Building community partnerships through clothing repair, reuse and redesign

Unsaleable clothing donated to nonprofit thrift stores continues to pose challenges to the recirculation of goods through the economy. The primary aim of this study was to explore the options available for removing these donations from the waste stream. The San Francisco Garment Repair Pilot was a collaboration among several entities investigating garments donated to San Francisco Goodwill Industries with the potential for cleaning, repair, or redesign and potential sales on e-commerce. Project coordinators sent chosen garments to licensed contractors for mending and cleaning, and students in one university apparel design programme used creative solutions to give damaged goods new life. Due to the custom nature of the repair and redesign, the coordinators deemed outsourcing financially unprofitable. However, the researchers identified that it benefited apparel programmes by widening pedagogical approaches, so the study evolved into a project that incorporated sustainability theories into apparel design curricula as a skillset students can bring to future careers. Results included the realization that customers were more apt to purchase a repaired product when provided with before and after data and that items identified as damaged still generated sales. The outcomes of this project support the relevancy of challenging students to design desirable, sustainable and durable products that adhere to circular economy goals.