Walking the Talk: Gathered Cloths Collection

Previewing Eight Upcycled Looks for Remake Bay Area's Runway

Hi readers! In the previous issue, I shared much about Gathered Cloths - its origin, iterative circular process, and journey highlights over the years. In this issue, I want to give a sneak peek into what I have prepared for KQED x Remake Bay Area’s “Walk Your Values” Fashion Show, set to happen on November 14th, 2024 in San Francisco, California. 

Free subscribers will have preview access to the first two looks, whereas paid subscribers will get to see all 8 looks. I’m quite proud of the temporary garment pieces I get to construct with 125 pieces of Gathered Cloths, so this is a great time to upgrade your subscription and support my work! 

Speaking of support, as of time of publication, Fafafoom Studio Newsletter has surpassed 800 total subscribers! Thank you so much - I look forward to sharing more projects, insights, and various resources with you as I continue my journey as a textile upcycling artist.

Are you ready to see all 8 finished looks on a display form, three weeks before their runway showcase?

As you may have already known, I’m participating in KQED x Remake Bay Area’s Walk Your Values Fashion Show on Thursday, November 14th in San Francisco. This is a historic event for the Remake Bay Area Chapter, following the New York Chapter’s Walk Your Values fashion show last September. 

This event is poised to be the talk of the town, with two panel discussions and two fashion shows. KQED and Remake Bay Area Chapter organizes one combo of panel discussion and runway show. 

The Remake’s panel discussion will have Founder and CEO Ayesha Barenblat join the guest speakers. The audience will undoubtedly get inspired listening to Ayesha, and they would have a more informed perspective of the organizations’ relentless pursuit for human rights and climate justice within the global apparel industry. 

The Remake’s fashion show will feature “secondhand and upcycled looks from Bay Area vintage and curated resale businesses Empress Vintage, ReLove, Porter Vintage, Emotion Potion, TheNobo, and upcycled brand Fafafoom Studio.” That’s right, I will be the sole representative of upcycled fashion in the Bay Area. No pressure, right? 

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A week or so after I published the previous newsletter issue, I got a surprise update: I have one more model. That means I’m now presenting 8 looks on the runway! Yipee!!!

Because I divide the number of available Gathered Cloths into a greater number of outfits, I had to adjust how many ruffled cloth pieces can be incorporated into each outfit. When I received the news, the construction of 4 most Gathered-Cloth-intensive garments was done, so I had to divide the rest of the Gathered Cloths (fewer than 20) for 4 instead of 3 outfits.

While this calls for impromptu adaptation on my part, it’s a welcomed opportunity. My objective for this fashion show is to highlight the alarming growth of textile waste — now the fastest-growing component in California landfills — while demonstrating the beauty and potential in materials often deemed worthless. The addition of one more outfit will create a more robust visual narrative, so I’m really excited about it!

With that change in effect, here is my final 8-look sketch for the Walk Your Values fashion show:

Sketches of the 8 looks for Remake Bay Area’s Walk Your Values fashion show - part 1/2

Sketches of the 8 looks for Remake Bay Area’s Walk Your Values fashion show - part 2/2

All of the outfits are now finished, packed, and ready for the fitting session with models next week. And for you, dear readers, you will get to see a sneak peek of all 8 looks here. I know most of you won’t get to see the show in-person!

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If you are in San Francisco on Thursday, November 14th, please come to the show!
I really believe it’s shaping up to be a wonderful experience.

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This fashion show will be my final upcycled fashion showcase for the year, so I want to close the year with the most special showcase of them all. And this feels like the perfect decision, since I will not prioritize fashion showcases next year to focus more on income-generating channels.

Regardless of what the future brings, I will be satisfied knowing that I gave my all for my last showcase, supported by passionate people in sustainable fashion around the San Francisco Bay Area. 

So without further ado, let’s dive into all eight looks I have prepared, shall we?

#1. Dotted Vintage Midi Dress with Gathered Cloths Patches

Number of Gathered Cloths used in this outfit: 7

The first upcycled outfit will introduce Gathered Cloths in a more monotone fashion.

The triangular ruffled patches are made using remnants of the kawung upcycled collection.

You may recognize this ReCollection midi dress. It was part of my upcycled fashion lineup earlier this year, but it didn’t make it to the runway in the end. For this showcase, it will be the first one in my line up. 

The model will wear this rather monotone outfit with Gathered Cloths bandana (not shown). My goal with this outfit is to show how an upcycled vintage garment from the 1970s can still look beautiful 50 years later, embellished with hand stitched hexagonal “dots” along the hemline. 

The 5 temporary “patches” of chambray Gathered Cloths are basically teasers to ease the audience into the presence of Gathered Cloths. They are placed in a diagonal line from the bottom right corner to the left shoulder line.

Made by using remnants of the kawung upcycled collection, their angular, textural shapes will make people curious about what they are, and why they are part of the garment in the first place.

They will contrast nicely with the more colorful bandanna, which gives crucial hints of what the rest of the outfits look like.

#2. Diaphanous Dress with Gathered Cloths belt / half-top extension

Number of Gathered Cloths used in this outfit: 5

Pretty, but make it chaotic.

The “belt” will hug the model’s waist and drapes on their hips.

To this day, I have never met a person who doesn’t fall in love with this diaphanous dress. A crowd favorite from the ReCollection, this garment has been shown in all of my fashion showcases. It’s a classically pretty piece, and I want to alter its concept for this showcase.

So I made an asymmetrical belt that pays homage to the first iteration of Gathered Cloths, a waist corset. While it’s not exactly that, the “belt” introduces Gathered Cloths more fully to the audience. Its extension towards the model’s left shoulder, right bust, and around the hips gives an illusion of a spreading challenge, just like textile waste is.