TMU Upcycled Gear was a 2022 runway and exhibition organized by the TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University) Athletics and Recreation Department in collaboration with The Fashion Zone and TMU Fashion faculty. For this project, 27 TMU students, alumni, and local Toronto designers were given the challenge of designing an original look completely upcycled from the materials collected by the Branded Materials Transition Project. To read more on the event, please see here.
The look above is designed and sewn/knitted by Megan Chee-A-Tow for the runway and exhibition. It features a corset-like bodice with a chunky woven drawstring skirt, and hand knitted arm warmers. The bodice is cut from tote bags, using felt banners as interlining to create a sturdy shape. Large banners were cut into strips, woven, then stitched into place to create the body of the skirt, and the same banners were cut into thin strips, tied together to create a yarn-like threads and was knitted together. As the model Megan worked with was on the TMU Hockey Team, this look was heavily influenced by the padded undergarments that hockey players use when on the ice.
