Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion

The impacts of overproduction and overconsumption in the global fashion industry are uniquely modern challenges, but promising solutions can be found in textile traditions from the past. This exhibition paired historical garments from The Textile Museum Collection with works by contemporary fashion designers returning to more responsible uses of materials and resources.  

About the Exhibition

Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion explored three strategies for addressing today’s fashion crisis: extending a garment’s longevity, promoting recycling and reuse, and embracing local materials. Drawing from The Textile Museum Collection, the exhibition highlighted how cultures across time have cherished the resources needed to make textiles — mending or transforming old garments and sourcing fibers from the immediate environment. These historical examples were presented in conversation with the work of contemporary designers who are reimagining responsible fashion today.

Highlights included a 19th-century Japanese kimono designed to grow with a child, a patchwork cover from Central Asia pieced together from recycled garments and a 19th-century Filipino blouse made of fibers extracted from pineapple plants. These examples were displayed alongside innovations like Nkwo Onwuka’s Dakala Cloth™ woven from secondhand denim, Charlotte McCurdy’s carbon-negative raincoat made of algae-based biopolymers and Walid Al Damirji’s handcrafted coat constructed entirely from vintage textiles. 

Exhibition curator Katrina Orsini drew inspiration from her undergraduate course Responsible Fashion, presented through GW’s sustainability minor. In this class, students examine the social, environmental and ethical costs of fast fashion, and explore alternatives rooted in both history and innovation. Visitors to Source Material could continue their journey by picking up the Rethink Fashion guide — an evergreen resource offering practical tips for becoming a more responsible fashion consumer.

Acknowledgements

Support for this exhibition was provided by the Contemporary Exhibitions Fund.