The Textile Museum at the George Washington University in Washington DC is a great resource for any textile lover. I stopped by the latest show - "Scarps: Fashion, Textiles, and Creative Reuse" - with a friend and we had the loveliest time learning and exploring two contrasting sides of the textile industry.
On one hand, the industry is known for waste. There are large amounts of production remnants that end up in landfills. And, we, the consumers are also prone to speedy consumption and prompt disposal of pretty much anything fashion-related. On the other hand, the industry overflows with creativity and resourcefulness. Designers and companies look into creative uses of this waste and are changing the inner workings of the field. That's exactly what "Scraps" looks into with a thoughtful investigation of the work of three designers: Reiki Sudo, Luisa Cevese, and Christina Kim.
On one hand, the industry is known for waste. There are large amounts of production remnants that end up in landfills. And, we, the consumers are also prone to speedy consumption and prompt disposal of pretty much anything fashion-related. On the other hand, the industry overflows with creativity and resourcefulness. Designers and companies look into creative uses of this waste and are changing the inner workings of the field. That's exactly what "Scraps" looks into with a thoughtful investigation of the work of three designers: Reiki Sudo, Luisa Cevese, and Christina Kim.
 First look at the exhibition |  |
As a fashion and textile designer I appreciate exploring different ways of approaches to fabrics and their uses. Let's take a closer look at these outstanding designers.
 | Reiko Sudo Sudo is a designer and managing director of NUNO. She has been exploring creative ways to use of silk waste. Kibiso - the outermost layer of the silk cocoon - is too corse for industrial production but Sudo has been able to transform kibiso into finer yarn. These textiles are so lovely! They use the nicest of weaves and Sudo is able to craft masterpieces out of kibiso. |
| Luisa Cevese Cevese loves waste (in her own words) and is known for working with selvedges. Her silk selvedges, in vivid colors, make for beautiful totes and purses one they are incorporated into polyurethane. Oh, Cevese! Such beautiful colors! And what fun to use threads and remnants to bring much color to any outfit. Cevese achieves stunning color combinations in every piece. |  |
 | Christina Kim Kim is the founder of the fashion brand dosa. She works with local artisans, thus providing sustainable livelihoods. She is passionate about zero-waste approach to fashion and works to use even the smallest scraps to create beautiful objects. I appreciate Kim's passion for and support of traditional craftsmanship. The textiles have such deep understanding of color and composition and a closer look reveals hundreds of hours of precision in every completed piece. |
"Scraps" is on display through January 7, 2018. Stop by the George Washington University Textile Museum at 701 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052. Enjoy!
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