Twice Upcycled Shirts

The research for these two shirts by Earley was part of the development by Earley et al. of TED’s TEN (TT). TED’s TEN is a set of principles for sustainable design. The Twice Upcycled Shirts encompass new technology (TT5) and systems and service design (TT9), through a new collaboration with Kate Goldsworthy. Earley began to test this strategic approach to design in industry in 2009-10 – using the shirts as a way to illustrate the TED's TEN thinking and as a proposal for developing new industry production methods and services. Following a period of wear by the consumer, the upcycled shirt can be returned and its third life can be created. The shirt becomes a quilted waistcoat, (‘Laser Weld’) - recut, lined in recycled polyester fleece and finished by Goldsworthy. The materials, laser fused together according to a pre-set digital pattern, creates a permanent bond between the layers with surface decoration achieved as part of the same process. No adhesives or bonding agents are used in this process, enabling future recycling, as it maintains complete monomateriality. Building on Earley and Goldsworthy’s earlier ‘Worn Again’ work and the ‘Heritage Lace Shirts’, the second shirt, ‘Laser Etch’, was re-finished to create a lace like effect, with areas of melted transparent material created through laser etching.

Earley was invited to present the work many times including the AHRC funded Japanese Sashiko Textiles symposium, York Museum, 2009 and the Craft Rally Satellite Event, Crafts Council, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield, 2010. The shirts were featured in books and periodicals including ‘Designers at the Cutting Edge’ (Quinn, 2009) and ‘Eco Fashion’ (Brown, 2011).

• http://www.upcyclingtextiles.net/docs/08...