It was in a carefully stacked pile of fabrics in the back of a deadstock warehouse: a thick deep blue cotton fabric with a white floral pattern and a soft, sturdy weave. “These were made to cover mattresses during the 70s in Spain,” the owner told me. “Strong enough to last for decades. But the trend passed, and now they sit here, unused.”
The uniqueness of the fabrics print was what stood out to me. Now left behind its value wasn’t in what it was meant for, but in what it can still become.
Revalue Local Textiles: How stories breathe life into forgotten fabrics, explores how local discarded fabrics in the global north can be reevaluated using research, fieldwork, and crafts. You’ll find recent data on the textile value chain, personal encounters with global and local stakeholders, and five practical design outcomes made from secondhand materials, from a bag made of a pillowcase to a memory-stitched artwork.
Whether you’re looking to source secondhand textiles, build community around making, or simply see what design research can look like in action, this one’s for you
