Nostalgia-Tinged Patchwork Patterns are the DIY-Inspired Sustainable Trend of 2020

Often, the phrase “deadstock fabric” garners an image of a Millennial Los Angelino in flowy linen pants at the farmer’s market. However, with the rise of DIY-looks and independent designers, sustainable clothing has become more and more eye-catching.

Growing up in the social media age, Gen Z consumers pick clothing that stands out on a smartphone. Those in their teens and early 20s rock rainbow kid-core inspired co-ords, long for Y2K, and wear their parents’ old band T-shirts. Gen Z consumers have a “hunger for newness,” a McKinsey report explains. However, the report continues, they also wear clothing that embraces sustainability. The desire for novelty and garment longevity may not seem initially compatible. But, recent trends show that materials need not be discarded to create new looks.

More and more consumers are using apps like Depop and Poshmark and renting luxury clothing, while designers like Dries Van Noten are reselling their vintage creations, helping create these new circular supply chains. 

Perhaps more importantly, the look of clothing itself is changing to adapt to these new demands. Amidst a rise of upcycled and vintage-inspired looks, patchwork clothing, garments made from swatches of stitched-together fabrics, is again becoming increasingly popular. 

Independent young designers are turning deadstock fabrics, Nike socks, and discarded tops into corsets, shirts, and bike shorts. Deadstock fabric is fabric that already exists, and younger designers will often purchase it from larger brands who have opted not to use it or have over produced. In doing so, they help reduce the waste created by purchasing new fabric (however, the initial commissioners of the fabric still may not be choosing to lessen their consumption).

Others may source their fabric from thrifting, like Kayla Sade Famurewa, who upcycles sweatshirts into corsets and other pieces. Famurewa’s brand Almost on Time has almost 50,000 followers on Instagram, and her pieces often sell out immediately. British fashion student and Depopper Rosayab uses small squares of deadstock fabrics to create tight tops, dresses, skirts, shorts, and sets that often include colorful, contrasting stitching, and differently textured fabrics. 

The DIY-influenced patchwork look traces its roots through the 20th century. During the ‘60s and ‘70s homespun clothing, and subsequent mass produced hippie-inspired clothing, became increasingly popular. Though homemade patches and mixed media garments may not fully resemble today’s fun, almost-Frankenstein-esque pieces, the style helped define an era.  In the ‘90s, designers like Maison Margiela and Vivienne Westwood sent patchwork looks down the runway, alluding to the style’s counterculture origins.

Today’s young designers also may find inspiration in contemporary high fashion looks. Eckhaus Latta has put out patchwork sweaters, pants and dresses, and the brand’s tight mesh tops often use high-contrast stitching. Emily Adams Bode’s menswear line is known for its patchwork pieces, often created from vintage quilts. Plus, Celine, Tom Ford, and Chloé have all released looks with patchworks prints in recent seasons. Even if established labels are not necessarily as sustainable as their younger, independent counterparts, their influence is clear.