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2020s
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Craft, repair and upcycling

Existing clothes can become material for new design or receive the care that keeps them in use. The decade’s examples connect runway remaking with a wider culture of repair.

Reworked clothing and deadstockCare and visible repairContemporary textile craft

About Craft, repair and upcycling

In the 2020s, upcycling turns existing garments and surplus cloth into a starting point for new design. Conner Ives transforms vintage T-shirts into fluid dresses, while Marine Serre documents how recovered materials are sorted and remade. Handwork and visible repair also offer ways to care for clothes and extend their use, alongside the creation of new pieces. These approaches range from domestic mending to runway collections. Their materials and processes matter more than a single recognizable silhouette, and environmental claims need to be assessed for each garment.

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Conner Ives: Reconstituted Bias T-shirt Maxi Dress, autumn/winter 2023Marine Serre: Regeneration processesV&A Dundee: Care, repair and customisation
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