Mottainai by ruhao.lou

勿体ない

mission_ M

ottainai, you felt it. It is that feeling which makes you finish the food off your plate despite being full. It is that feeling which prevent you from throwing away your old T-shirt because it is still wearable. Mottainai is a Japanese term that defines shame in wastage. This term was passed down by the Japanese for centuries, and remain closely tied to their livelihood to this day. Under the teaching of Buddhism and Shintoism, Mottainai, a practice of frugality is inherited by the young generation as a lesson to respect everything around them. From an orange peel to a single gain or rice, they are believed to live a kami, an intermediary being of human and god. This respect is hardly obtained in our current society, when producing waste became part of our lifestyle. In a world challenged by consumerism and constant shift of trends, marketing should take a different turn in a way how it is advertised. This magazine will help you live ethically by showing you how waste can be eliminated from our daily life and appreciate things we are taking for granted. Our mission is to challenge how we understand products, waste, and materials. I am hoping to change the conventional perception of waste from being “useless” to “resourceful”, and to subsequently embrace the adage that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Second hand Items from Flee Market Tokyo held by Green Belt Movement

content_

Second hand Items from Flee Market Tokyo held by Green Belt Movement

EASTER ISLAND

INSIDE THE HEAD OF YOUNG THRIFTERS.

MY LOOK

KIMONO STORIES

RYERSON UPCYCLING

MOTTAINAI AND WANGARI MAATHAI

FUROSHIKI

COOKING FROM SCRAPS

MOTTAINAI GRANDMA

PLASTIC IS MY BACKYARD

REFERENCE

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easter island_ Ecocide is happening and nobody is talking about it - Jodi Euteneier

ur world is undergoing a slow destruction and it’s not the first time it’s happened. The stone-silent heads, the Moai, of the Easter Islands are familiar with this story. Once the world to a Polynesian society was the holy Easter Islands, a world that was to be filled with marks of majesty. All work that was accomplished was invested into the devotion to designing the might of civilization into monuments of greatness. The heads of the Easter Islands, to the contemporary viewer, appear to be created out of no easy feat. But the physical toil to establish the mark of ancient Polynesian society was feasible. Wouldn’t it be when it seems that the materials to etch this mark of permanence onto the earth came at no more cost than zealous devotion? This was shortsightedness: a timeless folly. The costs would become apparent when the ever-giving island became exhausted of resources. The world the Polynesians knew soon reduced to a waste and life quickly followed suit. Left behind is the looming, impenetrable heads, betraying little of the scars gouged into the earth that conceived their births, inspiring only awe and mystery to the contemporary onlooker. A society, and all its customs, its unique voice never to be heard again. It is now the 21st century, and the “global village” of the world has surfaced into reality. With the tap of a button, a student in Toronto can speak with her family in Moscow, buy goods from Japan, and read the news from the Middle East. We are more aware of the world we live in, but how much do we actually see of this shrunken world, this image-comprised globe that spins at our fingertips?

EASTER ISLAND

There are landfills across North America that fill with 12 million textiles each year. It’s easy to give our things back to the earth. The space we fill with waste is infinite in our imaginations, and we neglect that it’s real. And if it’s real, it must be finite. What to do with the weekend’s shopping haul when five years ago, you went on a similar spree? Today’s freshness must be replaced with yesterday’s. Closet space needs to be freed, and perhaps you’ll recycle your clothing. But stores such as H&M recycle only 1% of all textiles intended to be recycled. What is fashion? The image of today’s style will become reality in our closets and tomorrow, become history only to be replaced. To sell to a picky crowd is the ethos of the fast fashion business.To give consumers the freedom to choose their styles means that three products must be made for each single product to be sold. The excess and its fate are the secrets of this business. Seeing land choked up with this waste, dressed in gowns of neglect, prompts the reasonable observer to respond: let’s leave the island of Earth as the Polynesians failed to do. I would say, must we take for granted the life that only Earth can give us? Water and protection from harsh radiation are fine things for survival; quite difficult to find in the great beyond. We have the funds to depart the wasting world for another one pure of the scars of exploitation,but even more precious is the human capacity to work together to save the cause of our planet’s survival, and in turn guarantee the survival of our entire earthly village, small and struggling as it is.

EASTER ISLAND

What then, are our options? What drives how we use natural resources is the economy. What we have now in Western countries are economies dependent on the presumption that natural resources are unlimited. Our consumer habits, in turn, depend on the abstraction from the harm that is continually inflicted upon the natural world. In other words: landfills become invisible, and communities affected by environmental harm become invisible. These days, sustainability is a word that’s become easy to understand. Is it really easy to put in practice through a change in our lifestyles, as long as convenience permits it? We need to pursue consumer habits that make us more mindful. We cannot even settle ourselves with the label of “consumers” anymore, because to consume is to give little appreciation to those objects we purchase and then forget about. We may try to rejuvenate the natural world. We may recreate in our dry, concrete spaces semblances of a natural world. With expanses of lush trees, shrubs, and flowers, we may make immediate the reality of the planet’s lost carbon sinks and wildlife habitats. Yet these carefully, tastefully crafted urban green spaces are branded with prestige. While those who can afford to give less of a thought to hefty price tags can lavish in the awe that plant life brings us, many of us do our best to get by in life, while clothes continue to pile up in the backs of our minds.

A world where we can better respect the beauty of making our own choices and values

how can we rethink waste so that we are more mindful of its realities?

EASTER ISLAND

Waste production demands more action, and the need for more and better action is an old story that is always inspiring, for it first demands the imagination. The question becomes one of what profit is for: how can we stop being consumers that are squeezed for profit, and instead use profit to benefit humankind as a whole? We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overlook how our current economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model of profit-making depends on waste-making: so how can we rethink waste so that we are more mindful of its realities? Of course, we must eliminate waste, and in turn eliminate ways of thinking and wearing fashion that produces excesses of waste. Rather than racing with fashion, why not take the time to appreciate it? We must demand the slowing down of the fashion cycle to better appreciate the sparse resources the earth can offer us, and the great potential for human creativity fashion can offer us. The need for the production of excess articles of clothing and to stay on top of trends for the necessary profit charges companies such as Zara to produce new designs weekly. Fuelling the rapid process of trendy outputs is not only the overtaxing of the natural worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources required for the manufacturing processes, but at the base level, the labours of designers. Experimentation, innovativity, creativity, and artistry are sacrificed for the hottest trends that are designed to be forgotten. Choosing our own style has become no effort when we browse the mall, as well as losing sight of the fact that what is available to us in the first place, made desirable through images found in magazines and Instagram feeds, are all restricted. Our scope of expressing ourselves through truly innovative and creative pieces of clothing can be so much wider, and our connections with our possessions can be so much more meaningful, all while showing our respect for the natural world our lives depend on. We need to rethink who we are as consumers of fashion, and this in turn requires for us to support technologies that can help us reduce our current rates of waste production while maximizing our longterm satisfaction with the products we buy. These technologies can come in the form of innovations in AI and intelligent systems, which can tailor information gathering on individual consumer habits towards offering information to individuals on how to better dispose of their waste and better choose what to buy. A world where we can better respect the beauty of making our own choices and values, while respecting the natural resources that give us life is possible, so long as we are aware that we can achieve it and that we take action. We will make our own monuments to our achievements without sacrificing our world for it.

inside the head of young thrifters_ “Social Media dictates trends today. The trend emerges overnight and disappears almost as quickly” (Abnett, 2015). This is the reality of our current fashion industry. An outfit brought today will not be an outfit that’s desired the next day, and we are stuck in this ever-lasting temptation which fails us from finding our true need. In the past few years, trends have been picking up its pace, from what was four season collections has turned daily (Bhardwaj, Fairhurst, 2010). As consumers, it is alerting that our choice of clothing is influenced by the brand’s market strategy. Meaning our choice of clothing in the wardrobe is not necessarily true to our taste and liking. How many of you watched or read Mari Kondo’s tidying-up and realize many things in your closet does not belong or spark joy? How many outfits you brought in the past become no longer your favorite as time went by? Ugly fashion does not fall into everyone’s favorite when it first came out. It is by repetitive images we see on the screen, on the sidewalk, on the billboard that makes us think we need their outfit. Thrifting contradicts to this idea of fixed style from advertisement. Thrifters are not forced to see their style on a advertisement. This leaves them with freedom to pick whatever they like from every past to present, from every large to small, and from every variety of colour combinations. I interviewed three young thrifters on finding their styles through thrifting.

