Zero Waste Design Philosophy

Our +REwork Line

Vintage is made anew with updated silhouettes and designs, with an eye for zero waste in design and sewing. Our designers preserve the underlying fabric and ensure it perseveres for decades more.

Zero Waste Design permeates our reworking studio

It starts with an understanding of our customers
We extensively research what our customers want to wear and how. Combined with an understanding of what is happening in the mainstream fashion world, we design our +REwork collections to reflect the sentiment of today, but using 100% upcycled materials.

We make exclusive patterns that maximize usage of the underlying garment
Our super talented team of pattern drafters know how to use the underlying garment to its fullest potential. For example, how many garments can we make out of a single pair of jeans? That's the challenge and excitement about zero waste design, and we're here for it.

Remnants and studio cuttings make the best materials
While we do purchase overstock fabrics, vintage homewares, we get really excited about using studio remnants. Think the bottom of a cropped shirt, how many ways can we reuse it? That's the fun! First we start by organizing it all, so we can easily sample designs, and create sketches to visualize how we can efficiently use and sew remnants into brand "new" clothing.

Our design team is pretty talented
Everyday, our design team is faced with a difficult mandate. Use vintage materials only, don't generate any waste, and create the best fashion possible, in the most efficient way. Because they're all nuts about vintage, extremely talented sewers and technicians, this is something they excel at and embrace the mission. Our team is what makes us, and we're actually really proud about that.

We don't over produce and keep small batch sizes
Did you know that an average production run at a large fast-fashion retailer starts at 10,000 units produced in off-shore factories? That's how you can purchase a pair of socks for $1.99 (amongst other reasons we won't get into). We don't make thousands of anything or overproduce, nor do we ever desire to. Our batch sizes range from 15-100 for most styles, and we ensure everything is sold so it's not wasted. Keeping our authenticity and allowing our customers to express their unique style is important to us. We think that gets lost with mass production, and contributes to a spiral of over-consumption and landfill waste.

We use a cradle to cradle approach in our sustainable design and production

Select Destined-for-landfill Garment Stock

While it's already challenging to upcycle the many variations we get in vintage clothing, it's an additional (welcome) challenge to work with lightly damaged vintage clothing that just needs a little more love. These are our go-to base fabrics for reworking and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Prioritize Designs that Maximize Fabric Usage

We strike a balance between following fashion trends and also preserving as much of the original vintage fabric as possible. It wouldn't make sense for us to make a crop tee and not use the bottom for example. So, we prioritize patterns in studio that will allow us to fully use all parts of the garment.

Incorporate Remnants into New Designs

Remnants is where the fun is at! We organize and build an extensive "library" of remnants so we can easily pull them to be integrated into "new" patterns. We're proud to say no remnant is left behind.

Perfect Samples before Producing

We sample our designs extensively to be absolutely sure it will be a hit with our brands and customers. This is the stage where we catch anything that may not resonate, and ensure it doesn't go any further. Zero waste design also means being connected to our customer's desires so we're producing the right trends.

ensure everything is sold and ultimately, worn

We partner extensively with retailers and brands to ensure our entire production is sold and worn.

We consider the past, present + future implications in everything we do.

Our Supply Chain is Smart, Simple and Transparent

Often, fashion supply chains are overly complex, which can make it nearly impossible to trace and verify a company's environmental and labor standards. In contrast, we keep our supply chain simple. One design studio, suppliers situated close together, no offshore production, and local suppliers that really get us.

What circular means to us

Circular fashion refers to clothes that are designed, produced and sold to design out waste and pollution, keep the product and the materials that constitute it in use (while maintaining their quality), and to dispose of it in a way that regenerates the natural systems. Circular fashion moves away from the traditional take-make-dispose business model.

What upcycled means to us

Upcycling turns waste into reusable material, but of better quality. It's not a new concept, although we've been hearing about it more these days. All our grandmas were upcyclers; re-using and re-purposing old items to make something new. Upcycling proves to have a better environmental impact because it minimizes waste, and even requires less energy than recycling. Plus it encourages creativity and innovation!

Our Story