Biography
Brazilian born Carla Gallas relocated to Buenos Aires, Argentina home of the beautiful Iguazú Falls and the blue ice glaciers of Patagonia, where she has spent the last 18 years as a dealer and collector of antiques. Carla later combined her passion and knowledge of vintage materials with refined artistic craftsmanship, to design a uniquely exquisite line of eco-friendly jewelry, handbags, and clothing items under the brand name TRASHbutChic.

Carla’s first foray into jewelry design consisted of pieces prepared using sterling silver; however, over time she called upon her knowledge of antiques, natural materials and classic jewelry design to create pieces reusing antique materials with timeless and contemporary appeal. Carla combines antique materials (glass beads, Art Deco and Art Nouveau embroidery, silk, velvet, metal trims, Bakelite, and 1930s and 40s Catalin buttons) with contemporary recycled, renewable, and natural materials like coconut, bamboo and other fast growing grasses.

Here is our interview of Carla Gallas:

CP: Why are you green?

CG: I have always been green without knowing what "being green" was. As an antique dealer, collector and lover, I was always at the non-commercial side of fashion, design, etc., thinking about recycling, re-using, transforming objects, furniture and clothes. My philosophy is "green is the new black" and I do my very best to avoid damaging our painful planet.

CP: What makes your designs so unique?

CG: My background is totally reflected in my style, where I use antique and vintage materials mixed with contemporary materials to create a kind of contemporary but "retro" style that cannot be denied. In my vision, my jewelry pieces can be easily recognized by this concept.

CP: What does the future hold for you?

CG: I am very glad about the comments I have received about my work worldwide. I guess I am doing the right thing at the right time. In the very near future I will serve as the Art Director in a movie that will begin production in November... Another challenge I am very excited about! Of course I will use my jewelry in the wardrobe...

Please check out our exclusive line of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind vintage jewelry, alpaca wool handbags and clothing items by Carla Gallas by clicking on the logo below or Carla's photo. More products by Carla Gallas are also available on her website trashbutchic.com.

Click on the logo above to view our featured artisan's products on Cool Planet.