Hinako_

YOUNG THRIFTERS WHY DO YOU THRIFT SHOP?

There are many reasons why I thrift shop. The first reason is that I love the throwback aesthetic and thrift stores allow me to shop directly from different eras. The second reason is that I like to invest in quality pieces that have lasting values but cannot afford them at their market prices. At thrift stores, I find brand items and clothes made with luxury material at more affordable prices. I have found high-end pieces such as JeanPaul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, and Shanghai Tang and such discoveries make shopping a lot more fun and rewarding. Lastly, thrifting helps me stay creative with my outfits, as it exposes me to the challenges of styling items outside of the mainstream market.

HOW DO YOU THINK FASHION CAN BENEFIT FROM HELPING TO ELIMINATE THE SECOND MOST POLLUTING INDUSTRY?

I think fashion can benefit from helping to eliminate the second most polluting industry by encouraging personal styles rather than trends. Stronger personal styles will lead individuals to build a more consistent set of clothes that can stay with them for a more extended period. The focus will shift to sustainability, durability, quality, and versatility.

WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED FROM SHOPPING SECOND HANDED?

Shopping second handed made me realize the importance of challenge in self-styling. I believe this is what develops personal style because it forces you to exercise your creativity to come up with something that works for you specifically.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT YOU THINK THRIFT SHOPPING HAVE?

The biggest benefit of thrift shopping is definitely the ability to find unique pieces outside the confinement of curated options and trends.

WHAT THRIFT SHOPPING HAVE THAT MAINSTREAM DOESN’T?

Thrift shopping adds challenges to the act of shopping. This makes each purchase more rewarding.

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR STYLE IN THE THRIFT SHOPPING? My style takes a lot of inspiration from eras ranging from the 60s to the early 2000s. I like items that are traditionally regarded as “ugly” and style them in a street fashion style.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU THRIFT SHOPPED?

I have been thrifting for a long time so I cannot remember exactly when I started thrifting but probably in highschool.

WHAT MAKES THE SECOND HANDED UNIQUE?

WHAT DO YOU THINK FASHION COULD DO TO SLOW ITS ROLLING?

Fashion can slow its rolling by focusing more on individuality as I mentioned earlier, and perhaps this will shift more companies to be more serious about reducing its negative impact on our environment by putting in more effort in making clothes that can last.

Second handed is unique because it is a collection of things that many different types of people have preowned which means that it exposes me to a variety of items that I would not have come across if I only shopped at the select stores especially catered to my style.

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST OUTFIT FROM THE THRIFT FIND AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

Many of my favorite outfits incorporate thrift pieces because it adds a unique flair. For example, one of my all-time favorite thrift finds is a corduroy Shanghai Tang cardigan with Chinese-inspired details. This combination of material and silhouette is very unusual and I get a lot of compliments on it.

YOUNG THRIFTERS

Heather_

YOUNG THRIFTERS WHY DO YOU THRIFT SHOP?

I shop thrift primarily for environmental and ethical reasons, as well as affordability. I also find searching through racks of one of a kind clothing much more exciting than shopping at a big box store.

HOW DO YOU THINK FASHION CAN BENEFIT FROM HELPING TO ELIMINATE THE SECOND MOST POLLUTING INDUSTRY?

Fashion can do a lot more to help reduce textile waste. Campaigns such as H&Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing recycling is a great way to start, as well as a shift towards people shopping thrift and repairing what they already own.

WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED FROM SHOPPING SECOND HANDED?

I have found my favorite clothing items that are unique and fun while thrift shopping. I also find that the experience is much more rewarding and I feel less guilty when I know that my money is going towards something that is more eco-friendly.

WHAT THRIFT SHOPPING HAVE THAT MAINSTREAM DOESN’T?

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT YOU THINK THRIFT SHOPPING HAVE? The biggest benefits in thrifting is reducing carbon footprint on our planet as well as knowing the fact that I am helping the environment by shopping less clothings that exhausts natural resources.

Fun and unique items that fit my personality! Often time I find fast fashion does not offer something

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR STYLE IN THE THRIFT SHOPPING? I mainly go to second hand/vintage stores to find 50’s-90’s era clothing.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU THRIFT SHOPPED?

My last year of high school (2015) was when I started. What inspired me into this is mainly environmental/costsaving benefits. However over time I now go for unique and funky items.

WHAT DO YOU THINK FASHION COULD DO TO SLOW ITS ROLLING?

WHAT MAKES THE SECOND HANDED UNIQUE?

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST OUTFIT FROM THE THRIFT FIND AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

YOUNG THRIFTERS

Catherine_

YOUNG THRIFTERS WHY DO YOU THRIFT SHOP?

I thrift for multiple reasons. Firstly, from a financial point, it’s a lot more cost effective in comparison to shopping from regular retail stores. Secondly, I find the most unique pieces, pieces I just would not be able to find in traditional retail stores – both from construction and quality as well as its uniqueness. I love how I have the freedom to create outfits from various decades and culminate each piece into a unified look.

HOW DO YOU THINK FASHION CAN BENEFIT FROM HELPING TO ELIMINATE THE SECOND MOST POLLUTING INDUSTRY?

I think fashion can definitely benefit, I think it the industry needs a challenge and needs to ultimately slow down. By slowing down production especially within fast fashion brands, I think clothing will be so much better as it requires more attention to quality and design.

WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED FROM SHOPPING SECOND HANDED?

I ultimately discovered my sense of taste. It has allowed me to hone what is good quality, what will work with my body, and what styles I like the most. It took quite a while to distinguish this, as there is so much out there to try and experiment with, and I’m sure I will continue evolving in the process.

WHAT THRIFT SHOPPING HAVE THAT MAINSTREAM DOESN’T? I’m gonna have to say uniqueness. I have been able to find such beautiful and unique pieces that are just unavailable in normal stores.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU THRIFT SHOPPED?

Ever since I was young. My mother always brought us to Goodwill and local thrift stores. I really became interested in thrifting in high school. I wanted to experiment with my identity in a way that the stores in my small city could not give me.

WHAT MAKES THE SECOND HANDED UNIQUE?

I think the fact that you probably won’t see that piece any time soon. I currently work at a vintage store, and have realized that most pieces, I will only see once!

WHAT INSPIRED YOU INTO THRIFT SHOPPING?

Necessity! I did not have a lot of money to spend on clothes, especially moving into University. I wanted to experiment and try various looks but did not have the money to do so. Thrifting gave me the freedom to be creative without the financial burden.

HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR STYLE IN THE THRIFT SHOPPING?

Trial and error! In the beginning, my style was a cluster fuck of everything, as it was so much fun to try on so many different personas and styles that thrift stores had. Now I am more tuned to my body and likes, which make it easier to find pieces in a sea of textiles.

WHAT DO YOU THINK FASHION COULD DO TO SLOW ITS ROLLING?

Up-cycle! There are so many textiles and resources already made. I think it would be interesting to find ways to use already created resources instead of creating new textiles. Buying quality over quantity too. A brand I love who are starting this trend is Maison Cleo. It isn’t thrift, but it is a mother and daughter duo who source discarded fabrics from couture houses in France to create beautiful garments. This is what I would like to see moving into the future.

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST OUTFIT FROM THE THRIFT FIND AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

My favorite outfit is this black spandex shirt that has a mesh sleeve, I really like the unique asymmetrical look of it! I got it from Subrosa vintage in Kensington. I usually pair it will a black pair of dress pants or work pants. For my jacket, my fav at the moment is a newspaper jacket by Jean Paul Gaultier. I think it is a super unique piece that I will cherish forever! I got it from an online vintage store from New York!

YOUNG THRIFTERS

DO DO NOT NOT BE BE DISSUADED DISSUADED FROM FROM ACQUIRING ACQUIRING AN AN ITEM ITEM BECAUSE BECAUSE IT IT IS IS NOT NOT YOUR YOUR SIZE... SIZE... YOU YOU CAN CAN STILL STILL MAKE MAKE FLATTERING FLATTERING OUTFITS OUTFITS BY BY COMBINING COMBINING IT IT WITH WITH FORMFITTING FORMFITTING ITEMS ITEMS WITH WITH IT IT OR OR OWN OWN THE THE OVERSIZED OVERSIZED LOOK LOOK

PAY ATTENTION TO THE COLOURS AND PATTERNS THAT RECALL TREND PATTERNS FROM A DIFFERENT ERA BECAUSE THEY CAN REALLY MAKE YOUR STYLE UNIQUE.

