about
I’ll never forget the first time I met Grace Napoleon at the Brooklyn Flea in the summer of 2009 under the Brooklyn Bridge. Her tent was swarmed with hip, cool women of all ages trying on her dresses, skirts and tops. Each garment was unique and made by hand from other pieces of clothing. They were flying off the racks then, just as they do today!
Grace is the founder of Folk Couture, the art of making clothes out of vintage and previously owned clothes. Since Grace first, well, graced the Brooklyn Flea, her Folk Couture has garnered a cult-like following. Her clothes themselves are perfectly wonderful, whimsical and often wild. Her use of existing clothing as virgin fabrics makes her work eco-friendly. She has an eye for color and pattern combinations; pieces I would never think of putting together become a vibrant new dress that turns heads on New York City streets.
The term “Folk Couture” is perfect for Grace’s creations, which are handcrafted designs, one-of-a-kind, and stylish. (Check out these images of her collection.) Purchase a piece of Folk Couture and rest assured that nobody else in the world will ever have the same one.
And now Grace will teach you her secrets! She has started giving Recycle Your Closet Parties. We all have beloved sweaters or dresses we can’t bear to part with, even though we know we’ll never wear them again. Now you can invite five or more of your best friends to bring their favorite no-longer-used clothing. Grace will help everyone turn their pieces into something brand new that they will wear and love. She brings the buttons, threads, ribbons, trimmings, scissors, pins, and more, and she will help each person create and stitch a new garment. She has an amazing talent for determining what will look good on someone, and she’ll sit on the floor, cut up the pieces with you, and help you sew them together – every step of the way.
The fee is $50 per person — barely the cost of a random sweater at Macy’s or The Gap. Your friends will go home with new, exciting pieces of clothing they made with their own hands — and a little more space in their closets!
If you’d like to host a Recycle Your Closet Party, simply send Grace an email for details!
Grace sets up shop most weekends at the Brooklyn Flea, and sometimes at the SOWA Open Market in Boston too. Follow Folk Couture on Facebook for inspiration and for updates on where she’ll be showing her creations next!
(Photos provided by Grace Napoleon)
