A bustier stripped of its frayed lace and stained materials, brought back to life with sewn-in houndstooth fabric from a women's blazer. A jean jacket from the '80s, distressed, rewashed, maybe even ripped strategically to reveal a sewn-in plaid or lace heart on the underside. A classic men's white dress shirt hemmed into a high-low style, its collar hand-studded or remade into a children's dress. It's the work of talented designers, intent on sustaining the lure of vintage apparel.

Nathan Schafer, owner of Modern Pop Culture in Syracuse, has been deconstructing and recreating vintage clothing for years. Depending on the item, its condition and the inspiration he's following, he may only raise a hemline or switch the buttons to make the piece more modern. He may go further by adjusting the neckline, arm holes, or re-dying the cloth -- all of which is common in his reworked t-shirts. On the more complex side is hand-studding with a screwdriver; custom distressing of denim skirts, shorts, jeans and jackets; swapping fabric from one vintage piece, then sewing it into the basic structure of another. He's also embarked on custom bodysuits.

(image: red formal dresses )

"I have always liked to make and create things, to build things, to use my hands and be creative," says Schafer. "Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and something I can be proud of making. I did not go into it thinking this, but have since realized that it is sort of an art form for me."

While he generally decides which pieces to rework, whatever sparks his creativity, he will do made-to-order. A customer can pick a piece in the shop or bring something in, and he can tailor it to them. He likes to see the item on a person, to make sure it fits in the right way. And he likes an active collaboration, where the buyer decides how much denim distressing and where it should be, and what material, if any, he should be using for patchwork.

A loyal customer and frequent model of Schafer's, Kayla Conine, admires his creativity.

"Nate creates beautiful pieces and he customizes clothing for any body type," says Conine. "He has a great eye for vintage, and his visions are spontaneous, which is why his store has a terrific variety of clothing and jewelry."

Vintage refashioning isn't just popular in Syracuse, it's a growing national trend. In line with the sustainable clothing trend, repurposing or upcycling is an efficient way to use existing materials while creating something unique and new. Popular in New York City, across the continent and in the United Kingdom, decades-old clothing store owners like Schafer have been making clothing from the last century modern and desirable. Some are even teaming up with fashion designers. The Reformation has an in-house team in the Lower East Side, Soho and Los Angeles that reworks the vintage clothes it sells in its stores on both the east and west coasts. "Babesmaid" dresses are the company's popular upcycled alternative to typical bridesmaid and party dresses.

As access to remade vintage clothing has increased, so has the desire to do it yourself.

"We teach refashioning to young people and find they are very enthusiastic about making over a garment to be more their style, to have something completely unique," says Wendy Skinner, director of SewGreen in Ithaca. "We just held a contest for reusing denim, and several of the entries are refashioned."

Being authentic, unmatchable has been a celebrity draw for years. Frequent vintage wearers Nicole Kidman, Chloe Sevigny, Alexa Chung and models Kate Moss and Agyness Deyn don't show up on the red carpet in matching dresses. Part of the fun for celebs, and everyone watching them, is to see how beautiful, surprising and modern vintage really can be.

As Schafer says: "I want to make you love your closet. One outfit at a time."

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