PAY PAY ATTENTION ATTENTION TO TO THE THE MATERIALS MATERIALS BECAUSE BECAUSE THE THE BEST BEST LASTING LASTING THRIFT THRIFT FINDS FINDS ARE ARE THOSE THOSE WITH WITH DURABLE/LUXDURABLE/LUXURY URY FABRICS. FABRICS.

YOUNG THRIFTERS

DO DO NOT NOT GO GO IN IN LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR A A SPECIFIC SPECIFIC ITEM ITEM IN IN MIND. MIND. YOU YOU HAVE HAVE TO TO WORK WORK BACKWARDS BACKWARDS BY BY FINDING FINDING ITEMS ITEMS THAT THAT CATCH CATCH YOUR YOUR EYE EYE AND AND CHALLENGE CHALLENGE YOURSELF YOURSELF TO TO COME COME UP UP WITH WITH WAYS WAYS TO TO INCORPORATE INCORPORATE IT IT INTO INTO YOUR YOUR WARDROBE WARDROBE

DO NOT BE TOO INTIMIDATED BY HOW WORN AN ITEM MAY BE. THE HISTORY OF CLOTHING CAN ADD GREAT CHARACTER TO CERTAIN PIECES ESPECIALLY DENIM.

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this is my look this is my look this is my look this is my look this is my look this is my look this is my look this is my look 34

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my look_ First of all, Stop Saying you don’t have enough to wear. Realize the number of outfits you can find in your closet because a stylish person doesn’t always have an overflowing wardrobe. They are the people who know how to shop and style. This section aims to give anyone and everyone outfit advice, tips in styling, and hacks for shopping. Let’s use your wardrobe to the fullest potential!

SHIRT

This piece is your everything. It gets along with everything you own. From dress shirt, dress, jacket, pants, coat, and accessories. This is the second item you pick after choosing your statement piece.

DRESS PANTS

Dress pants are often considered occasional or stylish. But it can be worked around as a casual look based on what you combine it with. Changing from dress shirt to sweater can transform the whole vibe. Dress pants are most often your statement piece.

BODY

You need to know your body type. Everyone has its own unique beauty. And thus, one style does not fit all. Take a paper and pen and list your 5 favorite body parts..

DRESS SHIRT

First of all, always Iron it before wearing them out. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to bring wrinkles with you unless itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of your look. Consider a dress shirt as something you can play around with buttons. You can button up all the way, button down to make it a cover-up, or button midway to be creative. It is also a styling item you can use to work around with another piece. It can go with a jacket, sweater, dress, shirt, ties, and coat.use to work around with another piece. It can go with jacket, sweater dress, shirt, ties, and coat.

DRESS

An easy one-piece outfit. The dress is often seen as a dominant statement piece. But there are three ways to work around with it. 1 wear it as one-piece outfit 2 wear it on top of a shirt, blouse, sweater 3 wear it underneath shirt, blouse, and sweater.

JEANS

Perhaps the most popular piece in your wardrobe. Like Dress pants, Jeans are thought to be worn as a casual look, but base on what you combine it with, Jeans can go from next door neighbor to stylish occasional look.

MY LOOK

SHOPPING TIPS

STYLING TIPS

You have enough clothing in your wardrobe to get the looks you want. And when I mean looks, it doesn’t have to be the most up to trend but the one that looks the best on you and gives you your best.

One of the ways to work around with what you have is to pick 5 pieces you can style for the upcoming week. You will awfully realize how many looks you can find from just 5 pieces you pick.

Another way to fully use your wardrobe is to think of one piece you haven’t worn for a while. Then use that piece as your statement piece of the day. Pick that piece first and start adding your support pieces to create your look.

We often shop more than we need. According to the study, we unconsciously think the more we have, the higher chances it is to survive. Let’s bring back “less is more”

One of the tip in buying what’s only necessary or love is “7 days of patients”. A tip in which one only buy if the item in their mind remains necessary after 7 days. This helps you realize; you do not need much to get by.

When buying new clothes, always question whether if that particular piece can style with what you have. Whether if it is wearable throughout the year. Whether if it is comfortable, or will last. When you start questioning these, you will always end up going for quality over quantity.

CLADWELL

If you are not an expert with styling your look. Not to worry! Cladwell is an app that helps you in personal styling. According to the app, we only wear 20% of our clothes and the rest is clutter. This app will give suggestions to your daily looks as well as it provides you a platform to discover your style without spending

Kimonos donated by Hanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends eventually used in the workshop

kimono stories_ W

e are like a little fish swimming upstreamâ&#x20AC;?, said Hana Nishimura. In 2010, Hana Nishimura made the decision to upcycle kimonos from original owners who no longer saw a purpose in their charming garment. The idea of upcycling these kimonos started after the Great Hanshin Earthquake which destroyed half of the city of Ashya, Hyogo Prefecture. After this tragedy struck, Hana and her friends became so inspired to help those suffering they organized an NPO called the Ashiya Clover Group and started charity together. They collected unwanted kimonos and created little bags, glass cases, water bottle covers, tapestries, little notebook covers, cards as well as other items, and sold them for charity. After accumulating many kimonos that are too fine to recycle into small crafts, The Group entrusted Hana with them. Hana came in contact with Marilyn McNeil-Morin, the director of the Fashion Exchange, who suggested collecting stories of each of the kimonos from their respective owners and share them with the public. Their workshop, titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Upcycling Kimonoâ&#x20AC;? was a workspace event where participants selected an authentic Japanese kimono to upcycle, or reuse. The intent was to repurpose and revive the tradition of the kimono so that it would live on and educate the next generation. When Hana presented all the garments and accessories she had collected through her charitable work, Marilyn was so impressed and offered to assist her in reviving this historic part of Japanese culture. She suggested that Hana add stories in each kimono to educate the public about the history of these garments.

Summer tree branches took in Kyoto prefecture

KIMONO STORY In the kimono documents provided by Hana and Marilyn, 35 kimonos were presented with stories from their first owners. Many showcase their close tie between the kimono and their donors. Here are some of their stories:

it three times at the elementary school entrance ceremonies in which when cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Miyo, who went to Kyoto to work as a domestic in a wealthy family at age 14 in 1927, and subsequently married the mistressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brother, donated an Oshimiya kimono, a garment she received as a gift when she married from the owner of kimono dyed factory. An Oshimiya kimono is well-known from Kagoshima prefecture, weaved from pre-dyed fine silk threads. It is incredibly special as even with experienced weaver, it takes an entire day to weave 10 cm long of 11.4 meters long garment.

Brian, a Toronto lawyer, kept a Jinken Kimono made out of artificial silk, for 30 years as a reminder of his interest in Japan which started from his high school teacher who liked Japanese culture.

Miwako, a mother of three who chose a kimono with solid cherry blossom colour during her marriage in 1970, wore

Keiko who donated a formal heavy silk kimono, carefully dyed in black colour which prevented it from fading for several decades. Her kimono motif of a fan was hand painted. This kimono was particularly special to Keiko as she received it from her mother who frequently ordered kimono for Keiko to compensate for her own hardship during her adolescent years when Japanese citizens endured poverty and lack of resources due to the Pacific War.

Locatio: Toji Temple, Kyoto. Lotus flowers fully bloomed near the temple.

KIMONO STORY

Stories like this gave meaning and soul to each of the garments displayed for the public. Not just for the people who wore them, but also in the garment itself as it was hand sewed, weaved, dyed, and painted carefully by theskilled craftsman. These kimonos presented in the collections were made with passion and intensity, an admiration for detail and colour, owned and worn by the owner who cherished and enjoyed it. Kimonos introduced in the upcycling workshop held by Hana and Marilyn were carefully made to last for decades. When taken apart, it was visible to see how delicately these kimonos were made from every individual stitch. “You have to take it apart to learn how intricately made kimonos are.” said Hana. Kimonos were constructed with three identical parts and when taken apart, they fell perfectly under a few pieces of long rectangular fabrics that were easy to manipulate. However, kimonos, originally worn for everyday and for a special occasion, professionally made by craftsman were never a piece to manipulate carelessly. Participants of the workshop were all well-informed professors and individual with backgrounds in fashion and sewing. But again “upcycling is about taking something as it is and make it still useful to the person who had it owned. Make it so they want to be able to hand it to someone else who will honour it, keep it, and cherish it,” said Marilyn. For Hana, upcycling was not just about changing the form of the original garment; it was about preserving things and recreating it in a new way. This is stark contract to today’s fast fashion with big brands such as H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo who mass produce millions of pieces with cheap fabrics and are sold at discount prices. They are lacking originality and distinctiveness that showcases the talent and craftsmanship of the person who designed them. Furthermore, there is no personal touch that goes into making these garments. Buyers now throw clothes away carelessly as they know they are not of value and can be replaced instantly. The lack of this value and craftsmanship in clothes is a relatively new phenomenon. In the 1940’s and 1950s, dressmakers were sought out

“YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT APART TO LEARN HOW INTRICATELY MADE KIMONOS ARE”

KIMONO STORY to make every piece of garment unique to every individual. Clothes were meant to make a statement about the individual and express their own personal style. The idea of mass retail did not exist at that time at all and it was expected that a trailer would custom make everything you would wear. Waste culture is very recent trend, and also has an enormous impact on our planet, in the way it exhausts our resources. One in five uses of our fresh water consumption today is used to make our clothes, specifically, in a field of textile dye and cotton farms. As shown in the documentary “The True Cost”, cotton needs a high level of water and chemical to prevent the crop from failing. These chemical used in the farm, are so toxic it has caused some U.S. cotton farmers to develop brain tumors and birth defects from the families who own cotton farm in India. Perhaps it is now the time we reevaluate our consumption as consumers and shift our focus back to what clothing bring us in our life. As Marilyn stated in the interview, “…we need to get to a place in fashion where we think about that the overall value within a piece. Before we buy something, it is important to get a piece well made, with beautiful textiles, limited edition, tied closely to the land that is made from. So then you desire that piece because it means something to you.” We can all find at least one garment sitting in the back of our closet that we do not wear and has no emotional value to us. If we have more of a connection to the origins of our clothing perhaps it would prevent people from throwing it away but instead try to repair or refurbish it.

Hana Nishimura on the left side. The director of the Fashion Exchange Marilyn McNeil-Morin on the right side.

The whole tragedy in our current consumer culture as according to Hana and Marilyn is that fast fashion is causing great harm to our society and that they are getting away with it because we allow them to. The solution, from their perspective is to return to the model of producing garments that are suited to us individually with proper textiles immaculate design and construction. As fast fashion has become prevalent in today’s society, it has influenced people in a negative manner by promoting these clothes on social media which in turn creates an environment of a competitiveness and accumulation. This

Porches made out of adopted Kimonos and Obis.

This workshop challenges such concept by turning the garment into stories of people in two different countries and in all walk of paths. A garment that’s not only about being worn, but a piece that connects communities to tell different parts of their life. Modern luxury should be about customization and holding the uniqueness of one garment. This luxury should include each customer’s specific needs and wants for the garment they are buying. This would require that people break from the notion that tells us to dress the alike and normalize what’s been mass produced, into pieces and are unique and custom made. Furthermore, it is about being courageous enough to be able to wear something that’s now what everyone else is. Because only when clothing is made with love and respected, stories about people involves around that clothing continues.

KIMONO STORY

KIMONO DONATED BY MIYO FORMAL SILK KIMONO INTO NIGHT GOWN KIMONO DONATED BY MIHO POLYESTER VISITING KIMONO INTO LINGERIE

UPCYCLED OBI INTO PORCH MADE BY ASHIYA CLOVER GROUP

ryerson upcycling_ U

pcycling is an alternative way to reuse a ready to throw away garment and turn that into a profitable, useful pro-duct by donating it to those who desire to purchase them second hand. For example, when an individ-ual donates clothing to a donation box, it is with the desired assurance that it will land into the hands of a new owner who will reuse the item. This is perhaps the most appealing aspect of upcycling as is an environmentally sound method reusing an old product and remaking it without exhausting natural resources. But according to the documentary, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The True Cost â&#x20AC;&#x153;released in 2015, only 10 percent of the donated clothes arrive to deserving people and their families. The misconception unfortunately is that upcycling is not considered as aesthetically pleasing as latest products on the showroom floors and that somehow they are of lesser value. Thankfully, within the last decade or so, people have come to realization that sustainability does not always mean have to sacrifice style. 2019 Ryerson School of Fashion presents you two young upcycling designers for a lookout.

Jessica FrankeL 50

RU UPCYCLING WHAT INSPIRED YOU INTO UPCYCLING? WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO IT FOR YOUR FOURTH-YEAR COLLECTION? I have always had an interest in the creation of making something from nothing. When I was a child, I would use tissues and a lot of tapes to drape dresses onto my Barbie dolls. I’d find fabric scraps or even rip up some of Barbie’s old clothes to make a ‘garment’. As I got older I also started playing around with wrapping towels around myself to see how many different ways I could wrap it. Aside from that I really do have a passion for our environment and keeping it clean. Upcycling is a way that the fashion industry can repurpose used clothing to ensure that the cycle continues from production to consumer to production. This is an easy and fun solution to keeping our billions of consumer products out of landfills. Upcycling can also help with minimizing other sources of pollution such as air and water, which constantly gets overused and filled with chemicals.

For my fourth year collection, I took these passions and created a conceptual idea of how we can all do our part in helping our planet. I decided to use one of my favorite fabrics, denim. Denim is a very durable and sustainable fabric once it’s been produced. During production it is a major contributor to extreme cases of pollution, just to make one pair of jeans. I want to continue the cycle by taking used jeans from donations and second-hand shops, and turning them into a new garment for a new consumer to enjoy.

WHAT IS YOUR UPCYCLING THEME BASED ON?

What makes my collection unique is the way I am upcycling. I chose to follow the Japanese technique called “Boro Patchwork”. It is essential when you take large patches of fabric, layer them on top of itself, and top stitch together. I gathered dozens of used jeans and cut them up into small squares and rectangles. Then found different ways to assemble them to create my garments. This technique has been used in many ways but I feel like I haven’t seen it in mainstream markets, especially in any petite wear. So that on its own makes it unique. I hope to bring these concepts into the petite, streetwear markets to give consumers a different perspective on the industry as well as give the smaller woman a chance to wear something truly unique for once.

IS THE MOST COMMON FASHION ITEM BEING DISPOSED OF IN THE MODERN DAYS? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK UPCYCLING CAN DO ABOUT IT?

I believe that the most produced item would be the classic tee shirts. These are a product that encourages fast fashions. It is something that everyone wears daily until something better comes along. Many of the chain companies such as Forever 21 produce shirts with some kind of saying or phrase that is currently popular that month. Few weeks/months go by and the words have lost interest and instantly become off trend. The shirts then get thrown out instead of donated or repurposed and end up in landfills polluting our environment. It is a vicious cycle. Upcycling was created to keep the cycle going in forward momentum. Those tee shirts can now be rebranded or cut up and made into something completely different, maybe not even a clothing item. People just need to stop being so lazy and start being more creative! Truly unique for once.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON USING THE ITEM TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW?

I think it is exciting! It is a perfect way to keep something alive and functional. It ensures that it won’t end up in a landfill. I strongly believe in ‘one’s trash, is another’s treasure’. There is always something more that can be done when it comes to the life expectancy of a product. Once someone feels like they have used up all its joy, it can then be passed onto the next person who sees the joy in its imperfections and possibilities for new improvement. Many of the jeans that I had sourced did have a previous life in some guy’s closet. Some of the garments that I found still had tags on them! They never even got the chance to have a life. A lot of what I did was either give the fabric a life or I gave it a new life. I have always loved shopping at places like Value Village or Black Market. Ill find a jacket in the kid’s section. I think about some child that wore it out, got their fill, probably grew out of it very quickly, and then donated it. I find it, wear it and once I have had my fill, I will continue to pass it on or even find a way to repurpose it into something new or better.

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN YOUR UPCYCLING COLLECTION?

I really do see a great deal of beauty in the process of upcycling and the idea of sustainability. It is something that more people need to see and understand. I honestly wasn’t sure on how I wanted to incorporate upcycling into my collection. I knew that I wanted to take only jeans and make them a new, but after a lot of research I discovered the ‘Boro Patchwork’ technique and fell in love with the idea. I sketched it out, still being unsure but once I started creating my finals, I saw the denim come back to life in a new way. While patching, I placed the pieces onto of each other very randomly so I did not know how it was going to turn out. This also makes each garment one of a kind, so it was definitely a very beautiful process.

WHAT IS INNOVATIVE ABOUT YOUR UPCYCLING COLLECTION?

