by: Ogilvie Zavala
Associate Arts Editor

In the fashion industry, designers are constantly looking for new ways to
reinvent themselves. With discussion over global warming and other environmental concerns, many designers have climbed on the bandwagon of incorporating  environmentally friendly practices into the production of their clothing. The
goal is to create clothing that takes into consideration the environment, the well-being of consumers, and the working conditions of employees in the fashion
industry.

However, eco-fashion is not simply clothing created from organic materials
and natural dyes. Wearing vintage clothes your parents owned in the '80s or
using a scarf from a play you were a part of as a child, represent the essence
of eco-fashion's upcycle revolution.

Upcycled clothing

Upcycled clothing challenges the fashion industry's notion of "making"
versus "creating." The pursuit of environmentally and socially conscious
clothing sets it aside from the current trend of clothing manufacturing. As many
parts of the world have witnessed, there are many aspects of mass production
that impact local communities negatively. Some of these may include but are not
limited to; mass resource extraction, fabrication, distribution, and unregulated
disposal practices. Although the fashion industry has introduced
an"eco-friendly" method to mass produce, the process is still unsustainable.
Many of the accessories or clothing purchased are made abroad in sweatshop
conditions or produced in factories where large amounts of energy is wasted. 
 
Upcycling deviates the current "eco-friendly" production by incorporating
creativity and imagination into its production. Reinventing uses for pieces of
clothing that would have otherwise been disposed of serve as its motto. Items
that have already been produced are re-appropriated into creating new unique
outfits and accessories. Since many of the items used in creating these outfits,
are made from scraps of other fabrics or items from everyday life, none of the
outfits can be recreated, and thus "one of a kind."

While living in Tokyo, I came across a very diverse fashion culture. While
many followed the latest fashion trends, others dressed to their own beat.
Whether it was wearing a 1920s hat, spandex pants, and converse or simply a
lollita outfit, many Japanese people created their outfit based on what they
already had and liked.

What do you think about upcycled clothing? Give us your feedback and tell us what you think.

by: Tomoko Yamamiya
Tokyo Correspondent

On May 22, 2012, the new Japanese tower, “Tokyo Skytree”, opened. It is located east of Tokyo, near a famous tourist spot, Asakusa. The height of this tower is around 634m, and it is the tallest free-standing broadcasting tower in the world. 

The construction of this tower started in July 2008. When the Tohoku
earthquake struck Japan on March 11th, 2011, it was still under construction. Fortunately, it was not affected  by the earthquake and everyone who was working there was  safe. 

The Tokyo Skytree is now a new famous tourist spot in Tokyo. It has
observation decks at 350m and 450m and the tickets for them are already sold out by advanced reservation until July 10th.  Normal tickets will be sold
starting July 11th. Many people are hoping to go up the observation deck, where they will be able to snag a beautiful view of Tokyo's skyline.

Aside from the Tokyo Skytree being a broadcasting tower and a tourist attraction, it is also a shopping mall. During the first 5 days after the opening, already more than 1,000,000 people have visited the site.

Although Japan has experienced many difficulties since the earthquake, many believe the opening of the Tokyo Skytree is a sign of hope. The architects hope this tower will boast morale and return happiness and pride back to the Japanese public.