Elif Aybars
el/if
38 Rue Monplaisir, 31400 Toulouse, France
el/if is a Toulouse-based upcycling fashion label founded by French designer Elif Aybars. Each garment begins as an original sketch and is made by hand from vintage, forgotten or deadstock materials, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces that are deconstructed, rebuilt and finished in the designer’s South of France studio.
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- Services Offered
- Languages
- Languages:
- French
- English
- Scale
- Solo
About the practice
el/if. was founded by Elif Aybars as a solo practice rooted in slow, handmade fashion. Every piece starts with a sketch, followed by the search for neglected clothing and materials that can be given a new life. Aybars cleans, deconstructs and rebuilds these textiles into new forms, creating garments that are entirely reworked rather than simply altered. The label’s approach is deliberately material-led: even when a design is repeated, the final colour, texture and composition change according to the vintage fabrics available. This makes each garment unique, whether it is made from vintage cotton lace, deadstock French lace or other reclaimed materials. el/if. works from a studio in Toulouse, where Aybars manages research, design, sourcing, making and customer communication alone. The brand offers both ready-made one-off pieces and made-to-order garments, including customisable lace dresses that can be adapted with linings, overlays, trains or lace shorts. For Aybars, wearing upcycled clothing is not only an environmental choice but also a way of supporting handmade fashion and a closer relationship with materials, time and making.
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