Repurposed:
Patagonia’s Worn Wear Tour

The outdoor apparel company Patagonia toured their Worn Wear Wagon cross-country in 2017, offering free repairs for any clothing brand and teaching individuals how to fix their own gear. Former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario asserts that "Repair is a radical act," encouraging everyone to become radical environmentalists and lower their impact on the planet by extending the life of their garments.
On the Worn Wear Tour's University of Minnesota stop I exhibited three looks made entirely of repurposed fabrics in a fashion show featuring sustainable design. As the rise of fast fashion has irrevocably changed how textile goods are seen and valuable materials once passed down between generations are now acceptably discarded after only a handful of wears, my own youthful wardrobe attempted to realize the potential in every old garment or lost button. The looks in this series include fabrics from my grandmother's skirt, a church play shepherd's robe, an outgrown jacket of my brother, my high school graduation gown and a thrifted muumuu.


Repurposed: Patagonia Worn Wear Tour looks
2017
Garments made from reclaimed fabrics



Exhibitions


2017
Worn Wear: Sustainable Fashion Show, Northrop Memorial Auditorium, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN), selected designer for Patagonia, Inc.'s Worn Wear College Tour