left____overs is changing the sustainable fashion landscape

Artist Emma Harris is combining her love of fashion design with her passion for preserving the natural world. Here, Emma shares the creative journey that led to the conception of her sustainable clothing brand, left____overs.

Why do you construct your pieces using scrap materials?

This project started as a way for me to wear the memory of my mother’s craft by turning her knitting swatches into garments so that they wouldn’t be unused textile. It has since come to mean so much more, but this all started with memory and the desire to wear years’ worth of my mother’s projects on my back. I honestly don’t believe we’ll have much of a world to live in if the fashion industry doesn’t rethink how they waste material or source and process their textiles and fibers. Working with materials already produced that have been deemed undesirable or unusable is the most sustainable way for me to work; it helps reduce demand for new textile while aiding in the diversion of textile waste from landfills.

Being that you use swatches and scraps, you don’t necessarily have access to unlimited raw resources. How do you contend with this in your work?

Right now I collect donations sourced from people who find me through social media, friends, or guilds that I’ve contacted to discuss my project and to let them know that I accept any and all leftovers. I also purchase second-hand or scrap materials from organizations like Our Social Fabric in Vancouver that collect scrap materials from a variety of local businesses. I wish there wasn’t such an abundance of textile waste but there is, and you just have to work a little harder to get access to it. My resources are no less limited than those of someone using brand new materials — mine just have a little more variety and randomness.

Also, if anyone reading this has leftovers, reach out to me! I’ll help you figure out what to do with them or pay for shipping if you’d like to send them my way.

For those of us who aren’t designers, do you have any suggestions for how we can repurpose our garments in order to give them a second life?

There are so many upcycling ideas out there, and even more have been created since the start of the pandemic. I suggest prioritizing things that you don’t want to let go of but might be taking up too much space for something going completely unused. Maybe your favorite t-shirt from when you were little could become a cool bag if you insert a lining and add a strap. Maybe turn a beloved jean jacket into a lace-up corset or bustier with a whole punch and some grommets. Think about a fun way to merge what you’ve been coveting and what you’ve been longing to preserve.

Do you keep up with current trends? If so, how do they influence your work?

I keep up with trends and definitely factor them into what I post or how I style something. Although, I find I am so much more influenced by history and the materials I happen to come across. It’s hard to make things perfectly on-trend when you work with whatever falls into your lap. However, I am very influenced by Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, but that’s as far as I dive into high fashion houses when it comes to my own work.

What advice do you have for developing your own personal style?

Accumulate items that feel sacred to you, because you will always hold onto them and find new ways of styling them even if the item alone may not always fit your aesthetic. There are so many pieces in my wardrobe that I know I’ll always keep with me, so they will always feel and look like my personal style. Also, start an archive Instagram account.

How do you stay inspired?

I run an archive Instagram account which has really helped me save motifs that I really love and organize the direction in which I want my work to go. I really recommend doing that if you want to focus on adapting your curatorial skills and push yourself to hunt the Internet for stuff that you love. And, honestly, Google Images. I love Google Images. I Google everything that pops into my mind and I think could look cool.

What advice do you have for budding creatives?

Be brave enough to make something that feels so vulnerable that you don’t want anyone to see it, and then show it to the world. I was so scared of my swatch work for a long time because it was so personal and I wasn’t a formally trained fashion designer — I felt like a fraud. I felt naked in public. But, the fact that it is so intimate to me pushed me to expand into wackier materials and concepts. If what you’re doing doesn’t make you feel naked, find something that does.

What’s next for you and left____overs?

I want to continue to encourage people to rework their leftovers, which I already see happening within my own little digital circle of creatives and it’s really lovely. Materials are expensive; why wouldn’t you milk everything until all you’ve got left is little bits of thread (which you should also save)? I like that I’ve sort of turned into a mini waste management facility, and I want to expand that by sharing these resources with people who are eager to fulfill a similar mission. Empowering the consumer is the only way we can turn the fashion industry on its head.

Originally published March 2, 2021