NEXTTOPUPCYCLER
Aldeide Sanchez
Aldeide is a 25 year old from Caracas, Venezuela with a background in business. Although she hasn't been sewing long, she wanted to compete on Next Top Upcycler to prove to herself that her sewing skills have improved. On Episode 5, she used her old jeans to make a truly intricate romper with the detail of a much more experienced sewist. She persevered past language barriers and a sewing machine malfunction to be crowned season one's Next Top Upcycler. Not only have her skills improved exponentially, but she is now making upcycles for others and sharing her creations for the world on social media.
follow her @aldeidesanchez
JESS Li
San Francisco, CA
Jess kicked off this season with a runway ready color blocked trench coat upcycled from jeans and a blazer!
Age:
27
NADIA Simmons
Chicago, IL
We enjoyed Nadia's bubbly personality and her long line denim jacket and dope bustier.
Age:
32
Gena Culler-Green
Detroit, MI
Gena used her welding skills to create a cool asymmetric jacket that I've never seen before.
Age:
44
TONI Ojo-Akinkunmi
Johannesburg, South Africa
Our youngest contestant created a denim crewneck sweatshirt with beautiful patchwork on the back.
Age:
20
ALDEIDE Sanchez
Caracas, Venezuela
It was so fun watching Aldeide's process and seeing how her piece morphed into a gorgeous jumper in the end.
Age:
25
HELAN Ayala
Houston, TX
Helen used her old jeans to create a ton of strips for a gorgeous woven skirt ready for Paris fashion week.
Age:
35
PETER Gonzalez
Mexico City
Peter is a sustainable fashion designer who tie dyed old jeans to create this sick utility jacket.
Age:
30
VALERIE Castle
Colorado
Valerie is one busy momma who loves color and created a really cool dress out of tie dye and colored jeans.
Age:
44
JIMENA Bravo
Mexico City
Our final contestant astonished us with a super ambitious three piece look plus a denim jacket for her dog.
Age:
30