by SCHMIDTTAKAHASHI
now Studio SCHMITD www.schmitd.net
Once garments end up in the hands of particular person, they are no longer anonymous objects. Even if they were mass produced for an unknown number of consumers, each piece becomes unique with use, and carries the different stories and features given by its owners.
Collecting
Schmidttakahashi’s custom made containers travel and collect used clothes. Donators receive an ID number which enables to track the afterlife of their own used clothes.
Tagging
Each piece of the finished collection is numbered and registered in the database of schmidttakahashi. An ID number and a QR code are attached on the garments. The online database can be accessed directly, simply by scanning the QR-Code with a mobile device.
Networking
All the informations about the products and the donation are provided online. The former owners of the processed clothes can follow and tell stories about them, and the new owners can find out the background of the pieces, comment and carry on the history.
Archiving
An enormous amount and wide variety of used clothes are donated to schmidttakahashi. Every single piece is registered in a digital database with the number identifying the former owner anonymously. This helps the designers to search and choose particular clothes for the next step.
Processing
The used clothes are cleaned thoroughly and the nasty ordure and dirt are removed. The other characteristics such as cuffs, holes, stains and usual traces of use are enhanced as design elements, by repairing and placing them in particular positions. The clothes are carefully cut apart and the pieces are put in a new combination together.
The products of schmidttakahashi is desired to be returned to its own container again after a pleasant usage, and will be treated as material for future collections. In this way, the production and material form a perfect circle, and the family tree of the garments keeps growing and enrich its history.