SPARES  APPAREL  

A clothing brand that gives new life to unwanted clothing. Counteracting fast fashion by designing around what we already have.
@ CMU School of Design
14 Weeks. Spring 2026.








Textile Waste, Fast Fashion, 
& Undervaluing Possessions
The fast fashion industry and landscape of textile waste has never looked worse. Especially in America, where consumerism is booming, people are beginning to lose value in their belongings, and neglect to consider the life cycle of their things. 


Objective
Design a ‘brand’ dedicated to discovering new methods of re-use with the goal of (eventually) identifying a sustainable way to fabricate them in mass.



SPARES should survey the landscape of the fashion industry and branding, and aspire to be relatable, sustainable, and curious. Not only am I interested in upcycling, but also in identifying many approaches to do so, and diagnosing which are most successful.

Goals: 
  1. Maximize value of discarded clothing.
  2. Preserve emotional attachment.
  3. Be relatable, honest, and exciting.


















      THE PROCESS

      Understanding Problem Space
      / Foundational Research


      What is the landscape of the fashion industry? Textile waste?
      What are other brands/efforts tackling a re-use angle doing well/poorly?
      What do people want and look for in a clothing brand? What is reliable?
      What does effective branding look like?



      What textile waste is available/viable?





      Brainstorming Brand


      The brand should be relatable, material-focused, and adaptable.
      Brand name: SPARES.
      Spare things! -> (adj.)
      The apparel’s materials are all sourced from ‘spare goods’.

      Spare me!  -> (verb)
      Spare the lives of the second-hand goods!




      Visual Identity Inspiration: Down-to-earth, clear, and tactile.

      Fabrication





















      Identifying methods of re-use & creating the garments.















             
      1. Tailoring second-hand to fit a new, consistent pattern.



      2. Deconstructing old to use materials for entirely new design.




      3. Screen-printing new, custom designs on old clothing.



      4. Unraveling old for yarn to create new garments.


      Documentation & Brand Assets


      Brand & Brand Assets



      Photoshoot






      Pop-up / Show







      Website - To be continued...











      SKILLS
      Fashion Design
      Textile Fabrication
      Patternmaking
      Branding
      Web Design
      Marketing
      Fashion Photography








      TOOLS
      Machine & Hand Sewing
      Screenprinting
      Adobe CC
      Camera
      Knitting Machine


       Brooke Schwartz’s Portfolio WebsiteLinkedInResume
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