Marypup

Upcycling Discarded Umbrellas into Artisanal Rainwear

When an umbrella is no longer waterproof or has broken, it is simply thrown away. Melanie saw an opportunity to give these umbrellas a second life as raincoats or waterproof pants.

In our society, items disappear into landfills without looking at opportunities for repair or recycling. Similarly, umbrellas often only last one season because they are of poor quality and thus blow apart or are no longer waterproof. So Melanie decided to repair the fabric of an old umbrella and turn it into a rain cape. That was the beginning of Marypup.
How does Melanie tackle this? She starts by looking for used or second-hand umbrellas. For this, she can go to waste depots in Belgium. She disassembles the upholstery from the metal structure, washes the fabric and checks the quality to see which fabrics will serve as cape or hood. After this, she meticulously sets to work sorting the threads, pulling tabs, cutting patterns and finishing each piece with a label and packaging.
With her brand Marypup, Melanie wants people around her to discover what upcycling is all about and make them aware of the possibilities. Customers are involved in the process of realizations. Each piece is created 100% artisanally in Brussels.