An up-and-coming Belfast fashion designer, whose artistic focus is on sustainable fashion and “thrift-flipping” old garments into brand new clothes, has been catapulted into the limelight through a new blog series by popular fashion brand Nasty Gal.
hankill-born AJ Tinsley (24) went viral on TikTok just last year through sharing videos of his upcycled clothes, made from items found in vintage and second-hand shops as well as the likes of Tesco and different DIY stores.
Some of his videos have reached over 80,000 views.
In July earlier this year, the fashion design student, who is currently going into his final year at the London College of Fashion, was contacted via email from Nasty Gal bosses interested in collaborating with him on a new blog series aimed at promoting sustainable products and vintage renewal called “Nasty Hacks”.
AJ was selected as one of the first blogs to go live on their website and, in less than a week, his followers on TikTok have climbed to now over 61,000 on the social media site.
“The video was kind of secondary to the blog, and a few days after it went live on their website, I decided to share the video of the process of breathing new life into a regular pair of jeans and it just blew up,” he said.
“For the blog I had to write about the process renewing a regular piece of clothing which anyone could do, no matter what their ability was; anyone can bleach a pair of jeans, dye them and spray paint them, it’s just about knowing how to go about it and having the confidence in your vision, so I felt it suited my style for the blog.”
AJ told the Belfast Telegraph that it is “a dream come true” to appear on the Nasty Gal website and said that it cements the feeling that he is “heading in the right direction” and following his dreams to becoming a top fashion designer.
“Nasty Gal started off back in 2006 by Sophia Amoruso in the US by buying and selling vintage and second-hand clothes off e-Bay so the brand is really going back to its roots and it’s great to be part of this big revamp,” he said.
“The brand has worked with the likes of Little Mix and model Cara Delevingne in the past so for them to approach me for my style is huge!”
For one of the first “Nasty Hacks” AJ takes a pair of regular jeans, bleaches them, dyes them, paints them and irons handmade transfers in the shape of the Nasty Gal logo all over them to create a brand new, unique pair of jeans.
On Nasty Gal’s website, they describe AJ as “revolutionising all things fashion upcycling”.
They said: “We tasked him to a vintage pair of worn out jeans and asked him to give ’em a Nasty update. And man, did he do good.
“Follow in his footsteps and get ready to get your hands dirty with this DIY guide on how to upcycle old jeans. No holding back necessary. Let’s get straight to it.”
On the website AJ talks through each step of the process from reinventing a brand-new pair of jeans into his signature bleached denim and tie dye style.
“Throughout the pandemic I really discovered my style through the TikTok videos,” he explained.
“I tended to lean towards the bleached, ripped and dyed denim look, so for my first ‘Nasty Hack’ I felt that I needed to incorporate this style in, as well as bringing it back around to the logo of Nasty Gal which I decided to bring in through the transfers,” he said.
“Anyone can print these out on a normal jet computer, and all the materials and processes can be done by anyone so don’t be afraid to experiment. If you think it looks good just go for it and wear it with pride.”
The fashionista said that he felt denim also worked well to reflect Nasty Gal’s new line of bandeau tops made from off cuts from jeans.
“The new Nasty Gal considered range is great at paving the way for fast fashion to become more sustainable, and I am so pleased to be part of this and to show off my creations to a worldwide audience now,” said AJ.
“I am entering my final year at university and have decided to skip my placement year to continue growing my own style and focussing on creating my very own range and vision.”
The Belfast designer said that Oxfam has also contacted him to collaborate on a video to promote their Second-Hand September campaign.
“I’ve loads of exciting things in the pipeline and can’t wait to continue how I am and making a difference through my love of fashion through promoting DIY and sustainable clothing,” he added.
“My advice to anyone wanting to pursue a career in fashion, or whatever they’re passionate about, is to just go for it; you’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“I wouldn’t have dreamed that a TikTok account I set up in lockdown would lead me to collaborating with a worldwide fashion brand but here I am, just keep going and believe you can do it.”
You can follow AJ on Instagram and TikTok by searching for the @ajxtinsley handle.
To read the full blog, visit the Nasty Gal website.
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