Upcycle Collection

Alberta

Layers of memory

Womenswear SS27

Alberta: Layers of Memory is a nine-piece upcycling fashion collection inspired by Alberta's landscapes, histories, industries, and communities.

Developed through the transformation of reclaimed textiles, the collection explores how fashion can preserve memories embedded within both materials and place. Each garment reflects a different layer of Alberta, from ancient geological formations and agricultural landscapes to human labour, technological change, and ecological renewal.

We are not presenting sustainability as a limitation, but the collection demonstrates how discarded materials can become the foundation for contemporary fashion through thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and textile science.

Research Foundation

Alberta: Layers of Memory was built on a research initiative exploring the potential of textile reuse before becoming a fashion collection. Most of the materials featured throughout this collection were recovered through the University of Alberta research project, Treat and Clean: A Pilot Study in Stain Removal and Mending of Substandard Thrift Store Donations. The study investigated practical approaches to extending the lifespan of donated garments through stain removal, repair, and quality assessment, encouraging higher-value reuse within a circular textile system. As a member of the research team, I worked closely with donated garments that had been rejected due to stains, damage, or minor imperfections. While many of these textiles were considered unsuitable for resale, they revealed an opportunity to rethink how discarded materials could be transformed through design. Rather than treating repair as the final stage of a garment's life, this collection explores what comes next—how recovered textiles can become the foundation for contemporary fashion.

From Research to Fashion

The experience gained through this research became the foundation of Growling Stitch. Instead of designing with newly manufactured fabrics, I chose to work primarily with recovered textiles, allowing the original materials to influence each garment's construction, silhouette, and character. Every imperfection became part of the creative process rather than something to conceal. Alberta: Layers of Memory translates textile science into fashion storytelling. Through deconstruction, reconstruction, and careful craftsmanship, discarded materials are transformed into garments that celebrate Alberta's landscapes, industries, and communities. Each look represents not only a place, but also the hidden value that exists within overlooked textiles.

Material Source

The majority of materials were recovered through the University of Alberta Treat and Clean research project.

Garments included substandard thrift store donations that were unsuitable for resale due to stains, damage, or minor defects.

Materials were assessed, repaired, cleaned, documented, and reimagined through fashion design.

Additional reclaimed textiles were incorporated where appropriate to complete individual garments.

Outfit	Brand	Gender	Product type	Colour	Content (tag)	Defect	Origin	Collection
I	IZOD	M	Shirt	Pink orange	100% cotton	Stain all over	Bangladesh	UoA
I	Dynamite	W	Top	Pink	90% polyester; 10% spandex	Pilling	China	UoA
I	Brooks Brothers	M	Shirt	Pink	100% cotton	light staining on collar & cuffs; dark stains/spots on front pocket (likely ink)	Vietnam	UoA
I	RW&Co	W	Trousers	Pink	63% polyester; 32% viscose; 5% spandex	white stain all over front	China	UoA
I	YNM	n/a	Duvet Cover	Pink	100% polyester	used	China	Goodwill AB
I	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Pink	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
II	Urban Collection	M	Shirt	Blue	65% polyester; 35% cotton	underarm stain; collar stain	China	UoA
II	Gap	M	Shirt	Blue	100% cotton	Light armpit and collar stain	Sri Lanka	UoA
II	Gap	M	Shirt	Blue/ White	100% cotton	Huge armpit stain and stain on collar	Bangladesh	UoA
II	Cabela's	M	Shirt	Blue	100% cotton	light yellowing on collar	Malaysia	UoA
II	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Grey	100% cotton	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
III	Alia Petite	W	Pants	Olive green	100% polyester	stain on front; hemmed at home	Indonesia	UoA
III	MEXX	M	Shirt	Green	96% cotton; 4% elastane	Stain, hole	Turkey	UoA
III	(unknown)	n/a	Curtain	Green	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
IV	Tradition	W	Cardigan	Green	100% acrylic	fuzzing and pilling on overall body	Bangladesh	UoA
IV	Penman's	W	Pants	Cream	97% cotton; 3% spandex	Paint marks all over	Bangladesh	UoA
IV	Diesel	W	Denim Pants	Blue	84% cotton; 14% polyester; 2% spandex	wear on thighs; scuff marks	Italy	UoA
IV	Puma	C	Sweatpants	Grey	58% cotton; 42% polyester	stains and large holes in knees; hole in crotch	(unknown)	UoA
V	Dockers	M	Shirt	Grey	60% cotton; 40% polyester	yellowing on collar & inside	China	UoA
V	Perry Ellis	M	Shirt	Black	100% cotton	whitening on collar & cuffs	Vietnam	UoA
V	Ricki's	W	Pants	Black	75% rayon; 22% nylon; 3% spandex	spandex fibres sticking out (can't be fixed but not noticeable)	Bangladesh	UoA
VI	Logan Hill	M	Shirt	Cream	100% cotton	stains all over	India	UoA
VI	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Cream	100% cotton	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
VI & VII	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Black	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
VII	(unknown)	n/a	Curtain	Black	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
VII	MEXX	M	Shirt	Black/ White	100% cotton	yellow stains on collar	China	UoA
VII & IX	(unknown)	n/a	Curtain	Brown	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
VII, VIII & IX	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Cream	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
VIII	Kenneth Cole	M	Shirt	Blue/ White	96% cotton; 4% spandex	used	Myanma	UoA
VIII	(unknown)	n/a	Linen	Grey	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
IX	(unknown)	n/a	Curtain	Olive green	(unknown)	used	(unknown)	Goodwill AB
IX	Denver Hayes	M	Shirt	Purple/ mix	95% cotton; 5% elastic olefin	light collar stain; stains on back	Malaysia	UoA
IX	Vemubapis	W	Top	Olive green	95% cotton; 5% polyester	hole	China	UoA

Some images and textile information on this list are courtesy of the McQueen Textile Research Group, University of Alberta.