Upcycling on its own is a very innovative process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful. It is a positive impact on not only the environment but the fashion industry as a whole. Throughout the collection, the denim fabric is being manipulated into intriguing forms and uses. Moving away from the classic denim pant or jacket, to create a more innovative look for the petite women’s market. The way that I have upcycled with the ‘Boro patchwork’ technique is innovative in that it is zero waste and completely recyclable. During the process of creating my garments, I ensured that I had minimal to zero waste when cutting up the jeans and patching each pattern piece. That is an ideology that many fashion brands forget about. Waste is just as important to think about when producing any kind of garment. With my many inspirations for this collection, I was able to combine elements from petite womenswear and menswear. The oversized/masculine fits can be worn by anyone who chooses to do so. The more feminine tops are also for anyone at all. As well, the use of second-hand clothing helped inspire my designs to create new styles, bringing some of the past into the present. Another way that I strive to be innovative, is with the opportunity for versatility. Each garment can be adjusted, parts can be added and removed, or even swapped with each other. The final innovative stride made within the collection is the hardware materials. The hardware chosen is commonly seen on accessories such as bags or jewelry. They can also be seen on construction sites in the worker’s attire and safety gear. The clasps are integral to the garment, serve the collection with functionality and overall aesthetic.

RU UPCYCLING

IF THE INDUSTRY GAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR DESIGNERS TO BE CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL IN THEIR DESIGN TO GIVE A BETTER RESULT, WHAT CHANGES DO YOU THINK IT WILL BRING TO THE INDUSTRY?

I think that it would help make the industry more beautiful and inclusive. More importantly, it will help bring creativity back. Some of the designs that I see going down the runway lately have been confusing to me. These designers are getting away with strapping an inflatable pool to a model’s back and calling it fashion, just because they have an established name! They have this platform built and they feel as though they can put out whatever and people will still come to their shows. It is ridiculous, as a designer you need to have some sort of concept, something that is driving you to create. Instead, these designers are creating just to put something out in time for the new season. They need to have the time to put something out that has value and can give back to the community/industry. Huge design houses have the power to influence so many people and they waste it. It is disappointing when they don’t use their platform for good or positive messaging. They are the ones creating the problems, the ones influencing consumers to look a certain way or that it’s okay to wear fur. They do not realize the power that they have and how determinative their content is to their viewers all around the world. If they just opened up from the tiny box they all are stuck in, the industry could become a healthy and amazing, cultural and fun experience for everyone.

HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN ENCOURAGE THE INDUSTRY TO UPCYCLE MORE?

Hopefully, one-day important influencers from the industry do see my work and get inspired. They could think “Hey, that’s a great idea! She’s onto something here. We can do this with other fabrics too!” I hope that my collection does encourage the industry to upcycle more. Fast fashions and mainstream fashions can benefit from the techniques I am using and demonstrating. Aside from the patchwork ideas, upcycling can be much simpler than that. For large scale production plants, all it takes is for them to repurpose scraps or garments that did not meet their standards to ensure any waste policy. There is so much more effort that can be made throughout production. Everything can be repurposed and if only these companies would realize this, they could potentially make more money! The problem is they don’t care enough and will probably never make these changes.

RU UPCYCLING

WHAT DO YOU THINK MARKETING CAN DO HELP SLOW FASHION BE RECOGNIZED MORE?

All of the problems that we face in this world are sheltered to a lot of people. People choose to live a life of ignorance because they feel like there’s nothing they can do or they may not care at all. If they don’t see it or think about it they don’t have to feel guilty for what they are doing or contributing to. No one wants to hear about the dying seals or injured turtles. A lot of activists out there are using media as a way to communicate with others and force them to see the reality of what we are doing. If companies begin marketing in a way that forces people to see these problems and encourage simple solutions in our daily lives, it will be harder for consumers to ignore. We need to keep pushing the message of sustainability in all markets. Many of these crucial problems are happening in third world countries, it’s not happening here in our own backyards. We are lucky to live in a country where we don’t have to worry about clean drinking water, if there’s enough water to go around, or if we can go outside without having a mask on. People don’t realize the amazing privileges that we have and take for granted here in Canada. It is almost easy to forget what is going on around the world. We can show many forms of media every day about it but people will just move on, forget about it and go and buy another purse. They don’t think about how that purse got here, who made it? How was it made? If the content is pushed constantly every day, there’s no way to ignore it. If everyone does their part, we can really make a change.

Camille Sinclair Hogg 65

RU UPCYCLING WHAT INSPIRED YOU INTO UPCYCLING? WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO IT FOR YOUR FOURTH-YEAR FINAL COLLECTION?

The world’s climate change! There’s so much negative impact happening in the ways of weather, we see it daily, the fluctuations and changes are more and closer together. If I can make one small choice in design, to upcycle, which makes a huge difference on how much we waste, then I can at least be happy with making the clothes I work on, and feel like I’m making even a small difference towards a green planet. I think in third year when I was realizing how much fabric I was buying and wasting, I really wanted to make a change.

WHAT MAKES UPCYCLING UNIQUE OF YOUR COLLECTION?

From even when I started working with the samples, I was buying fabric and used clothes from value village to make them. I didn’t want to waste anything thing from the beginning so I thought if I could use deteriorating clothing, used sheets, and battered athleticwear that I could upcycle again, I’d be making some positive changes.

WHAT IS YOUR UPCYCLING THEME BASED ON?

My theme for the collection is the afterlife. I did a call for submissions from local Toronto/ Canadian artists and ended up getting a lot of incredible talent involved. I asked for their pieces current or previous, that they thought represented the afterlife and collaborated with them to create some wicked textiles and fabrics for the afterlife themed collection. This ties in well to people being conscious of the afterlife of their clothing, where everything comes from to where it ends up. As well as the heart of the collection, and a cyclist’s awareness of the dangers in their cycling. An afterlife being a touchy subject, because of countless road accidents and foolishness on the road, I wanted the theme to be addresses beautifully, and it really came across that way thanks to the artists.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GIVE A SECOND LIFE IN THE GARMENT AND MATERIALS?

Love your garments! Buy something that means a lot to you and you won’t want to throw it away. If you buy the most beautiful garments, and maybe tear a hole in it, wouldn’t you want to fix it? Instead of throwing it away? If you can reinvent a dress that’s torn up at the bottom and make it into a top, you’re saving the landfill from more waste, and saving money buying a new top in the future. The general public also needs to have their hands ready and educated to fix these garments.

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN YOUR UPCYCLING COLLECTION?

Finding the beauty in something people are scared to talk about; the afterlife. The afterlife of a person or the afterlife of their clothing. Why are we so afraid of the negative impacts we are making? Because if we are conscious of these negativities, we know we could have made a difference. I am happy with myself knowing I’m not adding more waste to this world, and I want to continue this way, and hopefully research further techniques and ideas to reduce waste through design.

WHAT IS INNOVATIVE ABOUT YOUR UPCYCLING COLLECTION? I have worked with Art of Where digital printing in Montreal to print the textile designs in my collection on eco-friendly / forward fabrics with and eco-friendly water soluble printing solution. They use recycled polyester blend fibres to create their power spandex and polyester blends to create the perfect fabric for my athletic wear clothing. I have also used Simplify fabrics Canada to compliment these fabrics, with recycled and organic cotton and athletic wear blends.

HOW DO YOU THINK CAN WE ENCOURAGE THE INDUSTRY TO UPCYCLE MORE? Through education! Youtube and tutorial videos are great, but we need to have this be more accessible to younger people. Teach a mending class in school, if the fashion programs/ creative programs offered in elementary taught kids how to fix things at a younger age, rather than waste and make new, their incentives would be in the right place from the start.

HOW DOES MOTTAINAI APPLY TO YOUR UPCYCLING.

Mottainai is a beautiful perspective, I appreciate how there would be the respect of a god or a blessing in everything we have. We should take value in everything, like explained to me from a grain of rice to a hair tie; everything we have is a blessing and we should care for it, not just throwing it away. If there is love in everything, we don’t just throw away our loved ones, we want to be with them for as long as possible. This is a wonderful perspective that I think if approached to every piece of clothing, or even just introduced as a concept to the general public, we would try to work harder at maintaining what we have. Appreciate the little things in life, but also love things long term. How sweet!

