The Covid-19 pandemic had a strong impact on MUB Collection. Because of the social restrictions imposed, we faced limitations to source second-hand linen sheets and other second-hand garments in swap markets and community events.
To address this challenge, Empty Your Wardrobe established a collaboration with an external partner based in Denmark, Beirholm. It is a company located in Kolding developing high-performance textiles that secure a profitable future for linen rental businesses. Empty Your Wardrobe visited the factory twice and made an agreement to collect discarded fabrics for the Collection. We collected high-quality fabrics considered as waste because after being used for Quality Control, they ave to be thrown away or discarded. Moreover, Empty Your Wardrobe organised three swap markets and supported the implementation of Swap Spot. In total, up to 60kgs of to-be-wasted bed linen and cotton fabrics were sourced through swap markets and this partnership.
The creative process of MUB’s Capsule Collection Concept was implemented jointly by three of us through a brainstorming exercise, digitally organised because of Covid-19, the definition of a common mood board, and a co-selection of the essential garments that the capsule collection should have. The collected fabrics were packed and shipped to Warm & Wild for natural dyeing and then to Dahlia Rodríguez to manufacture the collection.
For Dahlia Rodriguez Atelier, MUB Collection was an excellent opportunity to challenge herself as a dressmaker. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore new circular design and manufacturing processes. The most important was to find the best way to deconstruct the clothes collected, to adapt the designs to the size of the fabrics collected, as well as to design minimal-waste patterns. It was important to embrace minimal waste principles. The small number of scraps produced had to be re-used and applied to the collection in a way.
But how best do it?
Dahlia is passionate about crafts and knows, at different levels of proficiency, some of them such as patchwork, weaving, tapestry, and knitting among others. The idea of applying craftsmanship techniques to re-use scraps is one of her working strategies as a manufacturer who is committed to sustainability and seeks to increases the potential of making something special and unique.
Of course, the aim is not to invent the wheel because this strategy has been used for centuries by many artisans and makers to produce unique and precious goods. The Gee’s Bend Quilts from Alabama, the Jarapas from las Alpujarras, are just some examples.
The process resulted in the use of scraps to produce bias, embellishments or new garments but this strategy is becoming crucial for MUB´s initiative and promising for the development of its second collection.
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