About Me
Amy Matthews - Designing from Waste - 'Mend It, Fix It, Make Do' 2023
WE FACE A NECESSITY TO END CONSUMPTION. Amy Matthews is a designer who believes in seasonless, timeless, one-off pieces that are intricately detailed and handmade with care. Their individual garments can be styled in a multitude of ways, and despite the womenswear focus, certain garments and accessories are genderless in approach. THERE IS A NEED FOR CHANGE.
'Mend It, Fix It, Make Do' explores a notion in which the fashion industry could utilise upcycling as a necessary practice. Namely, the overarching focus, was to "make do" with disused garments and waste materials by mending them in a contemporary form. Virgin Materials have no feature. In what could be viewed as a nod to Amy's extensive research into the origins of 'Make Do and Mend, beginning in the Second World War, redundant military stock claims reference. Constant advancements in military technology, materials, and garment construction, mean they are durable to re-use, and in redundance.
INSPIRATION
MILITARY GREENS, STARK WHITES, UNRAVELLING DENIMS, FLASHES OF RED
Themes of deconstruction run throughout - re-use of bridal silks are also featured. There was a consideration into whether items with such sentiment, that are constructed with more detail and enduring qualities could be better for re-introducing into a circular fashion approach. The Trench Coat seen in 'Look Two' is constructed from military jackets, and lined with the skirt of a discarded wedding dress. The beaded bodice is used to create an intricate bag, and silk off-cuts create the Hand Ruched dress.
Sustaining themes of re-using military garments are contrasted with the re-use of t shirts, denim jeans and mass produced items. A developed practise of hand 'knotting' discarded t-shirts and 'weaving' discarded denim jeans aims to repurpose these material 'scraps' into items with increased aesthetic value, market value, durability and longevity. Cheap, mass produced garments become strongly knotted and woven together in a unique aesthetic form, to create a range of garments and accessories.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
'MEND IT, FIX IT, MAKE DO' 2023
WARTIME PHILOSOPHY OF 'MAKE DO AND MEND'
DISCARDED GARMENTS COLLAGED ON THE HUMAN FORM
DECONSTRUCTION OF A TACTICAL MILITARY VEST
REPLICATING TACTICAL DETAILING
HAND WOVEN FROM DISCARDED DENIM JEANS
KNOTTING FABRIC SCRAPS FROM DISCARDED GARMENTS
SILK OFF-CUTS INDIVIDUALLY RUCHED AND PATCHWORKED
EXPLORING AND TESTING STYLING
RE-PURPOSING MILITARY JACKETS AND RE-USING TOILES
TRENCH COAT RE-PURPOSED FROM MILITARY JACKETS
THE HAND WOVEN BALACLAVA
'MEND IT, FIX IT, MAKE DO' - THE INITIAL LINE UP
TECHNICAL FLATS FOR 'MEND IT, FIX IT, MAKE DO'
EXPLORING RE-USE OF CYCLING JERSEYS FOR LIVE BRIEF
CLOTHSURGEON COLLECTION - ADAPTABLE OUTERWEAR
MENSWEAR AND TAILORING - RESEARCH
MENSWEAR - CONCEPTUALISED IDEAS
MENSWEAR - JACKET MADE FROM SECOND HAND DENIM
DETAIL
The Vivienne Westwood Ethical Fashion Award
As a recipient of the Vivienne Westwood Ethical Fashion Award, Amy’s collection aims to lessen the environmental degradation of the Garment Landfill Crisis and takes inspiration from the wartime notion of ‘Make Do and Mend’. This desperation to re-use everything, is incomparable to modern day ‘Upcycling’, which is utilised by very few. Global apparel production and consumption is perpetually increasing, with the current ‘take, make, dispose’ model constituting acute social and environmental implications. WRAP (2022) calculates that: ‘£140 million worth of clothing is sent to UK landfill each year’ and ‘demand for raw materials is expected to triple by 2050.’ The challenges of remaking from smaller items, awkward patterns, and materials, is massively outweighed in ease, time, and profit by mass production using raw materials. It is now important to not simply ‘mend’ old garments, but to increase their functionality, desirability, and monetary value to contend with vast over-consumption and production.
MAKE DO is a collection that "waste" designed. It incorporates unique shapes, panels, and weaves, derived from the natural form of the scraps re-used. Damage remains and mending is visible throughout.
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
