A fashionista who turns charity shop finds into stylish outfits says her wardrobe is 90 per cent pre-loved – and has made $40k selling on her recycled clothes.<br /><br />Maddison Gooch, 28, taught herself to sew at aged 12 and has always had a passion for fashion.<br /><br />She studied fashion merchandising at Western Kentucky university but struggled to find a job after graduating. <br /><br />After a stint as a veterinary technician she got back into her love of clothes in 2020 and started sharing the clothes she had transformed from thrift stores, charity shops and from Facebook market place.<br /><br />Maddison alters $10 baggy tops and tapestry to create fashionable two pieces – which she sells on for around $100 – depending on the item. <br /><br />She keeps lots of her designs for herself and said her wardrobe is 90 per cent pre-loved.<br /><br />Maddison, a design and content creator, from Louisville, Kentucky, said: “When I was younger I was always drawing fashion sketches.<br /><br />“I taught myself to sew aged 12.<br /><br />“I’m showing people they can upcycle their clothes.<br /><br />“At least 90 per cent of my closet is second hand.<br /><br />“People say I get lucky at thrift stores. But if you go multiple times a week you’ll find stuff.<br /><br />Maddison has always loved making her own clothes – after sewing her first dress aged 14.<br /><br />She became passionate about sustainable fashion when she learnt about the ethics surrounding the industry on her university course.<br /><br />She said: “I realised how bad the textile industry was at recycling.”<br /><br />After graduating Maddison found it tough to break into the industry and spent three years working in at a vets before finding her way back to fashion.<br /><br />She said: “I fell back into fashion.<br /><br />“It’s my passion.”<br /><br />She starting selling her upcycled creations, made from second hand clothes, through her Instagram before launching her website in January 2022.<br /><br />Maddison began focusing on distressing jeans and shorts but now makes dresses, tops and jumpers from charity finds.<br /><br />She has a budget of $10 to $20 on an item and spends two to five hours transforming each piece before keeping it herself or selling it on.<br /><br />Maddison said: “I do stuff by eyeballing it.<br /><br />“Everything I make is one of one.”<br /><br />She keeps up to date with trends and likes to recreate outfits she spots her favourite celebrities wearing.<br /><br />Maddison said: “I’m very into pop culture.<br /><br />“Kim Kardashian and Kourtney have been wearing vintage jeans so I remade a similar pair.”<br /><br />Maddison loves upcycling jeans and one of her favourite outfits is a black dress which she made from an oversized t-shirt – before gifting to a relative.<br /><br />She sells on most of her one-of-a-kind clothes – pricing custom tops at $150, and shirts at $75 to $120.<br /><br />Maddison said: “I love when I go to a bar and someone says ‘I love your jeans where did you get them?’ and I can say I made them.<br /><br />“I can make someone out of anything.”<br /><br />Maddison goes to the charity shop at least once a week and has now taken her business full time – making $40k from her upcycled outfits.<br /><br />She hopes to inspire others to shop more sustainably or learn to upcycle their own clothes.
