Textile aesthetics in mending

Abstract

This article explores how designers in textiles and clothing can use their skills in materials and aesthetics to change perceptions of garments when they show signs of wear. Beyond prolonging clothing lifespan, garment repair can serve as a bottom-up approach to alter clothing culture through innovative creativity. With this article, I substantiate the discussion of mending as an alternative avenue that can echo another aesthetic within the realm of fashion. A growing body of research is occupied with how garment repair can create resilience in the textile and clothing industry by influencing the use phase. This has given rise to studies on garment design from a ‘repair thinking’ perspective, where mending is integrated into the design phase, prompting innovative approaches to garment construction, product types, and business models to rebalance the fashion industry. However, extending garment life through mending is complex, influenced by systemic and social factors, often overshadowed by the polished image of fashion. Within this scope, aesthetic and material expressions of mending are still to be researched. Designers possess skills in working with aesthetics, such as material qualities, visual expressions, textures, colours and patterns. This article explores how these skills illuminate the socio-material dimensions of garment mending. The research includes three encounters with mending which has resulted in a range of full-garment samples and insights into related material processes. The preliminary findings are visualized in a spectrum of mending concepts. Drawing from this overview of material expressions, the article discusses the role of designers in a world undergoing sustainable climate transformation. It presents three case examples showcasing how textile and clothing designers can employ their skills in materials and aesthetics. The article concludes by considering how future research could involve collaboration with companies to introduce mending concepts as part of a broader appreciation of material expression.