This Mexican Fashion Designer Takes Political Ads To Next Level, Upcycles Them Into Trendy Accessories

Fashion designer Camilo Morales has created something interesting, innovative, and, most importantly, eco-friendly! He has made a name for himself by upcycling unconventional materials, transforming plastic shopping bags and fabric scraps into chic bags, clothing, and accessories.

And interestingly, his latest creation involves repurposing vinyl political advertisements from Mexico's recent local, state, and federal elections, which took place on Sunday. Among the election's notable outcomes was Claudia Sheinbaum's historic win, making her the first woman president of Mexico.

For the past year, Morales has been collecting these ubiquitous banners and redesigning them by sewing them into tote bags. These unique items were sold under his label, ‘Rere’.

His upcycled tote bags range in price from 100 pesos ($5.44) to 600 pesos ($32.63). The simplest bags, featuring the all-white background of most ads, are the most affordable. The priciest item in his collection is a collage bag adorned with the shadowed eyes of Clara Brugada, the ruling party candidate poised to become the next mayor of Mexico City.

"This election season was ridiculous. They started (hanging up ads) so soon," Morales said. "I joked that they practically grew on trees. At night I would take down one ad, and the next day another one was already there to take its place."

Under the Mexican election law, political parties are given four days after elections to remove their ads, and workers were busy doing so this week. According to Juan Manuel Nunez, a professor at the Iberoamerican University, in Mexico City alone, an estimated 10,000 tons of trash were generated by political publicity this season.

While the banners are marked as recyclable, it's unclear how many are actually recycled. "Although promoted as environmentally friendly, these banners and tarps are usually made from PVC, which can take hundreds of years to break down," Nunez explained.

Other creative efforts to repurpose the ads include a viral TikTok user turning them into dog beds and migrants using them to make tents. Morales's innovative approach not only addresses waste but also offers consumers a fashionable way to support sustainability.