Recycling the past - and from them creating something that lives again

“This small room was alive with women chatting and laughing, even dancing, all begging me for acknowledgment. This was a catacomb of women's lives to inspire me.

For years I had forbidden myself to ‘copy’ others, preferring to think in my youthful arrogance that my ideas would always be my own.

But suddenly, recycling the past - connecting with fantasy moments and from them creating something that lived again - seemed a magical prospect.

Ever since that day I've been inspired by vintage clothes – it’s like having my own fashion wormhole.

…When I try the vintage stores, I am looking for a beauty to recycle and make my own. I'm searching for a new colour, an extinct shape, the Golden Fleece of fashion.”

-[speaking about her experience perusing a vintage shop]

from How to Make a Dress, by Jenny Packham, published 2021

Reference

• Packham, J. (2021). How to Make a Dress. London: Quadrille Publishing.