RU UPCYCLING

mottainai and Wangari Maathai_ “Mottainai”a message from Japan to the world

ottainai is the remorse we feel when something is wasted without being fully used. Japanese people use this word on daily basis originated from Buddhism and Shintoism beliefs. This is because religion is blended in the way of life in Japanese culture; to the point that religious values are enacted in everyday life unconsciously (Kawai 2010, p. 254). The word “Mottainai” is used in situations like throwing away shortened pencils and erasers, to a grain of rice left in a bowl. This comes from the Shintoist belief that a god lives within everything in our life. Contradictory to modern belief of buying new things over repairing old things, Mottainai is about using things to their full potential. There are 5 R’s in this sustainable vocabulary: Reuse, reduce, recycle, rethink, and respect. Mottainai bloomed during Edo Era (1603-1867) in Japan, where everything was recycled and reused in every possible way. This is due to material poverty, because as an island country, the availability of materials was limited in Japan. People considered that throwing away things that were still perfectly useful a shame. To describe this shame, people started using the word “Mottainai.” During the Edo Era, everything was made with bamboo, washi (a type of paper made from tree barks), and kimono. Washi was especially, known to be highly recyclable paper bloomed when court lady returned the answer to emperors

Location: Flee Market, Tokyo. Geta. A wooden shoes commonly pared with kimono.

Location: Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima. Chozuya. A water-filled basin used by worshippers for washing their left hands, right hands, mouth and finally the handle of the water ladle to purify themselves before approaching the main Shinto shrine or shaden.

love letter by recycling his paper and writing her response on top of it. Newly-made kimono were unaffordable to common people, hence they buy resorted to buy second-hand clothing. Other recycling systems include using unwanted bamboo as material to heat bath water. These all fall into two types of the recycling system in the Edo Era, repairing and collecting. The main tactics of the full recycling culture was the repairing what’s been worn, and collecting of what’s still useful as a material. Japanese repair culture is something that can be introduced to the world as their trademark. From kimono repair with weaving, to book repair using washi. Their products were designed for both end use and repair. Their respect towards nature came from their fear of it. As natural disaster was frequent on land, everything about what they make was to adapt and co-exist with nature rather than mastering it. Thus, there is no concept of “waste”, because the potential end use of everything was recognized.These systems come from the backbone of Buddhist beliefs.

MOTTAINAI

All things have Buddha Nature, the lesson is that all components of our surroundings have equal value of existence, and each object exists for a use purpose. Functional Egalitarianism propounds that being is characterized by Buddhist doctrine as an interdependence, characterized by both tangible and intangible ways. Theories like this are what the firth R (Respect) of Mottainai is about. When Wangari Muta Maathai, a Noble Prize Peace winner of Green Belt Movement visited Japan in 2004, she was highly inspired by the idea of Mottainai. The nuance of the fifth R, Respect in the definition of Mottainai inspired her Mottainai campaign, which aims to achieve the elimination of single-use plastic as litter from the natural environment. Her campaign was powerful enough to influence the local community of Uganda,who pressured political state to ban the usage of thin plastic bags. In her Green Belt Movement Mottainai Campaign, Maathai encourage plastic bag re-usage. “We grow trees in the plastic bags, nurture them for several months, transplant them into the ground” said Maathai during the interview of her campaign (Green Belt Movement, 2005). The Mottainai campaign did not only reduce plastic waste, but also reduce the spread of Malaria in local areas. She explained that this is because mosquitoes breed in litter, reusing plastic can destroy their breeding grounds. In her campaign, she explained the practice of Mottainai, educating her peers on how a single plastic bag can be reused. This includes: re-usage of plastic bags, Reduce the use of plastic bags by using paper bags in return and recycle the plastic bags by weaving it into useful products. This is her approach from the teaching of Mottainai in respecting our planet Earth.

Location: Sanzen-in Temple, Kyoto. Jizo. A guardian deity who protects the souls of children from falling into hell, whose stone statue

THERE IS NO CONCEPT OF “WASTE”, BECAUSE THE POTENTIAL END USE OF EVERYTHING WAS RECOGNIZED

Location: Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima. Ema. Small wooden plaques common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes.

MOTTAINAI

Maathai’s campaign is supported by a Japanese newspaper firm, Mainichi. This newspaper firm hasa brand inspired by her campaign movement, which shares their product revenues with the Green Belt Movement to plant trees in the African. Meanwhile, they open activities during weekend called, “MOTTAINAI Flea Market”, a community space that gives an opportunity to people to exchange their no longer useful items with each other. Their “MOTTAINAI Kids Flea Market” is especially popular among the community as it educates children the importance of the things around them along with an understanding of finance and conservation. In another event organized by the firm called “Clean-up Mt. Fuji Competition”, over 200 people gathered to collect waste in an iconic site to increase awareness of the nature often taken for granted. In modern times, when buying new products is cheaper than repairing. Mottainai is an alternative solution to our throw-away lives. The fact that we lost our faith in reusing things is because mass production gives us the option to consume more. But looking back to the Edo Era, where everything was recycled, what we can learn is the knowledge of effectiveness in the value of a product. Instead of over-consuming our natural resources, we need to maximize the usage of raw material without killing what’s been there for decades.

MOTTAINAI

Location: Kyoto. Red bridge. A bridge believed to connect between the human world and the world of spirits.

furoshiki_ Furoshiki is a Japanese traditional wrapping technique that can be used in various methods such as a carrier, gift wrapping, and fashion accessories. It is an eco-friendly lifestyle that challenges us to think of how much we consume on a daily basis in relation to how much we actually use. Furoshiki can serve a multi faceted purpose in just a single fabric. Throughout the year approximately 4 million tons of gift wrap and decorations will end up in the landfill from North America alone. Furoshiki can help eliminate this waste while serving a better use to the gift receivers. In the following section, I will demonstrate how a single fabric can be used in a multi-dimensional fashion. From a simple table cloth, to bottles, books, groceries as well as handbags, one cloth is enough to serve many purposes in our daily life. Rather than use the traditional form of gift wrapping presents for loved ones, why not introduce them to this unique style of wrapping that will help them save money as well as the environment?

Furoshiki, by definition, is a single square piece of fabric utilized to wrap objects to carry and store. The use of Furoshiki traces back to the Edo Period when public bath become widespread among the middle-class people. This is to which why furoshiki is translated to “bath spread.” Furoshiki was used as wrapping people’s clothes to prevent them from mixing up with others as well as a way to carry their clothes to the bathhouse. Similar to origami techniques, wrapping of furoshiki can be very durable base on the way it is being wrapped. Furoshiki comes in different sizes and fabrics. But the most commonly used are cotton, silk, rayon, and nylon. This wrapping technique became unpopular after the invention of plastic bags, but with raising awareness of our plastic consumption and waste management, it is time to bring Furoshiki back to our lives.

MAKE YOUR OWN It is relatively easy to make your own furoshiki because you can work with any fabrics at home. Whether it is a large piece of fabric or scrap pieces. Ideally, thin fabrics work better in making knots, however, it does not stop you from wrapping when if you patchwork them.

FUROSHIKI

TYPE OF FUROSHIKI Patched Furoshiki from scrap fabrics. Scrap fabrics comes in variations. From cotton, linen, and nylon.

Furoshiki can be divided into 3 different sizes. These three types are kofuroshiki, Cyuu-furoshiki, and Oo-furoshiki. Each has its own individual separate use. Ko-furoshiki is defined as small size furoshiki. The size can measure up from 18 inches to 20. It can be used as wrapping small size boxes or lunch box. Cyuu-furoshiki is the most commonly used. It can be used as a grocery bag, table cloths, and gift wraps. This type of furoshiki comes in size 27 to 40 inches square. Last but not least, OOfuroshiki is used in wrapping large objects. It can measured up from 51 inches to 90 inches. They are used to wrap futon, bed and sofa cover, as well as an alternative way of moving. This section of the magazine will be using Ko-furoshiki and Cyuu-furoshiki to show several wrapping techniques that can be used in daily lives.

