I was surprised to hear that Urban Outfitter’s exclusive brand, ‘Urban Renewal‘, has been around for a whopping 20 years.  That’s practically a lifetime in the fickle world of fashion they preside over.

Basically UR marries two ideas…vintage clothing and current trends into a line of reworked clothing.  Everything is reconstructed by hand using vintage, deadstock and surplus materials from around the world.  Although the silhouettes are the same, no two garments are exactly alike, since they are working with recycled fabrics.

Here are a few of my favorite looks from their current line which is spot on:

To see the latest Urban Renewal line in all it’s glory go to urbanoutfitters.com

I’m super excited that I was also able to get in a quick interview with their reigning queen of transformation, Dayna Haley.  According to her, “they have been quietly touting the green ‘thing’ to a devoted customer base for years.”

MH:  What’s your best thrift score…and where was it?

DH:  ”An original 60’s Jimi Hendrix concert tee – scored from a spot deep in the heart of central Pennsylvania. It was given as a gift to the President of Urban Outfitter’s son, so it’s still in good hands.”

MH:  Do you have a favorite era or fashion designer?

DH:  ”I love the sleek & modern mid- century design aesthetic, but presently I’m really into early 90’s floral dresses and mid 80’s arts & crafts jewelry. Fave designers are Vivienne Westwood & Betsey Johnson – especially punk-era looks. We’ve been amassing quite a collection of vintage Betsey over the years!”

MH:  I’m fascinated by the life of a vintage picker…I know you used to do that for Urban Outfitters…could you explain a bit?

DH:  ”It’s extremely dirty & physical! Lots of driving in cars to remote industrial locations. Imagine ceiling-high piles of dusty clothes – inspecting each one for that special treasure. It’s the thrill of the chase for sure, and quite a labor of love! Much more fun if you’re with a group of friends b/c it can get quite monotonous & strenuous, so some comic relief is essential. Every now and then you’ll come across something really gross or insane while searching for something exquisite.”

MH:  How has the ‘Urban Renewal’ line evolved over the years?

DH:  ”We started w/Halloween costumes composed of vintage finds in the 80’s – then in the early 90’s it was all about the ‘Wall of Denim.” This success turned to more vintage-like dresses, tops & skirts. The late 90’s was all about military surplus & vintage graphic tees; and about that time we also ramped up the redesigned & reconstructed aspect of Urban Renewal in order to keep up w/demand and the pace at which Urban Outfitters was opening new stores. We evolved this concept from remade tees to it’s current incarnation which is much more concept & trend driven and aims to look not vintage or remade, but instead like a unique “boutique” brand that just happens to be made from recycled materials. We have 6 collections per year – with about 60 pcs per collection. We still offer one of a kind vintage pieces – especially accessories & shoes – but 90% of the Urban Renewal collection is redesigned & completely original!”

They’ve also recently begun selling vintage finds on their ebay site called Urban Renewal Vintage.  While they have offered these one-of-a-kind items in the stores for years, they are now saving the best for this new endeavor.

Here is a little number from their URV line.

Fyi, the UO blog is also stellar: blog.urbanoutfitters.com