Orsola de Castro was born in 1966, the daughter of a well known Venetian artist.
She originally trained in fine art and printmaking and her first solo shows in 1986-1987 were
sponsored by Letraset Italia, and were part of the Venetian Carnival program under the patronage
of the regional Assessorato Alla Cultura.
She started upcycling in the early 90’s and her collection if reclaimed and re embellished vintage
hats were sold internationally.
In 1997 she started From Somewhere, a pioneering upcycling label, the first to introduce luxury pre
consumer waste (recovered from some of the best Italian mills and manufacturers) and her From
Somewhere collaborations have included Robe di Kappa, Jigsaw, Tesco and Speedo.
From Somewhere were the winners of the best sustainable fashion label at the Observer Ethical
Awards in 2010.
In 2006 she co founded Estethica, the Eco Fashion area at London Fashion Week, which she co
curated until September 2014.
From Somewhere was the first brand to take part in Livia Firth Green Carpet Challenge, in Sept
2009, and Orsola subsequently dressed Livia for the Oscars in 2010, and remained an active part
of the GCC initiative until 2012.
In 2011 Orsola started Reclaim To Wear, working extensively to bring upcycling to the forefront,
collaborating with Tesco, Central Saint Martins and Topshop.
The Topshop Reclaim To Wear collection launched in 2012 and resulted in 3 bestselling
collections, the latest launched in July 2014.
In 2014, together with Carry Somers, she founded Fashion Revolution, a creative campaign now
active in 68 countries.
Orsola is associate lecturer for the University of the Arts and lectures regularly in the UK (at CSM,
RCA and Camberwell) and internationally.
Orsola is a regular speaker at many international symposiums including the 2010 IHT Luxury
Conference, and is senior judge for the Hong Kong Eco Chic Upcycling Design Awards since 2011.
