Austin, Texas transplant, Ben Reingold an indie Brooklyn fashion designer in Williamsburg, twists and repurposes classic T’s into boldly shaped new silhouettes and accessories. I learned about Reingold’s label, ‘Take Off Your Clothes’ sold through his Etsy boutique and Flickr, from WNYC ‘s Leonard Lopate show last month where he won the creative t-shirt design contest judged by Isaac Mizrahi. Earlier this spring, Victoria & Albert Museum showcased one of Reingold’s repurposed belts for their online “Find…Make…Wear” competition.
A graduate from the Austin School of Fashion Design (Texas) and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Reingold gained his industry cred working for Parachute Studios, Rebecca Turbow, Slow and Steady Wins the Race, assisting in design, patternmaking, and samplemaking. In June 2006, ‘Take Off Your Clothes’ was launched establishing an online boutique through Etsy and soon will be available through Brooklyn boutiques featuring his distinctive deconstructed and recycled t-shirt and dress collections.
The fashion biz is an expensive industry with costly development and slow returns but especially now in the era of the “new normal’. Although, Reingold’s spirited approach epitomizes the ability to make a statement creatively using available materials all marketed through social networking available to everyone. Continuously updating the ‘Take Off Your Clothes’ Flickr page with whimsical skillfully draped ideas, I’m impressed with Reingold’s ingenuity and enthusiasm.
[...] The designer is based out of Brooklyn and has a very mysterious Etsy profile. I did a little digging and you can read more about him here. [...]