Stories

Every piece of clothing tells a story...

  • Read more about the inspiring work of individuals who breathe new life into old fabrics, turning what might have been discarded into something extraordinary. From heirloom textiles lovingly restored to thrifted finds reimagined into wearable art, these stories highlight the potential of fashion to be both personal and sustainable.
  • Discover how rethinking our relationship with clothing can spark change, reduce waste, and create meaningful connections between what we wear and the world around us. Through these stories, we hope to inspire you to see the hidden potential in every piece of fabric and to write your own chapter in the journey toward a more sustainable future.

Annie's wedding dress

"I wore this dress when Raymond and I married on 18 July 2009. Originally made from panels of silk and recycled fabrics I found in charity shops and some table napkins I bought from Byblos Souk in Lebanon.

I joined the Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles Group after moving to Slough. They were to hold a travelling exhibition in 2016 with group members reconstructing a worn garment. I reconstructed my wedding dress and called it 10,000 apples, as Raymond and I got through eating so many apples in a week. This dress was embellished with embroideries of apples and quotes about apples. The original crochet shawl, a charity shop find, had once been a table covering, was deconstructed into the dress top and various crochet motifs were added."

Annies dress Annie's dress
David’s Levis jacket

David’s Levis jacket

An Australian friend Pat, who I met in an improvisation class at City Lit, gave me this Levi Strauss jacket as a gift after staying in my flat for a week or two in about 2002 before he returned to Oz.

I wore it out over the years, but my wife repaired the fraying collar and later added the design on the back (which I'd found in Brixton market) for my birthday last year! I love this jacket's continuing life. It's one of my favourite things.

great tits sweater

Elly's embroidered “great tits” sweatshirt

The sweatshirt was originally gifted to my sister when she worked as a fashion buyer and was on a tour of a jersey factory in Mauritius. The sweatshirt has two contrasting knits on the arms and body so it was an example of the different finishes the factory could offer, although maybe they should have given her the sweatshirt without the Whistles label in it, as Whistles was a rival brand!

My sister wore it for a while before giving it to me, and I wore it for a while before deciding that despite its little flecks of neon green and pink, it was a little too plain for me and was starting to look well-worn. I wanted to give it a new lease of life so I could continue wearing it, so I added embroidered birds - Great Tits. I liked the silliness and cheekiness of the pun, and I’m also a keen birdwatcher and just love the small garden birds that I see all the time - they are so colourful, and so cute when they’re fluffed up in the winter to keep out the cold. 

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office jacket

Rukshana’s perfect office jacket

A few simple alterations turned an unusual blazer into the perfect office jacket.

While browsing at a charity shop, I stumbled upon an intriguing blazer. It was brand new, still with its tags, and made of 100% wool—perfect for my chilly office environment. However, it had some bold embellishments: tassels and an assortment of mismatched buttons. Definitely not office-appropriate.
Though I’m not a sewing expert, I felt the changes needed were simple enough—just removing the tassels and replacing the buttons. The hardest part was choosing which buttons to go with! After making the adjustments, the blazer may have lost some of its original "fashionable" flair, but it’s now a functional and stylish jacket that I can confidently wear to work every winter. I’m thrilled with the results! 

M Thorne
@thebuttonlens
Madison
Madison

Remaykit fashion show is part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2025 to celebrate the creative work of talented designers and makers who breathe new life into discarded garments.

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