LITTER SF and a Brief Personal History Dump

Posted on June 24, 2009 
Filed Under Fashion, Lifestyle, Shopping

One of my fondest memories from childhood is when Officer Dave stopped by my 3rd-grade class to speak about a major community issue: litter. I don’t recall what Officer Dave told us that day at all. But I do remember how, at the end of class, OD offered me a trinket that would radically change my life — and my wardrobe — for the course of an entire summer. Pinned to my halter top, my shorts, my swimsuit, my tote bag, the basket on my bicycle, I brandished my litter patrol badge with all of the authority, status, and symbolism I could muster.

Ironically, by now my long-discarded badge is commingling with everyone else’s old PETs in the Land of Landfill. But the thrill of its charm remains in my heart — and to my delight this same feeling has been resurrected in the form of LITTER SF. Designed by the talented and lovely sisters Mackenzie and Rachael, LITTER delivers the same fluttery-girlie feeling my litter patrol badge gave me way back when. (Or perhaps it was Officer Dan’s shorty-shorts and 70s pornstache, but either way I know what I know, and right now I really dig upcycled fashion and LITTER.)

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the sisters LITTER, and I was even more excited to find they are every bit as cool as their creations. Seriously, the header of their blog features the duo rock-kicking in front of a “Godless America” banner. What more do you need?)

littergirls

Could you please describe your jewelry line for our readers?

We make one-of-a-kind pieces out of vintage chains and costume jewelry that we find at flea markets, estate sales, and thrift stores. Almost every piece is recycled and reworked into LITTER. We try to come up with new ways to wear jewelry in general, so everyday when we are in the studio, we are draping each other in chains and figuring out what works and whether or not we can achieve the look we want. I think what has gotten us this far in this short a period of time is that we are switching it up constantly. Jewelry is such a saturated market, so people are ready for something new and different.

What inspires your designs?

We are inspired in so many ways. When we discover an amazing piece of old jewelry that has really cool details, we have to make something out of it that same day — nothing else can get in our way, it has to be made that instant. People don’t make jewelry the way they used to in the 50s and 60s. Back then, costume jewelry was so intricate and experimental, so we try to continue that tradition with pieces that are fun and inspiring to work with, and then we put our own twist on these pieces.

Where do you find your materials?

Besides flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales, we can sometimes convince our friends to donate their old jewelry to us as well. Usually, when we make a piece out of our friends’ jewelry, we name it after them.

If LITTER were a person, how would you describe her or him (or it)?

KEITH RICHARDS!!! Old, weathered, chains, bad-ass, vintage, classic, rock-n-roll, leathery, studs … you see where we are going with this.

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Who are your current style icons/culture heroes/obsessions?

Karl Lagerfeld, Gareth Pugh, David Bowie, Wes Andersen films, Kate Moss, Copenhagen street style, and sometimes even each other!

What should no mortal’s wardrobe be without?

Between the two of us, we wouldn’t agree on the same things. We have totally different styles.

Rachael: The perfect pair of cowboy boots. If done right, they go with everything — jeans, dresses, especially miniskirts! Add some spiked shoe jewelry to them and they are totally your own look.

Mackenzie: The “boyfriend” blazer. Dress it up or down in winter or summer.

Your pieces are like wearable sculpture that serve as an extension of the person’s body, very organic, much like a tattoo or piercing. Please discuss.

We both love tattoos and piercings! We are glad you see the jewelry this way. Our jewelry takes a certain type of person to wear it, and normally it’s people who have an edge who really embrace us (probably people with tattoos and piercings). We hope we aren’t like a tattoo you’d regret or something lame like that, though [laughing].

Where can our readers buy your pieces?

Right now, you can get our jewelry at our website and at Moxsie, a boutique that specializes in indie fashion. We are working really hard on the new collection right now, and several stores have requested to carry our line. We will post an official list of stores on our website soon.

LITTER is an up-and-coming upcycled jewelry line based in San Francisco. Please call 415.932.6361 or write to request a studio visit.

— Kay

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