Ella Fabritius

In her MA thesis, Ella Fabritius delves into the issue of unsold second-hand clothing. Despite growing awareness around sustainability, large amounts of clothing continue to be produced, garments that often end up in the second-hand system. Her research explores which types of garments fail to find a second home and what drives or deters consumers when shopping second-hand. Through analysing 400 unsold garments and group interviews with second-hand consumers, Fabritius uncovers critical patterns that reveal consumer behaviour and systemic issues in the fashion industry. Viewing her findings through the lens of a designer, Fabritius found herself at a creative crossroads. The tension between her desire to create and the reality of global overproduction sparked a deeply personal reflection that culminated in a woven tapestry. Crafted from second-hand yarn, the tapestry materialises the inner conflict of a designer who is driven to create yet seeks to resist contributing to a world already overwhelmed. The pattern of the jacquard-woven fabric is derived directly from images of the unsold garments examined during her research. The visual composition brings these forgotten clothes into focus once again, transforming statistical data into a layered, emotional, and tactile narrative. Fabritius invites fellow designers to learn from the unsold and to design not only with creativity, but with responsibility.