Collection Narrative

The collection unfolds as a journey across Alberta's landscape.

The first chapter explores the natural systems that have shaped the province over millions of years, from sedimentary rock hidden beneath the prairie and cultivated farmland to mountain ecosystems, resilient moss communities, and the natural resources lying beneath the earth.

The second chapter shifts from the land itself to the people who have shaped its history. It reflects on the overlooked contributions of Alberta women, the past foreign labour of railway workers, and the environmental consequences of human civilisation progress, and concludes with the Alberta wild rose, a symbol of resilience, renewal, and hope.

Together, the nine looks reveal that landscapes are not merely places; they are living archives of memory, culture, and transformation.

I

Beneath the Prairie

Fossils & Geological Memory

Inspired by Alberta's sedimentary landscapes and ancient fossil beds, Beneath the Prairie reflects the hidden layers beneath the grasslands. Soft blush tones echo weathered sandstone and geological strata, revealing how millions of years of history remain quietly preserved beneath the surface.

Recovered Textiles

Pink Trousers: white stain all over
Pink Shirt: Stains on collar, cuffs and front pocket
Orange Shirt: Stained all over
Velvet Top: Pilling
Pink Duvet Cover
Pink Chiffon Linen

Model: @brook_karst

Ii

Cultivated Horizons

Agriculture & Blue-Collar Communities

Inspired by Alberta's agricultural landscapes and the blue-collar communities that cultivate them, Cultivated Horizons explores the relationship between people and the land. Reconstructed menswear shirts reference workwear traditions while celebrating the resilience and dedication that continue to shape Alberta's farming heritage.

Recovered Textiles

Blue shirt A: underarm & collar stain
Blue shirt B: light yellowing on collar
Blue shirt C: armpit & collar stain
Blue shirt D: armpit & collar stain
Grey Linen

Model: @zoey_tay74

III

Timberline Echoes

Mountains & Alpine Ecosystems

Drawing inspiration from Alberta's Rocky Mountains, alpine forests, and cascading waterfalls, Where Mountains Remember captures the enduring presence of landscapes shaped over thousands of years. Layered silhouettes and flowing movement reflect the rhythm of wind, water, and mountain terrain.

Recovered Textiles

Green Shirt: stains and holes
Olive Pants: stain, hemmed
Green Curtain

Model: @daryaayatova

IV

Quiet Persistence

Moss & Hidden Biodiversity

Often overlooked, moss quietly sustains entire ecosystems. Quiet Persistence celebrates these resilient forms of life, reminding us that strength is not always found in what is most visible. Layered textures and organic forms reflect nature's ability to thrive through patience and adaptation.

Recovered Textiles

Green Sweater: fuzzing and pilling
White Pants: paint marks
Denim Jeans: wear and marks
Grey Sweatpants: stains and holes

Model: @_mariaangelicac_

V

Dark Veins

Oil & Resource Extraction

Beneath Alberta's surface lie the resources that have profoundly shaped its economy and identity. Dark Veins explores the complex relationship between natural resources, industry, and the landscape, transforming geological formations into sculptural garments while inviting reflection on extraction, dependence, and responsibility.

Recovered Textiles

Grey Shirt: yellowing
Black Shirt: whitening
Black Pants: spandex fibres sticking out

Model: @mackenzieelizabellaa

VI

Unwritten Voices

Alberta Women's History

Inspired by generations of Alberta women whose contributions often remain unrecorded, Unwritten Voices honours the invisible labour, resilience, and care that have shaped communities throughout history. Soft silhouettes and layered construction speak to stories waiting to be remembered.

Recovered Textiles

Cream Shirt: stained all over
Cream Linen
Black Elastic Linen

Model: @keira_laviolette

The Weight of Steel

Railway Labour & Immigration

VII

The Weight of Steel reflects on the railway workers whose labour connected communities across Alberta, while many of their stories remained overlooked. Structured tailoring and bold silhouettes symbolise endurance, sacrifice, and the foundations upon which modern Alberta was built.

Recovered Textiles

Black Shirt: Yellowing
Black Elastic Linen
Black Textured Linen
Brown Curtain
White Textured Linen

Model: @yesyes_i_am

Fractured Futures

Agriculture & Blue-Collar Communities

VIII

Inspired by Alberta's glaciers, Fractured Futures explores the intersection of climate change, artificial intelligence, and technological progress. Cracked ice formations become a metaphor for both innovation and consequence, questioning how human advancement continues to reshape the natural world.

Recovered Textiles

Blue Shirt: no visible damage
White Textured Linen

Model: @chelseyjxoxo

IX

Still We Bloom

Alberta Wild Rose & Renewal

The collection concludes with Alberta's provincial flower, the Wild Rose. Still We Bloom represents renewal, resilience, and hope. Emerging from landscapes marked by memory and change, it reminds us that even after hardship, nature continues to regenerate, offering the possibility of a more thoughtful future.