Redesign Fashion

Most of our clothing is being discarded before it is truly worn out. Norwegians discard on average 130 000 tons of clothes every year and donate only about 11 000 tons to Fretex. This means that there is a vaste amount of textiles that could be taken advantage of. By the beginning of 2009 it will probably be banned to throw away decomposable vaste, including textiles such as cotten, wool and polyester. This calls for radical changes within the handeling of old clothes.

Redesign is a step beyond buying vintage or second hand. Redesign is when old clothes, whether worn out, out of style, or simply unloved, are re-designed and made new again. 50 old ties becomes a gown, an umbrella makes a nice skirt, and an old pullover in wool is transformed into a fancy dress.

I will develop a centre for redesigned fashion. The program will include a reception centre for used clothes, production facilities for redesigned clothes and shops selling second hand and redesigned clothes. Textiles which cannot be used for clothing will be shredded for use in houseinsulation. The different processes within the building will be important and should be made evident; the way the clothes move through the building, the customer interacting with the production and the designers keeping everything running. Facilities for swapping clothes, exchanging patterns, throwing fashion shows and organizing workshops will be integrated in the centre. How can working with textile and fashion make an impact on the final building result?