A tHERAPY FOR THE (fashion) SYSTEM

 

We consider ourselves constructive fashion critics, makers and educators.

We re-think and re-make fashion. and we are not alone. we are many.

We who work to change the perspective that fashion is something superficial and related to exclusivity. A place for selfishness and individuality.

 

Fashion is a channel for self expression. And fashion is art. Fashion is actually the most inclusive form of art, because it requires the active participation of both, the maker and the wearer. You'll find an amazing article supporting this vision here.

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And by mending, adding something, cutting something off, adapting, and reusing the things you have in your own wardrobe, you can not only become your own favourite (CONSCIOUS) designer. You become EMPOWERED, by two capabilities we all have: CREATIVITY and the capacity to MAKE THINGS with our own hands. The result will be authentic and unique, as every person. And we love that. But the impact will go beyond you. you will be doing something good for your community and your planet. and that feels even more amazing. 

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you are not just another. the other is not other. we are us. we are different AND part of the same

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Fashion is self expression

 

Fashion IS an industry of dissatisfaction and THE REALM OF consumerism. WE MUST CHANGE THIS NOW. 

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WE SEE FASHION AS A powerful tool for experimenting, discovering and communicating something about ourselves and OUR COMMUNITY.

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How many times in history, how many people in memorable moments has used fashion as a form of protest, to make a difference or to make an statement?

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what we wear says something about us, about our choices, about how we see ourselves and the world. Even when we use the most basic items. (Think about where it comes from, who made it, etc). 

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Fashion has an enorm impact on this planet because it uses so many precious resources and because the most of the people working on fashion is exploided and kept poor, living and working under terrible conditions. But also, fashion is a tool available for everybody, a chance to enhance our uniqueness as individuals and to make us stronger as a community. When you see fashion that way, then FASHION becomes EMPOWERING.

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"FASHION IS A REFLECTION OF THE CULTURE WE LIVE IN." Fashion Open Studio

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Upcycling means upgrading

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When we repair, rework and upcycle materials, we are adding value to a piece. We are upgrading something that was degraded, dismissed or had lost its original value for wathever reasons it may be. When we upcycle we re-value materials but also rescue values. 

 

The values that we rescue are the time, the energy, the creativity, the inventiveness and abilities that implies the construction or deconstruction of a garment. We rescue the true value of clothes.

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We need to re-connect with the making processes of the things que use, wear and own in order to understand their VALUE, and this value is given by the working time, the materials and the skills of the makers.

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BUT Upcycling means for us even more

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It means QUESTIONING what is given and is NOT suposed to be questioned. While upcycling we are re-thinking the original utility of the garment, its original value. And we have the opportunity to think about the loss of value, the failures on it, the breakage, the abandonment by its original owner, the programmed durability or obsolescence for that material.

When we upcycle we make questions about the function and characteristics of the material or piece, responding with a different (improved) functionality and durability.

But most importantly, wue question the system in which those materials were created.

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We think upcycling is esential at this stage, because it help us (re)educate ourselves to be able to understand that there is a lot of work, ressources and people involved in every piece. And finally, to be able to understand (again) the value of things. 

 

We believe REUSING things that have already been made and used, is one of the most integral ways of being efficient with ressources, but also the most educative, accesible, interactive and inclusive way of involving ourselves with materials.

 

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Upcycling is and should remain an open source activity. 

 

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At tHERAPY we don't see consciousness as an option. We believe all designed objects should be made to last, respecting the people and the environment at all stages of the life cycle.

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Why we need to encourage upcycling instead of recycling

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HERE an Excerpt from a great article called "Remedies in alienated times. How craft and upcycling are changing our lives." (“Heilmittel in entfremdeten Zeiten. Wie Handwerk und Upcycling unser Leben verändern.”) by Dr Alexandra Hildebrandt - published on THE HUFFINGTON POST, on 16 April 2014.

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... "This also applies to dealing with the topic of recycling (return), in which a material becomes exactly the same again as it used to be without using new raw materials and without a high energy input.

The fact that this is not a sustainable solution is well known in business and science. In recycling, downcycling processes dominate - true upcycling hardly ever takes place.

In this cycle, the "waste" of one product serves as raw material for the next completely new and higher-quality product.

The term "upcycling" was allegedly used in 1994 by engineer Reiner Pilz, who said: "Recycling? I call it down-cycling. They break stones, they break everything. What we need is up-cycling, where old products get more value, not less." (Wikipedia)

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WHAT WE STAND FOR

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We ARE a female-run brand. we are latinas. we are immigrants. And from this corner of our existence we actively promote non-binarism, sex-positivity, diversity and inclusivity through our work. We are critic towards hetero-normativity, patriarchy and consumerism. We make CONSCIOUS FASHION, meaning socially responsible, circular and inclusive. We mind the planet and the people.

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We believe in a wider vision of beauty than that normally promoted by mainstream fashion and media.

 

We offer an alternative to fast fashion. Fast Fashion is killing our planet.

Also, fast fashion brands copy and plagiarize new and independent designers. We want to give you tools to avoid using FAST FASHION.

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we are materialists.

our biggest love are materials. especially what others dismiss as "garbage"

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What do we do?

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We create all kind of weareable pieces.

we are materialistic. our biggest love are materials. We get inspired by what others dispose. Our concepts and collections are born from the materials we find.

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Get inspired with materials as us with this videos of artists talking about the "Poetry of Discarded Materials". (Pay special attention to the very last sentence of the last artist who speaks on this video):