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PROJECT

CREDITS

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Upcycled Gear Collection with Branded Material Transition Project

Initiated after the renaming of Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) in April 2022, the Upcycled Gear Collection was a multidisciplinary effort made possible through the collaboration of the School of Fashion @ The Creative School, the Branded Material Transition Project, the Athletics and Recreation Department, Scadding Court, and the Sustainability Office as well TMU fashion design students.

Spearheaded by Dr. Anika Kozlowski (School of Fashion) and assisted by Tricia Crivellaro and Narishdath Maraj, the TMU Upcycled Gear Fashion Show and Exhibition featured unique fashion pieces produced by emerging and international TMU alumni fashion designers and artists including Olivia Rubens, Worth. by David C Wigley, House of Hendo by Kelly Henderson, avrgbbs, Wuthering Delight by Curtis Matysek, Alexandra Armata, and more. You can read related thoughts on the Upcycled Gear Collection here.

This evolving fashion research project became a conference paper titled Hyper-local Solutions for Sustainable Campus Management of University Textile Waste, co-authored with Dr Anika Kozlowski and Narishdath Maraj. The paper was presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) conference in Baltimore, November 2023. The project remains ongoing, with Anika and Tricia continuing to investigate the specificities of designers’ upcycling processes.

Read more about recent textile repurposing initiatives at TMU .

Lead BMTP: Gina Vaccaro

Lead Fashion Researcher: Dr Anika Kozlowski

Research Collaborators: Tricia Crivellaro, Narishdath Maraj

Fashion interns: Emma Piercey, Sophie Petersen, Irish Panganiban, Kenta Ogura