Repurposed with Purpose

We've wanted to create this collection since Ziran started in 2016. It just took the pandemic, dedication, and isolation to finally make it happen. This is a very special collection of vintage garments that have been repurposed with purpose. 

Ziran Creative Director Kelly Wang Shanahan (that's me!) collected these pieces over many years. The garments are upcycled with hits of xiang yun sha silk and hand embroidery. I taught myself how to hand embroider during the pandemic and each garment has been meticulously re-imagined by myself. This process was deeply personal: every stitch is an act of patience, meditation, and intention. I started these pieces in the rural mountain town of Mt. Shasta, CA in 2020 during the height of the pandemic... and finished them in Los Angeles in 2022 after having a baby. I worked on the pieces every time the baby napped... a true labor of love and commitment to finally getting it done and sharing this collection with the world!

Inherent to the Ziran mission is sustainability and conscious responsibility. This means minimizing waste and our impact on the environment. This is why we used vintage garments and scraps of silk (which otherwise would be thrown away). At the same time, we have always wanted to offer our silk to more people. Our silk is extremely difficult and expensive to make... so by using smaller pieces on vintage garments we can offer products at a more affordable price point. While the amount of time and energy it took to make these pieces far exceeds their price tag - each piece took me countless hours to make - the purpose of this collection is not to "make money" but instead offer something unique with intention. We believe quality and art should be accessible to as many people as possible. 

This is a long-awaited collection of special pieces. Every item is unique and one of a kind. This is just the beginning and we hope you love it!

Check out more process photos (and videos!) of this collection on our Instagram @theziran.