Toronto is abundant in vintage and preloved clothes — including a number of creatives turning upcycled fabric into one-of-a-kind garments. Veteran upcyclers say that people have been doing this in the city for decades, but in more recent years they’ve noticed younger generations taking more interest in sustainable clothing options.
“I think people are really seeking it out now,” says slow-made designer Diana Coatsworth. “They’re making choices to have less quantity and more quality.”
If you’re interested in adding some upcycled pieces to your wardrobe, or even learning how to sew your own, you should get to know these Toronto designers.
Diana Coatsworth
Diana Coatsworth worked in professional theater for 25 years before she got the entrepreneurial itch to start her own business on the side. Between acting gigs, she taught herself how to sew and began selling handbags and accessories made from recycled fabrics. Eventually she decided to go back to school as a mature student to improve her design skills, learning to pattern draft and construct garments at George Brown College. When she graduated, she started a new business designing upscale event wear, including bridal on the side.
“Then the pandemic happened and there was a lot of mask making, but once things settled, I returned to my upcycling roots,” she says. She spent her childhood rooting for treasures at garage sales with her parents, and is sustainably-minded at heart, so she’s been grateful to return to her original practice.
Her designs include pieces like jackets, dresses and blouses made out of fabrics repurposed from quilts, tablecloths, duvet covers, sentimental clothing and curtains, often with patchwork details. You can also commission a custom piece with her by providing your own fabric. At this year’s INLAND market, she collaborated on a collection with artist Tiffany Pratt called “Love Notes” that produced wearable art pieces that encourage you to dress more boldly and express love more freely.
Coatsworth sells her designs online, at markets like Sunday Variety, the One of a Kind show and the Cabbagetown Art and Craft Show, as well as at boutique store, Erietta, on the Danforth.
Peach Berserk
Kingi Carpenter of Peach Berserk started her screen printing brand in 1987 as soon as she finished art school, and opened her first store at Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue, where she stayed for 20 years.
“I made everybody’s prom dress, and tons of wedding dresses,” she says. Now she has a clothing store and art space near Queen Street West and Roncesvalles Avenue, out of which she hosts silk screen workshops and parties. Her practice is doubly upcycled, as she says, since she thrifts used material to use as screen printing drop cloth (the fabric that goes underneath the screen printing) then repurposes the drop cloth to make new garments. The printing ink is also made from seaweed.
Her most recent venture is an art and fashion camp for kids (ages eight to teen) where participants thrift material in order to learn to sew and screen print their own custom garment.
“They all went to a thrift shop together, bought whatever they wanted, and now they’re all upcycling them into beautiful pieces,” she says. For her it’s a matter of empowering others to make their own designs so they can realize they don’t need to buy new clothes.
Dawg Stylez
Younger Torontonians especially are a big fan of designer Hannah Dawson’s Dawg Stylez. Like many hobbyist creatives, Dawson got her start during the pandemic when she launched a business revamping old boots to paint them bright colours. She did this for a year before she decided to teach herself to sew with help from her dad.
“After buying my sewing machine and lots of practice, I knew I loved creating one of a kind pieces,” she says proudly. “I have always been conscious of how I treat the environment and was excited to start a brand that used recycled fabrics.”
All of Dawson’s pieces are made from recycled items, like an old dress reworked into a two-piece set, a tablecloth made into a small change purse, or a towel made into a tote bag. “Most of my recycled items have come from my own closet, my grandma’s old fabric from years ago or even a reusable bag that has some rips in it,” she says. “I use every corner of fabric to make old things new and colourful!”
She also does custom designs and sewing repairs. You can shop her work via Instagram, at one of her pop-ups, or buy her custom tote bags at The Company We Keep cafe on St. Clair Avenue West.
Snake Eye Shop
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Alex Filtsos, a vintage picker for Expo Vintage, is another young designer who sells vintage as well as upcycled handmade pieces using one-off vintage fabrics. She launched her Instagram business Snake Eye Shop after teaching herself to sew so that she could make her own clothes out of the unique novelty fabrics she was collecting from thrift shops. She’s particularly drawn to patterns from the ’60s and ’70s.
These days she’s experimenting with new designs and taking commissions for customs like baby doll dresses and two-piece sets — either you can provide your own fabric or choose one of her unique finds.
“I’m really big on sustainability because I’m also a picker for Expo and see all the mountains and mountains of textile,” she says. “So being able to create something timeless and slow made out of things that are usually overlooked, instead of buying new fabric and adding to the waste is nice.”
At present, she’s often repurposing bedsheets, curtains and tablecloths.
Revamped
Katherine Duffin has a background in costume design for film and has been designing clothes for over 10 years. She’s the owner of the now-closed Koffee Kween on Queen Street West, where she now runs her upcycling brand Revamped.
Her collections include repurposed sportswear turned into unique pieces like dresses, pants and jersey shorts, or personalized pieces decorated with youthful vintage appliques of pop culture characters. She also offers custom work, repairs, and alterations, and teaches upcycle sewing lessons for individuals of all skill levels (ages eight and up).
Preloved
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If you’re looking for something less eclectic, Preloved sells both colourful pieces and simple, upcycled basics made from reclaimed vintage garments that have been blended with deadstock or overrun fabric to create new designs. The large scale upcycling operation was founded in 1995 by “accidental environmentalist” Julia Grieve and is located in the Preloved factory in Scarborough. Her collection includes simple garments like solid coloured midi dresses, polo tops, and pleated pants — essentially every staple wardrobe piece you could need in upcycled form.
Every Friday at 12 p.m., Grieve hosts “Sip Shop, & Style” live on the Preloved website and Instagram, where she showcases exclusive pieces to empower fashion enthusiasts to embrace conscious clothing choices.
LI/NE
LI/NE is a women-owned brand that repurposes old boat sails into bags, in every size from small pouch to beach bag and duffle. You might notice community signs for the brand around the city, since they’re always accepting retired sails by donation. As of Earth Day 2024, they had delivered over 70 boat sails from landfill. You can shop LI/NE through the brand’s website or at markets like the One of A Kind Show.
Roncy Packs
Roncy Packs is a family-run business that crafts fanny packs and tote bags from textile waste. You can shop the brand in store at The Curated Market on Queen Street East, at markets like the Cabbagetown Art and Craft Show and Toronto Flea, online, or at the family’s home studio at Bloor and Dufferin streets by appointment. In person, you can browse the collection, try on different sizes and custom size your bag straps.
