Cult(ure) of Consumerism

“Throughout the last few years, I became more focused on ‘textile waste’ and the secondhand clothing supply chain. Then when I learned about the extreme amount of discarded clothes that end up overseas, I was motivated to help divert unwanted clothes in my community from the waste stream. It started as a volunteer effort to redistribute clothing that turned into a learning practice and research study about our waste culture with textiles, which developed into a clothing swap / repair program — From Here to Wear, an initiative that encourages reuse, skill sharing and knowledge building.

Buying clothing has become a compulsive habit and an addiction where we’re worshiping at this altar of stuff, almost like a ritual that overpowers what’s more meaningful in our lives – we (sub)consciously serve capitalism as consumers. The better alternative is to shift towards a ‘slow fashion’ mindset and reduce our consumption by being more intentional with our wardrobe. This educational and interactive art installation will feature new textile works, along with other sculptural pieces that are all deliberately designed using discarded materials (from found objects to repurposing the remaining clothing and textiles not suited for charitable donations collected at From Here to Wear in the past year). It will ‘air out’ the fashion industry’s ‘dirty laundry’ and prompt us to consider our role within consumer culture — positing the need for a society where everything and everyone is valued, while also urging us to change our relationship with our clothing and how we can reimagine the future of ‘textile waste’.”