Personal Project

Brits send over 700,000 tonnes of clothes to be recycled each year, enough to fill 495 Olympic sized swimming pools.  Return is a response to this huge ethical issue for the UK, in the form of a clothing library located in Montrose, Scotland. The design is intended to bring the community together while providing a more ethical approach to shopping. Return takes its inspiration from a survey in which locals were asked about improvements which could be made for the declining high street. Many locals suggested a desire for more chain stores therefore the decision of the need for a new retail space was made. The intention of this project is to turn the public perception of retail on its head and create a more ethical and community based experience in the process. Return includes various spaces in which the community can come together and deepen the relationship people have with the clothes they wear. The workshop is a space where people will be able to build bridges and learn new skills, while giving their old items of clothing a new meaning. The experiences are all a part of a process in which the clothes in the store are rented and returned after a period of time, then washed in an old-fashioned laundry room where users can make deeper connections, both with the people around them and the garments they have borrowed. Many historical references were major influences on the design process such as the first colour photograph of the tartan ribbon which triggered a thought process of taking the geometric shape apart and rearranging it back together in a minimal manner. The creative process of textiles and fashion are deeply rooted in the design of the space, a place where people can go to learn new skills or meet new people within their community. Return may be a retail space yet it is also a step towards a stronger sense of community in Montrose and a deeper understanding of the clothes we wear, creating an ethical consciousness around shopping.