Amour Sans Anguish: Recycled Couture Gets Fairy-Tale Ending

Photo credit: Armour Sans Anguish

Tawny Holt, the visionary designer behind Armour Sans Anguish, has been creating her whimsical, quixotic garments from salvaged and recycled textiles since 2004. Described by Holt as "shamelessly romantic" yet "wearably modern," her one-of-a-kind tops, skirts, and dresses appear pulled together from an antique dress-up chest: a piece of 1920s beaded applique here, a swathe of vintage chiffon there.

One design Holt finds herself returning to is the made-to-order Doily Dress (see below photo), which she assembles out of cream, white, and off-white found doilies, resulting in a dreamy ensemble that is anything but fusty. Photo credit: Armour Sans AnguishPhoto credit: Armour Sans AnguishPhoto credit: Armour Sans AnguishMore on recycling clothingT-shirt Recycling with Cronick ValentineRecycled T-Shirt Bathing SuitsRecycled Clothing by HyenaWearable Collections NYC Clothing Recycling ProjectCelebrate With Preloved97.4% Net Energy Savings from Reusing Cotton Clothing: LCA & The Salvation ArmyClothing Re-Use: Smart and Easy in SwitzerlandWilliam Good: Clothing Re-Made from Second Hand Sources