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.

Treasure with tie

"I bought this coat in a second hand store… there was half off that day, so I got it for 34 dollars. It’s Persian lamb, black Persian lamb. It’s not dyed. And [the collar] is marmot fur. I did some research, found some stamps from the leather company that made it inside and it would [have] cost about the same as a Ford Automobile did [when it was made] in the thirties. …It makes me feel that I should [take care of it more]. I feel like I have to… like when you have a treasure… It has started to fall apart… and I've been sewing [it] back together.

I didn't notice the [coat’s] internal tie until I’d worn it for about a week, I was wondering why it was kept on falling off. This loop is elastic… which is brilliant... it gives a bit and it holds [the coat] on."


Vancouver - January 2013
Photograph by Jeremy Calhoun