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

Material resourcefulness

Garments are fusions of materials and energy brought to the body in myriad configurations, yet the dominant force in fashion, consumerism, tends to value only a narrow spectrum of fashion activity. The practices of material resourcefulness broaden this view and show a burgeoning testing ground of an alternative flows of fibre, fabric and product.

Repurpose everything

"I went to my aunt’s house over Christmas break and I noticed that the pillowcase that was on my cousin’s bed looked a lot like my dad’s old hospital uniform… she repurposes everything.

My favourite story about her is that when my older cousin moved out of the house, she wanted to re-purpose his bedroom, to make a living space. So, instead of taking his old bed out and putting a sofa in, she cut his mattress in half. That’s literally what she did. (laughs)  It’s not like in Mexico they have less. They have a very special cultural habit to not throw things out."

New York - January 2013
Photograph by Ellinor Stigle