Q + A with Joelle Rueckert of riel store
by Charli Cox
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Sapere Research Group found that in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland alone, 31,977 tonnes of textiles enter the market annually and 16,952 tonnes are landfilled. Of that, op shops landfilled 8.7 tonnes. Another 3.1 tonnes of garments are landfilled before sale or wear. While more recently alternatives like downcycling (those in-store take-back collections) have become popularised, upcycling which increases the economic value of this clothing remains a quiet undercurrent.
Tāmaki Makaurau-based creative Joelle Rueckert who re-works shirts and balzers through her label riel seeks to reimagine what sits in stock rooms and op shops, creating desirable one off pieces. We took an sample shirt with a large circle cut out of the back, practically destined for the landfill—but perfect for Joelle’s signature Curve Shirt. Here’s how that shirt came together and outtakes of our conversation.
Interview and photography by Tracey Creed.
Hello Joelle! Tell us a bit about your background. What led you to riel?
riel started as, and still is really, an experimental take on a fashion brand, or business method. It's a response to the overwhelm I feel when I go to a mall and realise just how many brands and products are being shuffled out every day, and in turn how much waste is generated in the process.
Equally, we believe in loving our clothes for longer, and your approach provides opportunities to do that. You work exclusively with shirts and jackets. What draws you to these pieces?
I am a big shirt and blazer wearer, I will wear one of either almost every day, so it was a natural progression from my personal taste to my design process. I also love working with shirts because of the fabrication; cotton is a really lovely fabric to work with.
There is already a vast amount of clothing in existence. What we both love about your upcycling approach is that you are creating distinctive pieces, significantly increasing the value of garments that no one wanted in their current form. What are you most proud of in your work, business to date?
I am most proud of building a concept and a community around circularity. I know that sounds cliché but to have the foundation of your business be such a strong stance against consumerism and something that people are drawn to is pretty incredible.
To have been featured in some of the country's top fashion magazines feels like a small act of rebellion, that the conversation around slow fashion and consumerism is gaining traction and to be in its wave is an honour.
Upcycling is, by definition, geared towards increasing the value of the materials resulting from the transformation of the starting material. Upcycling is a perspective, the result of experiential characteristics. Your work is. Your price points are comparable to those of high-street retail stores. What shifts for people to invest instead in your reinterpreted pieces?
My priority from day one has always been to rework with quality. There is no use in reworking pieces with bad design or fit because that defeats the purpose of re-creating clothes to go back into the market. All my designs are made with a lot of care and quality, and those things do cost.
I try to make my pieces as accessible as possible, whilst also trying to run a business, so it's a fine balance.
There is so much power in how we dress—our personal uniform and brand, it is how we present to the world. How does the way you dress reflect your identity?
I wear a lot of shirts and blazers *suprise surprise* and my biggest style identity is comfort - this means big shirts, big pants and lost of layers. A friend of mine once described my style as ‘‘granpa core’ and I resonate with that alot.