Last Tuesday, in search of inspiration and creativity I found myself on a road trip to Seattle, Washington, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest.  I love road trips. My mind becomes a mess of thoughts and aspirations and midway through the drive, in Yakima, Washington of all places, in the so-called Palm Springs of the North West, inspiration hit.

I was in wine and apple country. As the landscape sped by, in the distance was an apple orchard, sparkling with the sun. This medium sized orchard, was utilizing a technique of wrapping branches with a metallic ribbon. When a breeze blows through the branches the wind causes the ribbon to glitter with light, which birds are sensitive to. Seeing this orchard’s technique made me proud to know that the American consumer and the producer is changing.

Our company has a simple solution for the world. LooptWorks takes pre-consumer excess and creates limited edition clothing with a style that is unmatched in the market. Our inspiration comes from small farms like the apple orchard above. We have a common interest: coexistence.

While I walked around Seattle the next day, I kept my eyes pealed for ideas that inspire with simplicity. I am in search of simple ideas that give the onlooker that “a-ha” moment. I came across a company downtown that like many homes in Portland, decided to capture and save rainwater for the building’s use.

The “sculpture” is interesting yet a little cumbersome, sitting there in the middle of the sidewalk. This mega tank does NOT look like it belongs at the MOMA, however saving water is beautiful and it saves the building money by using what lands in their rented space. Plus, as everyone in this country knows, water is excessive in Seattle, it is EVERYWHERE! It rains an average of 36 inches per year in the Seattle area, and it is lovely to see businesses taking action by utilizing such a simple solution. Their solution is to trap what falls on their property instead of using what is provided to them by the city.

In addition to capturing mass amounts of rainfall, this same building owner decided to create something a little more pleasing to the eye. This inspirational gutter system actually distributes excess water to potted plants along the gutters stream. It is amazing to see such beautiful simple solutions in like this one. Incredibly, in the midst of one of the known-to-be grayest cities in the United States, my face is bright as the sun with smiles.

At LooptWorks, we dive into the world of textile and trimming excess, grab it by the yard and create one of a kind beauty in every garment. We want to change the way excess is viewed, pre-consumer and post-consumer.

What is your excess?