each piece carries a bit of that story with it, living on with the person who wears it.”
Martina:
“Alterist is made up of a diverse group of designers and styles, from womenswear to menswear, from streetwear to luxury fashion. Everyone is welcome, but quality always comes first. This also ties into our belief that the products we sell should last. Each piece is unique, just like the people who make it and the people who wear it, so it needs to endure as long as possible, a bit like a photograph that you look back on years later.”
TG: Touching on that big group of designers and that definite feeling of being welcome, Alterist events are such an amazing example of how art, fashion, music and community can come together – did you always set out with the goal of being a community space as much as a marketplace?
Hannah:
“We’ve always seen Alterist as a community first. The marketplace is just one part of what we do, which supports the designers, makers and creatives who make up our ecosystem. At Alterist, we often say that “fashion is culture, and culture drives change.” Fashion, art, music — they’re all languages of expression, ways of communicating ideas and emotions. Too often, mainstream culture focuses on the end product, but what we care about is everything that happens before that: the process, the story, the people.
Martina:
“At Alterist, we want to give value to that. Whether it’s fashion, music, or any other form of art, we care deeply about what’s behind it. Usually, when there’s real meaning and intention behind something, the result naturally reaches a certain quality. We want everyone working with us to feel safe, to be in a caring and respectful space.”
Hannah:
“That’s what we wanted to celebrate through our campaign, Making is Hot, the beauty of the making process itself. It was about putting creativity back at the center of fashion and showcasing the designers who are behind the clothes.”
How did you go about building that community so authentically? And how can other people find their own circle?
Martina:
“We’re living in a really strange situation, where we have access to everything at the click of a finger, but in reality, many people feel hopeless or lonely. Whether we want it or not, the pandemic created a kind of mass trauma. People who were in their late teens or early twenties at the time spent such formative years behind screens, and that completely reshaped how they connect. For us, building a community has always been about bringing things back to something real. Because we already had networks through activism and creative work before the pandemic, once things opened up again, it felt natural to reconnect offline and create spaces where people could actually meet, talk, and make together.”
Hannah:
“The Alterist community isn’t just for designers; it’s for anyone who believes in what we’re doing. At our pop-ups and workshops, you’ll find people from all walks of life, artists, musicians, students, and even people who’ve never thought of themselves as ‘fashion’ people. Fashion isn’t just about clothes; it’s about the time we live in, the conversations we have, and the culture we create. There’s space for everyone and every kind of creativity here.”
Martina:
“As millennial founders, we experienced those years differently, as something abnormal for how we grew up. Our network existed even before the pandemic, so when the isolation ended, we went back to ‘normal’. As millennials, we probably want to keep things real, and this is reflected in our community. People often think fashion is niche, but everyone wears clothes. Fashion is a manner, it’s the way things are in the time we live in. I highly recommend checking out what zeitgeist means.”
TG: What are some of your proudest moments from the last year - we know it’s been a big one for Alterist!
Hannah:
“One of the highlights has been our collaboration with Selfridges — a two-week pop-up featuring live customisations. This was a big milestone, because it means that major department stores are starting to recognise the potential of upcycling. It’s a validation that what was once considered niche is now becoming part of mainstream culture.”
TG: On the back of seeing your own vision begin to infiltrate the mainstream, what would you say to young designers or creatives out there trying to make it in fashion right now?
Martina:
“Keep it up! Keep learning, experimenting, and making, but most importantly, keep sharing. Talk to people, collaborate, and learn from each other. We’re like machines learning through connection, so keep believing in what you’re doing, but don’t do it in isolation.”
Hannah:
“Also, always ask yourself why and how. Martina originally trained as a fashion designer, and through conversations with current fashion students, she noticed a big gap in education when it comes to the craft itself, things like patternmaking, the foundations of design. Too often, fashion is taught around the final image rather than the process. If that’s your experience, go deeper. Learn how things are made, not just how they look. That’s where real creativity starts.”
Hannah:
“Stay curious, and keep your values close. Fashion needs people who care and are in it for the right reasons.”
In a city, and industry where community is lacking, and profit all too often comes before people or planet finding a group of independent, passionate creatives that uplift each other, hold ethics at the core of their work, and make genuinely different, fun garments is such a welcomed eden.
We can only home the new interest and aspirational attitude towards up cycled and reworked clothing continues to grow, it is genuinely what this industry needs to press pause on the every impending climate emergency that it is is steering the ship into.
Make sure you follow along to see when the next events are coming up, and maybe we’ll see you there.