WHAT I USE

BACKPACK HOW-TO a 1_Fold rectangular furoshiki in

4_Place 1 on 3 e 6_ Double knot e & c, f & d

b 2_Place your item on square furoshiki c

a d

c 3_Tie a & b

f 5_ Secure 1 by double knotting a & b

FUROSHIKI

WHAT I USE

HAND BAG HOW-TO

e a

3_ Double knot e & f b 1_ Place your item on square furoshiki

d 2_ Double knot c & d

SINGLE BOTTLE HOW-TO a

c b 1_Tie c & d and twist them

a b b 2_ Double knot c & d

3_Take Take a & b and wrap around to the otherside

WHAT I USE 4_On the otherside double knot a & b

FUROSHIKI DOUBLE BOTTLE HOW-TO a

b 1_Lay Lay bottles with open end facing toward c & d. a b c

d 2_Roll bottles from b to a.

c 3_Knot c and d

WHAT I USE

4_Knot c & d again

FUROSHIKI

WHAT I USE

BOX WRAP HOW-TO a

b 1_ Double knot a & b

3_ Tidy the corners and done

d 2_ Double knot c & d

WHAT I USE

SINGLE BOOK HOW-TO d

c b

1_ Roll book from b to a

3_ Bring c & d to the other side

d c

2_ Tie c & d

4_ On the other side double knot c&d

FUROSHIKI

WHAT I USE

DOUBLE BOOK HOW-TO c

3_ Bring c & d to the otherside and twist them

1_ Roll books from two side to center d

c 2_Criss cross c & d

4_ Double knot c & d at the top

cooking from scraps_ Canada is known to be among the worst globally in food waste. The amount can count to 396 kilograms per capita each year, where average Canadian consumer throws away 170-kilogram tons of food per year. This means we are producing 193 millions of greenhouse gases which equals to 41 million cars driven on the road (CBC Radio, 2018). And if you think you do not contribute to this problem, then think again. Because according to study, consumers buy more than the necessary amount of food. While we think we will end up cooking a certain recipe, these food ends up setting in the back of our refrigerator. Cooking from Scraps is no new solution. Making the most of our food has been practiced throughout generations and countries. It is Mottainai to throw out our scraps when they can serve us another meal. Here, I’m introducing two books famous for scraps recipes. Hoping to change what was used to be in the garbage bag onto a plate. Four dishes are picked for sneak peak of two book chosen, “Cooking with Scraps” and “Scraps, Peels, and Stems.”

#SPD DPMJ 4UFN

SCRAPS COOKING LEMONY OLIVE OIL POACHED BROCCOLI STEMS AND CHICKPEAS ON RICOTTA TOAST COOKING WITH SCRAPS • • • • • •

QUICK PICKED STEMS SCRAPS PEELS AND STEMS

Broccoli Stem cut into 1 inch 1 Clove Garlic 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander 1/2 White Wine Vinegar 1/2 Cup Water 1 & 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

• • • • • •

Pack the trimmed stems into a clean pint Jar. Add the garlic and coriander or mustard seed.

In a small saucepan set over high heat, combine the vinegar, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt.

Pour the brine over the stems. Cover the jar and let cool to room temperature. Tighten the lid and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating. They’ll keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Broccoli Stem 1/3 to 1/2 Olive Oil 15 oz Chickpeas 1/4 Lemon Juice 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt Thick Sliced Crusty Bread

Remove the tough outermost layer of the broccoli stems, reserving any leaves. I like to use a paring knife to get it started and then I just peel it away. Once it’s all peeled tender, about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces.

Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a midium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the Broccoli. If the pieces aren’t fully covered, add the remaining olive oil. Cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes, depending on tthe size of your pieces.

Add the chickpeas, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the salt. Cook until the broccoli is fully cooked, but not yet turning to mush, another minute or two, and remove from the heat. Taste

SCRAPS COOKING POTATO PEEL CHIPS SCRAPS PEELS AND STEMS • • • • •

WATERMELON RIND LIME GRANITA WITH BASIL WHIPPED CREAM COOKING FROM SCRAPS Basil Leaves 1 Cup Heavy Whipping 4 Cups Pureed Watermelon Rind 1 Cup Lime Juice 1 Cup Simple Syrup 2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar

Peels of 3 or more russet Potatoes Olive Oil Salt Ground Peppers Malt Vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, toss the peels with enough oil to lightly coat them on all sides. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until they are deep brown and crispy on all sides. Serve hot or at room temperature.

• • • • • •

To start, peel off and discard outer green rind and put white rind into a blender. Plan ahead! Make granita at least 8 hours before you make. rip basil leaves combined with heavy cream and set in refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

Strain out Basil leaves from infused cream and return it to refrigerator until you are ready to whip.

Place the watermelon rind puree, lime juice, and simple syrup into a large bowl and stir to combine

Pour the mixture into cake pan, place it in the freezer, and in every 1h in total of 4hs scrape with a fork to fluff it up.

Grounded Espresso after made. Shot in the photo studio of Ryerson University.

mottainai grandma_ “Mottainai, Mottainai!” a phrase we would have heard if we throw away still perfectly capable things in front of Japanese elderlies. Japan has suffered several material poverties. This is to why being ethical is well embedded in Japanese cultural DNA. In Japan, trash is never just a trash, recycling takes part in their lifestyle. If you have already visited Japan, you might have noticed that there is no single trash found on their sidewalk. Mottainai Grandma is a children book that teaches next generation the concept of Mottainai so that they would not forget. In the book, portrays two characters. A grandma and a 5-year-old boy. Whenever the boy attempt to throwing away things that are still capable of use, Mottainai grandma would come and say “Mottainai!” and shows the boy how things can be done differently. This section of the magazine will show you how materials we throw away in our daily lives can be used in other ways.

MOTTAINAI GRANDMA There are multiple ways to reuse grounded coffee. They can work as deodorizer, plant fertilizer, insect repellent, natural fabric dye ingredient, to cosmetics. Coffee especially works well with skin care. It sloughs the dead skin, make your skin smooth from anti-inflammatory and reduce water retention. Here are two skin care recipes you can make use at home from coffee waste

COFFEE SOAP soap base 1/4 cup coffee grounds 1/4 tsp vanilla essential Silicone mold or plastic package you have at home

• • • • •

Microwave soap base for 40 seconds, stir then repeat in 10-20 second until fully melted.

Add ingredients and pour into the mold

Wait until it fully cools

3 COFFEE BODY SCRUB • • • • •

Peels of 3 or more russet Potatoes Olive Oil Salt Ground Peppers Malt Vinegar

Mix together 1/2 cup fresh ground coffee and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Add 1/2 cup coconut oil into the coffee mixture and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Mix until well combined. Gently rub the mixture over your body—avoid areas around the eyes.

MANDARIN ORANGE PEELS

OLD STOCKING

Mandarin orange peels have several end-use. One of the many by Japanese elderlies is insect repellent. Insects dislike limonene substance in the mandarin orange peels. Thus, placing them next to the entrence can prevent insects from entering home. Another usage is bath fragrance. Mandarin orange peels can keep bathing water warm for several hours - similar effect as chloride spring. Dry up to 10 mandarin orange peels and use it for your bathing.

Old stocking is among the best in end use for cleaning. It can be used as a scrub brush since these tiny gaps between threads can easy catch dirt. Stocking scrub brush can be used to clean sinks or equipment. But with its soft texture, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a great equipment to catch dust or even polishing your leather footwears. You can simply make this by tying your stocking into a bundle.

MOTTAINAI GRANDMA

EGG SHELLS

TEA BAG

It is to be said that eggshells contain protein and thus can be eaten. However, let me present another way of usage. The eggshell is a natural dirt scrubs. Crush them into pieces and use them in cleaning fry pans, as well as laundry. Because of its soft yet sharp textures, it helps getting rid of dirt without leaving a single scar.

Used tea bag has multi end-use. Tea contains tannin, a component that can heal inflammation. Japanese elderlies use teabags to heal sunburns as well as swelling. However, the tea bag can also be worked with washing dishes. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only suck the oil from the dishware but it can also sterilize and reduce odor.

plastic is my backyard_ How to eliminate and reuse plastics in our daily lives

t is time to think about plastic. And when I say that I meant all of us. You might say leave the job to the environmentalists but the problem wouldn’t just go away without us all putting the work together. The argument used to rely on a few environmentalists who advocated for better practices in regards to the planet, but over the last few years, this problem has become so widespread and dangerous that we have to realize that we cannot deny or ignore the damage that humans cause every day. There is no superhero, no magic, and no sci-fi fix that will suddenly appear and save the day as we always hope to believe. The reality is that solving world most serious problem may take years or possibly even decades. “By 2050, there will be more plastic than fishes in the sea”, a famous phrase we hear everywhere we go. Each year, 18 billion tons of plastics float into the sea. In fact, according to scientists, we are already drinking plastic from our water. This is referred to as a micro-plastic, “tiny fragments that remain when the sun breaks down the larger hunks”, in which former U.S marine Marcus Eriksen called “the smog of the sea” (Kormann, 2019). Micro-plastics are everywhere, it’s in tap water, table salt, beer, and not to mention, being consumed by the fish we eat. The study from last year found 80 percent of the tap water worldwide contains micro-plastics. There are a number of activists and companies now determined to find sustainable solutions. Some of the companies include Boyan Slat, CEO of “The Ocean Cleanup” who saw oceanic current as a solution to clean up plastics, Salt Water Brewery, a firm who created edible packaging to save sea life, Edible Water Blobs , which designed water containers made out of seaweed extract, Avani’s, a biodegradable bag that saves sea life and reduces ocean pollutions and lastly, David Katz, CEO of “Plastic Bank” that exchange plastic with everything from school tuition to cooking fuel.

Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic Plastic 93

Whenever we see this inventions come to life, we may want to believe that plastic will no longer be a problem. Unfortunately, that short sided belief is incredibly dangerous to the global issue epidemic. Let us use the analogy of an overflowing sink in the kitchen as an example. The very last thing a person would do is to simply clean the water on the floor because he or she understands that unless they turn off the tap,the water will continue to overflow; cleaning the water on the floor will be ultimately ineffective and a waste of time. Similarly we can make a direct parallel to plastic waste. Unless all individuals learn to reduce or altogether avoid plastic, the larger issue at hand of pollution in our water systems will not be resolved but difficult to find in the great beyond. We have the funds to depart the wasting world for another one pure of the scars of exploitation, but even more precious is the human capacity to work together to save the cause of our planet’s survival, and in turn guarantee the survival of our entire earthly village, small and struggling as it is. Let us look at another example. Take a look into your garbage bin and recycle bins. Can you recall how many days it takes to fill up each of the two bins? It would be safe to assume that most people would not be able to exactly estimate how long it would take to fill each bin as plastic has become part of our daily lives. They are inseparable within our sub- consciousness that we

continue to purchase plastics made and wrapped products without a second thought. With activists and CEOs working together to ﬁnd most sustainable solutions, plastics may become a thing of the past. Now, the important question, how do we get there? It may be said that everything around us is made out of plastic and there is no way to plan a plastic-free life, but that would not be true. Let us look at a challenge started in Australia entitled “Plastic-free July”. For the month of July, Australians avoid using every possible plastic such as plastic bottle, bags, straws, and coffee cups. This month challenge allows people rethink single-use plastic on a daily basis. What is unique about this campaign is because it is presented in a manner that is attainable for their citizens; they are more likely to comply with the challenge to avoid plastic from daily activities, making it easy for anyone to start. “It just requires a little bit of planning before you face the day”, is a phrase used in their campaign for a numbers of time to encourage and remind people to refrain form using plastic. The cost beneﬁt analysis of this challenge is if people can accomplish this goal for one month, they will naturally start thinking about reducing their waste throughout the year, with less anxiety and worry.

PLASTIC IS MY BACKYARD

n e o e w r a e r e e w wh s e r r a s e e i h y s w c n “ i e t e s e t a t f a pl e fi m i l r k c we on c n E o h ” g t e a i g d n u a J h c

HERE ARE SOME OF THE TIPS TO GO PLASTIC FREE

Second hand Bags and Jewelry at Flee Market

Going plastic-free does not mean you need to avoid buying a plastic product at all times. A simple solution would be to buy a product packaged with glassware and papers. They are more decomposable than plastics that can last for millions of years.

Carry bags everywhere around you. The most used plastic bags are in fact, not grocery bags we use to carry our groceries; it is rather that one thin layer of the plastic bags we use to put the vegetables, fruits, and bread. So in order to avoid that altogether, carry eco friendly bags as well as a few smaller bags when you go shopping. This way, whenever you want to purchase an item, you are always prepared.

Mottainai brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furoshiki product displayed in their store. One is designed in the pattern of strawberry and other is designed in the pattern of animals

Going plastic-free does not mean you have to hold back your guilty pleasure. Stores like Balk Barn carry a large array of sweets and snacks as well as being environmentally friendly to consumers.

A large consumer of plastics is coffee. It is predicted that on average, Canadians drink approximately 2.3 cups of coffee a day. Unfortunately, when people discard their coffee cups, they may assume it is recyclable because it is made out of paper. But coffee cups used in any coffee chain have a thin plastic layer within the inner lining making it impossible to recycle. Thus, if you are about to bring your own coffee cups or travel mug to the coffee chain that would greatly reduce the amount of garbage you create. Furthermore, coffee chains may incentive you by giving you a discount for bringing your own cups. Both Starbucks and Tim Horton accept personal travel mug to fill the coffee in exchange for a discount in the price of the coffee.

PLASTIC IS MY BACKYARD

Always carry extra reusable containers for your leftovers. They are easy to store in your fridge, and can always be reheated and reused. Lastly, upcycling plastic does not need big budget renovations. For any extra plastic around your home consider using it as a plant holder. A plastic bag can be netted as a basket and plastic cookie holders can be a mold for making soap. Plastic is durable and easily changeable which can benefit us all as help the environment. The two are not mutually exclusive to one another. There are always alternatives as long as we are willing to invest the time to make those changes.

Dishwares in Fle Market. All of them are sold in 1000 yens which amont to $9.

reference_ ACADEMIC

DIRECTOR/EDITOR/ILLUSTRATOR RUHAO LOU ASSISTANT EDITOR JODI EUTENEIER INTERVIEWEE YOUNG THRIFTERS HINAKO HOSOYA HEATHER RATTRAY CATHERINE CARPENTER RYERSON UPCYCLING CAMILLE SINCLAIR HOGG JESSICA FRANKEL KIMONO STORIES HANA NISHIMURA MARILYN MCNEIL-MORIN

Fukudome, Takaaki. “先人環境資源論理構造. 文化 (2011): n. pag. Web. 12 Dec. 2018.

探

HARD, L. (2018). COOKING WITH SCRAPS: Turn your peels, cores, rinds, stems, and other odds and ends into 80 ... scrumptious, surprising recipes. Place of publication not identified: WORKMAN. Monaghan, K., & Vamvounakis, T. (2018). Waste not: Recipes and tips for full-use cooking from Americas best chefs. New York: Rizzoli. Morgan, A. (Director). (n.d.). The true cost [Video file]. Sato, Y. (2017). Mottainai: A Japanese sense of anima mundi. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 62(1), 147-154. doi:10.1111/1468-5922.12282 くらしに役立つエコ知恵が満載の情報サイト. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://econews.jp/idea/ index.html Kaplan, S. (2016, January 20). By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, study says. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/20/ by-2050-there-will-be-more-plastic-thanfish-in-the-worlds-oceans-study-says/?utm_ term=.1a12897fd651 Kormann, C., & Kormann, C. (2019, February 04). A Grand Plan to Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker. com/magazine/2019/02/04/a-grand-plan-toclean-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch

OTHERS

https://tabi-labo.com/152011/eggshell-hack

https://guides.lib.ku.edu/c.php?g=95330

https://tabi-labo.com/289458/local-kyoto-basketry-accessory-series https://tabi-labo.com/277921/kyoto-summary

https://mykaji.kao.com/washing_guide/4158/

https://tabi-labo.com/286138/awake-quercuswine

https://tabi-labo.com/287824/journey-plasticbagrecycle-ghana

https://tabi-labo.com/282576/plasticfreejuly

https://tabi-labo.com/286567/journey-pet-lamp

https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/

https://tabi-labo.com/279577/best-way-to-recycle

https://kinarino.jp/cat6-%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A 4%E3%83%95%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%82 %A4%E3%83%AB/15552-%E6%8D%A8%E3%81 %A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%82%93%E3 %81%A6%E3%82%82%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F% E3%81%84%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%EF%BC% 81%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%92%E3%8 3%BC%E3%81%8B%E3%81%99%E3%82%92%E5 %86%8D%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%99 %E3%82%8B10%E3%81%AE%E3%82%A2%E3%8 2%A4%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%A2%E2 %99%AB https://beautycrafter.com/diy-coffee-soap-recipe/ https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/coffeescrub/ https://tetsukuri.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/ furoshiki-the-japanese-wrapping-technique/ http://www.mottainai.info/jp/posts/closeup/001990.html

https://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/features/our-

https://tabi-labo.com/284339/goedzak https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mT4Qbp89nIQ https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bf5hf3ifj6pt2cj/ AADLwbYxuY0btcg_2nhrkSzPa?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sscx37fk11ftvhr/ AAB4IhjYriNY4iTRQEGCusvpa/Saturday%20 Jan%2026?dl=0&subfolder_nav_tracking=1 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4wqvcxrccive2on/ AAA06FwZdekxsVZJ3pdBfgo7a?dl=0 Mottainai Campaign. (n.d.). Retrieved from http:// www.greenbeltmovement.org/what-we-do/advocacy/mottainai-campaign Going plastic-free in July is easier than you think. (2018, June 20). Retrieved from https://www.sbs. com.au/food/article/2018/06/20/plastic-free-julyhow-to

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