Pockets

The Story Behind the Dress

In the 1940s, American fashion designer Claire McCardell revolutionized womenswear with practical, stylish designs that embraced freedom and movement. One of her most iconic creations was the Pop-up Dress—a piece that was as effortless as it was elegant. McCardell even made versions in denim, proving that practical fabrics can be just as stylish as they are functional.

Decades later, I made my own version using nothing but old red and black jeans from my closet and thrift stores. I didn’t just repurpose the jeans as they were—I carefully took them apart, breaking them down into raw fabric before reconstructing them into something entirely new. Along the way, I repaired tears in the fabric using embroidery inspired by the Japanese technique of Sashiko, a method that embraces visible mending as both an art form and a way to extend a garment’s life.

Maya brought this dress to life and seeing her in it reminded me why I love working with reclaimed materials. Every stitch tells a story, every fabric scrap holds a past. Sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste, it’s about reimagining what we already have and turning it into something beautiful.

This same idea is at the heart of Miri and Jade’s New Clothes—showing kids and adults alike, that old clothes can spark creativity and new  beginnings. 💚♻️

From Old to Bold!

Did you know I make bucket hats from discarded jeans and ties?

Just like Miri and Jade, I love giving old fabrics a brand-new life! Every hat tells a story, just like my book Miri and Jade’s New Clothes.

The Day the Anemone Raised Her Head

The Day the Anemone Raised Her Head

When I was a child, in my homeland, we loved wildflowers, especially the vibrant anemone fields. But over time, these once-flourishing fields began to disappear due to over-picking. To save the endangered flowers, a national fund launched an educational campaign aimed at schoolchildren, teaching them the importance of preserving nature. Their slogan was simple but powerful; it went something like this:

🌸 “Go to nature, enjoy the view – don’t pick the flowers there’re so few!”

The message spread quickly, and the children’s hearts were swayed. They believed in the cause and even urged their parents to respect nature, and soon, the flowers made a remarkable comeback.

The Day the Anemone Raised Her Head, 5 inches X 5 inches, Mical Aloni for the Smithsonian Craft Show, 2015.

That campaign inspired me to create The Day the Anemone Raised Her Head, an embroidered piece I made during my time as a recognized embroidery artist under the name Mical Aloni. The piece depicts the revival of the anemone fields while reminding us that there’s still more work to be done to free our planet from pollutants such as coal.

🌱 Kids Can Lead the Change! 🌍

With the book Miri and Jade’s New Clothes, I wanted to take a similar approach — empowering children with the knowledge to motivate change. Using fun, engaging storytelling, the book reveals the environmental costs of mass production and consumption of clothes and offers kids and adults alike positive, creative alternatives to society’s current fashion consumption habits. The hope is that, as with the anemone fields, kids will take the initiative and influence the adults in their lives as well. Together, we can inspire real change and help stop these harmful practices. While this book focuses on a few key environmental issues—such as excessive water consumption and animal cruelty in the fashion industry—there are many other harmful practices I plan to explore another time. These include water pollution, the overuse of toxic dyes and chemicals, exploitative labor conditions, textile waste and landfill overflow, the industry’s carbon footprint and energy consumption, microplastic pollution, and the devastating effects of deforestation and habitat destruction.

In the story Maya and Rumi discover a fun and creative way to care for their dolls – and our planet – by rethinking fashion!

Just like the kids in my old homeland helped save wildflowers by teaching their parents to “Go to nature, enjoy the view – don’t pick the flowers there’re so few!” – Today’s children can be the voices for fashion sustainability. 

This is my mission, and writing this edutainment book is just the first step. I’m now exploring the best ways to spread the word and further this campaign. How can I effectively bring the book and its message to schools and children everywhere? If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

Parents, listen to your little changemakers! Let’s build a future where every choice counts. 🌎

#SustainableLiving #KidsLeadTheWay #MiriAndJade #EcoFriendlyKids #StorytimeWithAPurpose # edutainment

Friends ask me why I wrote the book Miri and Jade’s New Clothes?

Friends ask me why I wrote the book Miri and Jade’s New Clothes? the answer is that I have a deep love for both fashion and our planet, but unfortunately, the fashion industry is one of its biggest polluters. From the massive amounts of energy and water it consumes to the use of toxic chemicals and exploitative labor practices, fashion has become one of the Earth’s greatest environmental offenders. I believe it’s possible to love both—fashion and the planet—by recognizing the true value of cloth and understanding the immense toll its production takes on the environment. Once we acknowledge this, we can find innovative ways to upcycle, recycle, and reuse materials, ultimately reducing the harmful impact the fashion industry has on our world.

In the picture is my take of a classic Chanel suit done entirely of used denim pants and old ties.

Friends ask me why I wrote the book Miri and Jade’s New Clothes?