ABSTRACT
The Hand Me Up proposition seeks to reverse the harm of the clothes that have already been produced by transforming them into precious “new” belongings through the hands of artists and artisans. The initiative originated as a redemptive act and encompassing solution to physical, social, emotional, and spiritual ailments. Hand Me Up is a celebration of the art of mending. A woman standing at a train station wears a white vest with white gloves stitched across the waist with a gold skirt lined on the edge with floral motifs. The artisan’s hands seize back from machines the power of creating and producing, and, as a result, no two stitches, brush strokes, or shibori dye patterns are alike. The rule of thumb is what benefits the environment helps us become better human beings. A life that felt stagnant and sluggish at times is now free-flowing and uplifting. It afforded me renewed freedom, energy, and a lightness of being.
