An international fashion research project exploring the 'craft of use'

Never Washed

Laundering is high impact and yet not laundering is socially unacceptable. But some pieces defy social pressure and are never washed, often motivated by the fear that laundering causes something precious to be lost: a scent, a memory, the particular way a garment fits, the quality of handwork, and even a political stance.

Open knit

“This sweater I bought at a kind of flea market seven years ago, it’s handmade and it’s got lots of holes in it [an open knit] so it’s got good ventilation and just needs to be aired. I have worn it a lot and then I live together with two friends of mine who borrow it all the time so we are three using it. To find out where it is I send an SMS…”

Oslo - March 2012
Photograph by Kristin von Hirsch