Creative Upcycling of Garments
A step-by-step guide
21.08.2025
By Bernadette P.
Supervisor: Dr. Susanne B. Unger
The severe ecological impact of the fashion industry has been worrying me for many
years. Almost every time I read the word SALE on a clothes shop window, I think of
microplastic from synthetic fibers in the ocean or landfills with mountains of garments.
As a personal consequence, I buy most of my clothes in thrift shops and if something
does not fit anymore, I give it to a family member, donate it to a charity shop or sell it at a flea market.
Therefore, it was clear to me that I would like my final project to be about raising
awareness for the ecological and social consequences of (fast) fashion. However, I
wanted to do more than raising awareness – I wanted to give people a hands-on
opportunity to start upcycling. Building on my practical knowledge of using second-hand clothes for creating my drag outfits, I decided to hold a workshop in which participants (queer people and allies) can upcycle a shirt into their outfit for pride season. The workshop took place in May 2025 in Munich.
In order to reach more people (including you, the person who is reading this), I created
this upcycling guide:
Downloads
- UPCYCLING GUIDE (1 MByte)