8 textile artists reimagine archive clothing for the TOAST Renewal Auction

26 April 2021

The proceeds from their work will be donated the Crafts Council

26 April 2021

Crafted promotion

Toronto-based textile designer Arounna Khounnoraj has hand-embroidered an archive TOAST shirt for the Renewal Auction

As part of its ongoing partnership with the Crafts Council, lifestyle brand TOAST has tasked eight textile artists to renew garments from its archive with their own creative flair. The finished collection of 15 adapted pieces is now available to preview online and across selected TOAST shops, and will be auctioned off from 14-21 May, with all proceeds being donated to the Crafts Council.

Each of the makers has breathed new life into deadstock garments for the Renewal Auction, using techniques unique to their artistic approach, including embroidery, collage, layering, patchwork and visible mending. ‘We chose local and international artists with a contemporary outlook who have sustainability at the core of their practice, whether they’re using natural dyes or recycling fabrics,’ explains Ruth Smith, marketing executive of TOAST, which has always honoured the importance of timeless design and now strives to go a step further to eliminate waste and reduce its impact on the planet.

Hand-painted TOAST dungarees by Brighton artist Amy Isles Freeman
London-based Richard McVetis has embellished the pockets of a TOAST peacoat

Crafts Council Directory maker Richard McVetis, for example, uses the slow and ritualistic process of hand embroidery to explore our perception of space and time, and has made his mark on a TOAST wool peacoat from 2018, embellishing the pockets with new details. Brighton-based Amy Isles Freeman, whose multidisciplinary work centres on themes of female sexuality, joy and freedom, has painted directly onto her garment. The other makers who have taken part in the project are Alice Burnhope, Arounna Khounnoraj, Isabel Fletcher, Hannah Refaat, Rashmi Bidasaria and Tiffany Mumford.

Detail of Refaat’s textile intervention on the dress
British-Egyptian artist Hannah Refaat has embroidered a TOAST garment

The exclusive Renewal Auction collection includes a coat, jacket, dungarees, dresses, skirts and shirts across different sizes, fabrics and colourways. The minimum starting bid will be based on the original selling price of that item. Makers were offered the chance to use leftover TOAST fabric samples, though these are not always in abundant supply: ‘We are eliminating waste and producing leaner collections to reduce our levels of surplus so there’s often not much that can be used for projects like this,’ says Smith.

For a brand with slow fashion at its heart, it’s the sort of challenge that TOAST embraces – and one that we’re eagerly supporting. ‘The partnership between TOAST and the Crafts Council is a very harmonious one,’ says Natalie Melton, creative director of Crafts Council. ‘We want to show that the skills and vision of talented makers can help reset our approach to waste in the fashion industry.’

Sketch from an interactive drawing and mark making workshop hosted by Burnhope exploring renewal and sustainability. After the workshop, Burnhope selected aspects of the participants’ sketches and used these to inspire her embroidery on the coat
Alice Burnhope has added details to the collar and sleeve of a TOAST coat, as well as a detachable pocket

Since its launch in 1997, TOAST has championed individual makers though initiatives such as its New Makers programme, which offers mentorship and business advice, as well as a platform for designers to sell their pieces. Meanwhile, the brand’s annual Creative Residency – a three-day programme of talks, workshops and events, this year taking place in the Crafts Council Gallery – aims to connect like-minded creative individuals. ‘We want people to have a very strong connection to the pieces that they’re buying for their wardrobe,’ adds Smith. ‘And we believe part of that is knowing the story behind it, how it’s been made – and by who.’

Detail of designer Rashmi Bidasaria’s handiwork
Isabel Fletcher worked with fabric offcuts for her TOAST auction piece

The auction coincides with the rollout of TOAST’s renewal service across all of its stores. Customers can bring any TOAST clothing item in need of repair to one of its shops, where experts will offer creative mending options (think sashiko repair or appliqué) to revive their beloved garments. ‘Mending is about the journey travelled,’ says TOAST renewal repair specialist Jessica Smulders-Cohen, ‘not reinstating the impossible perfection of the new.’

See the full TOAST Renewal Auction collection

8 textile artists reimagine archive clothing for the TOAST Renewal Auction

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