Homegrown: Carolyn Murphy on Her Upcycled Collection

HOMEGROWN:
CAROLYN MURPHY ON HER upcycled COLLECTION

“I love the concept of an American denim brand salvaging and reinterpreting classics,” model, actress and environmental advocate Carolyn Murphy says of her new partnership with MOTHER. An industry veteran with over three decades of experience in front of the lens — including Estee Lauder’s longest-running contract to date — Murphy’s familiar gaze has made her an undisputed icon. Now, Murphy’s drawing on her love of Mother Earth with this latest endeavor in upcycling — and her first in the role as designer.

An extension of 60% MOTHER, the 14-piece limited-edition capsule channels vintage Americana through its use of deconstructed and reimagined quilts, bandanas and denim designed and made locally in Los Angeles. Drawing heavily on Murphy’s own lifelong passion for collecting vintage textiles and art, the collection is full of thoughtful details, carefully guided by Murphy throughout the design process. Using recycled materials, deadstock from local rag houses and overstock and damages from MOTHER’s own production, the pieces beautifully incorporate vintage-inspired color blocking, irregular hems and delicate embroidery that offset some of the collection’s earthen elements.

Despite being a longtime vintage denim collector — she favors men’s fits and a classic bootcut — the design and production processes were compelling new parts of the collaboration for Murphy. Her visits to rag houses — wholesale vintage recycling plants which abound just outside of L.A. — opened her eyes to the waste that’s become a byproduct of the industry. An already avowed conscious consumer, the experience afforded Murphy a new angle from which to view the fashion ecosystem of which she’s a part. That experience, and her undying curiosity, compelled her to do more, and maybe more importantly, do better.

Throughout her years of modeling, Murphy’s created an enviable and authentic aesthetic that’s all her own. But despite it all, “I’m actually not a huge shopper,” she confesses from home in Malibu of her small wardrobe that’s always included not just vintage, but recycled and repurposed garments, handed down and re-worn over generations. And bringing that ethos into the collection was a befitting effort. The intent was clear: the pieces they included needed to be iconic, fit her Southern California seaside lifestyle, yet still offer those elusive elements of ease to give them an effortless twist.

While Murphy committed to the capsule’s upcycling from the get, it was only when she began editing the collection alongside the design team that its organic homage to vintage Americana became evident. “It’s homegrown, Jay [Steiner, art director at MOTHER] said of what he saw, and we got excited,” she recalls. From the quilting to the embroidery to the denim, these considered components are an ode to classic American style, which helps to bring the partnership — and the collection — full circle.

"Sometimes it just takes one key piece to give you a little bit of a boost"

The collection also poignantly reflects Murphy’s personal style. The trucker jacket, a hero piece of the collection, is the one she’s looking forward to most as a playful and colorful addition to what she describes as her seemingly “basic” wardrobe. And the white button down, she considers a staple no closet should be without. “Sometimes it just takes one key piece to give you a little bit of a boost,” she reasons.

And Murphy lent her creativity to the collaboration in more ways than one. While pondering logos for the partnership, Steiner was intrigued by a hand-drawn bird that Murphy herself had sketched (based off a cloud she’d seen in the sky), and decided to incorporate the stitched silhouette throughout. Drawn to birds throughout her life, their inclusion holds special meaning as a symbol of luck Murphy shares with the women in her family — and now serves as a tangible reflection of her contribution to the collection.

The partnership mines Murphy’s heritage even further by including produce bags, which speak both to how she was raised, and the life she lives now. Brought up on a farm in Virginia, Murphy has always been drawn to life on the land, including owning an orchard in New York, before settling on a farm in Ojai, where she composted with her neighbor, Patagonia founder and legendary environmentalist Yvon Chouinard. Wanting to raise her daughter the very same way, she maintains an impassioned connection to the earth.

In the spirit of Murphy’s unwavering environmental advocacy, the partnership will support the Sierra Club, the grassroots organization that protects the relationship with Mother Earth that remains a driving force in all that she does. First introduced to the cause by her grandparents, Murphy became increasingly attracted to their conservation efforts and work to advance access to clean air, clean water and a healthier environment, especially as she began a family of her own. “When I moved to California in the early 2000s, I became very aware of state parks and how nurturing they were to me and my daughter. We were able to go on hikes and really be a part of it — it’s such a part of our lifestyle here.”

In honor of the collaboration, MOTHER is donating $50,000 to the Sierra Club, supporting their 30x30 conservation agenda. A mission to protect 30% of U.S. lands and water by 2030, the effort undoubtedly evokes the same themes of vintage Americana that are woven throughout the collection, bringing the moment full circle. “That's what it all comes back to,” she says of finding purpose through the partnership. “That we’re a part of nature, not apart of nature.”

The capsule is available exclusively at MOTHER and NET-A-PORTER.

PHOTOS BY ZOEY GROSSMAN

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