KNIT EMBELLISHED MENDING

We are continuing our embellishment and mending series, this time we're repairing sweaterknits. This month's Other Lives Studio redesign workshop is inspired by runway designers as well as independent artists. Here are some of our favorites.

Area

Simone Rocha

KIJUN

Jil Sander SS08

Liz Bazan

Maison Margiela

Loewe

Coach

Don't know what to do with that torn sweater or knit accessory? Sign up for the workshop here!

June 27, 2024 7pm-9pm

Learn how to repair your clothing through embellishment. In this workshop at Maquette on Melrose, we will teach you how to update and revive torn pieces in your wardrobe through abstract hand embroidery and beading. We will work on hand sewing backing, beading and handmade embroidery.

Bring what you have and your curiosity and we'll create something new together!

RedesigN: EMBELLISHMENT + REPAIR

We are always inspired by Japan, everything from its art to its philosophies of design makes us want to keep creating. This month's Other Lives redesign workshop took inspiration from Kitsungi and Sashiko, two Japanese mending art forms.

Kintsugi is the art of highlighting an object's history and imperfections by mending it with gold. Flaws and areas that need mending are seen as an opportunity to create an element of beauty.

Sashiko and Boro also provided a tremendous fountain of reference for this workshop. Both are functional embroidery techniques that were created out of practicality to reinforce and mend old garments in the Edo Era in Japan. Designers such as Maison Margiela, Yohi Yamamoto, Haider Ackerman and Jil Sander have used similar embellishment techniques for hand stitching details on the runway.

Sashiko by Sashi.Co

19th Century Boro

Maison Margiela FW11 Couture

Yohji Yamamoto SS09

Haider Ackermann FW15

Dior Homme FW16

Jil Sander SS08

Embroidery repairs can be taken as far as the imagination will take you. We love these runway embroidery details from some of our favorite designers.

James T. Merry

James T. Merry: Metal Moth headpiece for Bjork

Maison Margiela FW14 Couture

Phillip Lim SS14

Don't know what to do with that torn tee or want to repair a pair of jeans? Sign up for the workshop here!

March 6, 2024

Learn how to repair your clothing through embellishment. In this workshop, we will teach you how to update and revive torn pieces in your wardrobe through hand embroidery. We will work on hand sewing backing, beading and handmade embroidery.

Bring what you have and your curiosity and we'll create something new together!

RESIZING WORKSHOP: LACING

We are back on our resizing game, this time through lacing. Lacing has been used in adjusting fit since the inception of clothing, and as design detail for decades. Some of our favorite moments and earliest memories of it were in the 90s and early 2000s (Aaliyah's ICONIC 'More Than a Woman' video to be exact).

In our next workshop, we will teach you how to use this detail to add (or remove) and inch or two so your favorite pieces won't get abandoned at goodwill just yet, and you create a fit that works for you (there is no room for uncomfortable fits in 2023).

We've collected some of our favorite examples of lacing to inspire you on this redesign adventure, starting with the queen of lacing herself, our favorite, Alabama Blonde.

Charlotte Knowles - Fall 2020

David Koma Resort 2022

Dior Fall 2003

Alexander McQueen Fall 2017

Alexander McQueen Spring 2020

Proenza Schouler Fall 2016

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Fall 2015

Mugler Spring 2018

DKNY Fall 2016

We love this lacing inspo, if you know the source, please reach out!