From the National Trust at Killerton to Reskinned/Seasalt in Falmouth…
The repair and resale of second hand clothing has been around for some time:
Reused, remodelled and recycled fashion through the ages is being showcased by the National Trust. Killerton House, near Exeter, is displaying more than 50 items from the trust’s largest fashion collection. Thirsty for Fashion highlights the techniques used to repair, remodel, reuse and re-wear clothing from the 18th Century to the present day. Highlights include a child’s dress made of precious silk brocade, recycled from an adult’s silk gown in about 1750.
Shelley Tobin, costume curator at Killerton, said: “Recycling and reusing clothing is not a new idea but something that has been commonplace throughout history. This exhibition asks the question – can we learn lessons from these past practices and reapply forgotten skills to looking after our clothes and make them more sustainable?”
The exhibition will also feature vintage films from the 1940s and 1950s with advice on how to ‘make do and mend’. Thirsty for Fashion will run from 11 February to 5 November 2023.
National Trust showcases recycled fashion at Killerton House – BBC News
Fashion exhibition | Killerton | National Trust
The rise today of the Repair Café shows the growing interest in ‘reapplying forgotten skills’:
And the interest from business shows the growing circularity of the economy:
Cornish fashion brand Seasalt has launched a resale platform with a sustainable second hand clothing repair and resale specialist. Partnering with Reskinned, the Falmouth-based business will now offer its customers a chance to buy returned and repaired Seasalt clothing, in a bid to avoid it being sent to landfill. The introduction of the platform is the latest phase in the partnership, following Seasalt’s launch of its take-back service with Reskinned in February, which has received more than 2,000 items so far.