Being creative is a gift, being creative with other people’s ideas and making them your own is hard work. Paulino is a Canadian artist who uses sustainability to create art pieces, many of which are inspired by fashion houses, their fabrics, patterns, labels and much more. 

Paulino has been using fashion houses’ old or vintage clothing to create art that goes beyond fashion. For Paulino, he finds pieces from Dior, Chanel and many more houses that have been previously worn or what we call ‘vintage’ and take the garments and turns them into more art. 

Paulino’s take on sustainability is to make sure that people can look at his art and truly understand the value of the earth and the value of the garment Paulino doesn’t take from the houses, he uses their ideas and brings them back to life, creates an homage to them so that their legacy can live on. 

Paulino is a self-taught artist who specializes in large textile sculptures, while his artistic inspiration comes from fashion houses like Dior and Chanel, it also comes from films and fine arts. Paulino is not only passionate about art, but he is also passionate about giving back, each piece of art he makes and sells a portion of it goes to various charities he said donated to throughout the years. For Paulino, it is about how art can change people’s lives, and he himself is changing lives through his art.

Making art from art is a very clever idea, taking the beauty or best parts of someone’s creations and making more art is genius, and that is exactly what Paulino does. We had the opportunity to chat with Paulino and ask him about what he does, and why he does it. 

What is it about others people’s creations that inspire you to create more art, especially in the sustainable fashion sense?  

 My sources of inspiration come from my environment, specifically the light source or energy of the creator. What’s sustainable about it is that their essence lives on in another form and has a life beyond itself.   

When creating fashion pieces like dresses or bikini’s what makes you want to use vintage instead of new materials that can be sustainable?  

I always look at my work as sculptures. When I choose my subject, it truly comes from inspiration that stems from childhood memories and childhood fantasy. I think in a world where everything has become disposable, I find more value in repurposing the materials of some of the most iconic fashion houses like Chanel, Versace, Oscar de la Renta (who have all passed ). It allows me to recycle their materials and use them in a different way.  By physically incorporating their materials into my work, I can allow those brands to live on beyond the people behind them – their light, source, energy and energy continue. 

How has your art educated people when it comes to the importance of sustainable fashion? 

My hope is that with my creations people set free their dreams and fantasies and hopes for the future – whether that is sustainability, creating art or changing their ideology in life.  My goal is always for my creations to express feelings and emotions, more than anything else.