Why Secondhand Clothing?

The short answer? Because the world already has more than enough clothes.

When I started printing on garments in 2022 and friends began asking if they could get one, buying new clothes to print on just didn't feel right. Why add more to a world that already has too much?

Using secondhand clothing was the obvious answer — and honestly, it's one I'd make again every time.

In 2023, I spent time in Barcelona on an exchange programme. A lot of what I encountered there — through projects, conversations, and the creative community around me — centred on sustainability, conscious creation, and what it means to design with intention. It shaped the way I think about what I make and why. It was also where I was first introduced to silk-screen printing, which eventually became a central part of my process.

Since then, my understanding of overconsumption has only deepened. I work full-time in a secondhand retail chain, and being in that space every day has shown me just how much perfectly good stuff gets overlooked or thrown away. Clothing is no exception.

There's also something people don't expect: the quality. I'm often surprised myself by what I find — completely wearable, sometimes barely used garments, just waiting for something to happen to them. Giving them a new design feels like exactly the right thing to do.

It also makes practical sense. Working with secondhand pieces keeps costs down, which means I can price my work in a way that's accessible to more people — while still reflecting the time, experience, and materials that go into each piece.

Some people have asked why I make it harder for myself — secondhand garments come in all shapes and sizes, no two pieces are exactly alike, and that makes scaling up difficult. And they're right. It's not the easiest way to run a shop.

But that's also kind of the point. I'm not trying to sell a lot. I want each piece to be considered, intentional, and unique. Something you won't find anywhere else — because there genuinely isn't another one like it.

At the end of the day, it comes back to something simple: I want to create cool clothing design. I just don't want to contribute to more clothes in the world while doing it.