Designer Monday Blues’ inspiring story first broke in 2022 a video of how she transformed the mundane into the extraordinary went viral, thanks to Photographer Johnny Cirillo.
The video showcased Blues’ custom-made pant suit crafted entirely from upcycled Starbucks burlap bags.
The photographer captured her stunning ensemble on his @watchingnewyork profiles on TikTok and Instagram, introducing a unique blend of sustainable fashion and creative ingenuity to the world.
The outfit, donned by Monday Blues, features the original printed coffee labels from the burlap bags, incorporating her brand and hand-stitched details.
The meticulously designed suit comprises cargo pants with two utility pockets on each side and a knee-length jacket characterized by an unfinished hem and sleeves, adding an avant-garde touch to the ensemble.
Monday Blues shared the remarkable backstory of her creation with Cirillo, revealing that she crafted the outfit while experiencing homelessness on a train in Chicago.
Motivated by the sight of burlap coffee bags displayed at Starbucks, a company advocating for recycling and reusing its products, she approached baristas who generously provided her with the sacks at no cost.
She transformed discarded materials into a unique and eye-catching fashion statement from these humble beginnings.
“The backstory is, I actually created this while homeless on a train in Chicago,” she shared with Cirillo.
“So I made this by hand,” she told Cirillo a year ago.
Now Monday Blues wants to go global and has brought discarded bags from other coffee companies on board to make her top-notch apparel. Currently homeless in New York, she plans to keep creating and getting her brand out as much as possible so people can see that being resilient and dedicated can get you as far as you dream in life.
Three days ago a GoFundMe was created to support Monday Blues’ work and make her dream of going worldwide a reality.
Portions of the statement on the GoFundMe page read as follows:
“After recently going viral on TikTok for her infamous coffee burlap set, she has gotten a tremendous amount of orders and support, growing her brand quicker than she could have imagined. All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to Monday’s luxury fashion brand. She makes all of her pieces by hand, adding a special touch that most luxury brands no longer offer.
“The money would go towards mass production (as she wants to make more of her clothing accessible to a wider range of people), new sewing machines, pay for overhead, custom pieces for celebrities and influencers, outsourcing fabrics from small businesses, and most importantly, permanent housing. Monday is deeply appreciative of all of the support the power of the internet has enabled her to have. Any donations, even $1, could go a long way for her. We invite you to be a part of Monday’s story – Lift voices, stand up for the overlooked, be remembered.”
