Paula’s Projects
As fashion aims to move to a more sustainable industry, Paula Votteler recycles packaging, fabrics and materials into distinctive pieces, whilst protecting the planet.
Available via IG @paulasprojects © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Sustainable fashion refers to creating/manufacturing products with consideration of the human and environmental impacts, promoting the wellbeing of employees and biodiversity. This could involve using renewable energy sources, reducing carbon emissions in general and using recycled materials rather than fabricating new supplies. Although producing garments sustainably can be more expensive for the brand, producing items ethically and sustainably can help the planet in the long term, through reducing climate change and preserving biodiversity amongst many other benefits. This is because this can involve using materials that are longer-lasting, instead of cheaply made fabrics that ultimately end up being wasted. As a consumer, we can do our part for sustainability in numerous ways, such as by thrifting instead of buying new, as this is giving clothes a second life and recycling the materials. And from a fashion perspective, thrifting is also a good way to find unique items that are few and far between. Or, we can accentuate our creativity and make something ourselves; like Paula.
Paula Votteler (@paulasprojects_ on IG) is bringing a refreshing vibe to the fashion industry, through her creative designs and sustainable mission. She is able to intertwine function, style and eco-friendliness; producing garments that you want to and can style an outfit with, with much less negative impact on the planet. She achieves this by producing her handmade bags, vests, coats etcetera with pre-used plastic, glass and packaging that would otherwise pollute the planet - making unique pieces out of something you would have never even imagined. Such materials would otherwise go to landfill or stay in the environment and have detrimental effects on wildlife, so by recycling them into a project, they’re given a new purpose and help fashion become more sustainable. And, by working out of her own home/studio in Berlin (embroidering, crocheting, threading by hand), there is much less energy consumption and pollution as a result of her work. But of course, this takes high level skill and knowledge on fashion design and sustainability; Paula has a master’s degree in Packaging Technology, which has a strong focus on sustainability, and in 2023 began studying fashion design! She has now blended the two to form a career she genuinely enjoys, through her own label which she founded in 2023, whilst having a positive output on the planet. This alone is inspiring, but the finished product after seeing how long she works on her projects is even more satisfying.
She began posting her creations on Insta during the Covid quarantine period, organically growing a community of over 188k followers currently. I, for one, love her designs as they are something that many of us would actually use and they really don’t look like they were originally something completely different. And, everything is completely hand done, aside from the use of a sewing machine to stitch together the end product. Paula has shared in interviews how she had learnt to crochet and sew from her mother as a child, and in adulthood has learnt the arts of embroidery and weaving. All of which are hobbies she enjoys, so turning them into her livelihood and showcasing her talent to the world must mean a lot. Such skills all blend together seamlessly in her projects, and produce beautiful end results, whether it's a bag crafted from sea glass, a coat made from old plastic and cables and so on. Time and again, Paula’s designs highlight her dedication to sustainable fashion and shows that fashion does not have to cost the planet.
She uploads regular photos and videos of her crafts, and some of my personal favourites are derived from a plethora of pre-used plastics, including her electric blue handbag.
A handbag made out of blue Solan de Cabras water bottles. Photo by @paulasprojects_ on IG © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
One of Paula’s many sustainable projects of 2024 was a blue shoulder bag made of plastic Solan de Cabras water bottles. This bag could easily be used as the centre of an outfit; the electric colour, shape and visible texture make it so unique (as if making a bag out of a recycled water bottle isn’t unique enough), and such texture is achieved through hours of intricate work and precision, as shown in videos posted on Paula’s IG. First, Paula cuts her chosen plastic (water bottle, packaging etc) into small circles to create sequins. She creates a small hole in the middle, so that thread can be passed through for embroidery. The rounded shape is created by holding each individual sequin above a candle flame - of course a very long but rewarding process. Then, Paula prepares an embroidery frame out of wood and fabric (typically a garment that is no longer being used or fabric bought from a flea market/thrift store). Here, she uses embroidery to create the shape of the bag with sequins, by hand - two symmetrical shapes are made to make each side of the bag. Once finished, the bag is sewn together and creates a beautiful end result. Less plastic in the environment, and more fashion on our feed. Removing plastic like bottles, old packaging, straws etcetera is a great step to help the environment, and when these materials can be applied to fashion like in this case, it helps fashion become more sustainable too. Plastics can take many years to decompose, impacting the planet for longer than we may realise. They can release harmful pollutants and be detrimental to biodiversity. But, by more brands moving towards sustainability, and designers like Paula who actively promote sustainability and recycling, the fashion industry can become much more eco-friendly, helping to reverse/reduce the impacts on the planet that ultimately lead to climate change, loss of biodiversity and other disastrous outcomes. Similarly to this project, Paula created another bag out of pink Solan de Cabras bottles, and one featuring the bases of colourful plastic bottles, which created a beautiful floral visual. Both are on Paula’s IG.
Another personal favourite of Paula's magical creations is her broken-cable vest and handbag.
Model Stella May (@stellamay1305 on IG) wearing Paula’s cable vest and handbag. Photo taken by photographer @bycrissiana on IG. Accessed via @stellamay1305 on IG © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
With no surprise, Paula is adept at making clothing, too. From trash to treasure; Paula recycled broken cables and leather jackets/coats into an edgy vest and handbag duo. Some of the cables were donated to her for this project, some were ones Paula literally found. She started by separating them into individual parts, before weaving them with faux leather. For the vest, she used a second-hand faux leather jacket, highlighting that things don’t necessarily need to be bought new to make a cool outfit. And for the bag, she used a faux leather coat she already had from a flea market. Again, increasing fashion’s contribution to sustainability by finding another use for something existing rather than buying new. After some intricate work and stitching the components of each piece together, the end result was a stunning, grungy woven handbag and vest partnership, perfectly modelled by Stella. The bag in particular catches my eye personally, through the impressive details like the key holder and lighter attachment. Paula has a very creative mind and is actively shifting the industry into a more eco-friendly one, by proving that even broken materials can be used to design and create something amazing. And, it means the materials won’t end up in landfill or the environment. Impressive and inspiring.
Moving away from land and into the sea, a final icon of Paula’s many creations is the mussel bag.
A bag Paula created from mussels, via @paulasprojects_ on IG © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
This is something so beautiful and honestly unfathomable… how could a bag made from molluscs be this pretty? It also takes so much skill and perseverance to complete such a tedious project. After cleaning the mussels, Paula drilled a hole in each one so that they could be embroidered onto her handmade frame, one by one. She added beads for extra detail, most of which are from flea markets or ones she already had, again, reusing materials instead of buying new ones. After a while of very intricate work (usually hours or days), everything is stitched together and something that was previously going to end up being thrown away is now going viral for how stunning it is. Which is the magic of fashion. Paula’s creative spirit is very evident through projects like this, which seemingly take a lot of determination, planning and skill. This bag could pair so well as a statement piece with a skirt and oversized blazer combo, perhaps with some knee-high boots. The natural colour of the mussels could make it suit really well with denim, also. Paula’s creations go to show that fashion can be created from anything, and you don’t necessarily have to buy something new to feel good, maybe you’ve already got everything you need at home.
Whilst Paula continues to create innovative products, our feeds continue to be littered with sustainable fashion. Her mission of making fashion more sustainable can be brought closer by everyone working together - brands and consumers alike. Some brands are moving to more eco-friendly habits, for example by reducing carbon emissions or using renewable energy, and we as consumers can choose to buy clothing second-hand, such as from sites like Depop, or make our own fashion. Paula’s designs are a showcase that fashion can be fabricated from anything, even ‘trash’.
