What's -REMAKE©- by 88th Co.?

I always felt that old things shouldn’t have one life, but multiple. Like Japanese people, I’m a strong believer in the Mottainai philosophy. “Mottainai attempts to communicate the inherent value in a thing and encourages using objects fully or all the way to the end of their lifespan. Leave no grain of rice in your bowl; if a toy breaks, repair it; and take good care of everything.” – Kevin Taylor, ABC News May 2017” I apply Mottainai for all my a -REMAKE©- designs and I find it particularly important to create new things from old things. They have soul and character! Finally, it’s important to be less wasteful in the environmental crisis that we are now facing.

Turning old jackets, coats, hats, jeans, pants, shirts, sweaters, curtains, bags, scarfs, and gloves, into reusable material for a -REMAKE©- takes time. First, I go thrifting for hours and sometimes in far locations (where I even have to fly there) and find the perfect recyclable item. Second, I rip seams to recuperate: zippers, buttons, leather, suede, ropes, tags, patches, buckles, pins, and fabric in all shapes and forms. There will never be the same buttons or leather, for example, so each -REMAKE©- is a unique wearable art piece made with love!

Without threads, there won’t be much to sew or to -REMAKE©-. So, I pay close attention to buying the best quality thread for a long-lasting result. I always buy high-quality vintage dead stock thread and sometimes, I buy brand new DMC, for its vibrant arrays of colors.

Remake means that it’s only related to upcycling materials, but at 88^th Company -REMAKE©- has a wider meaning. Painting & dyes are major tools to remake old things into new things. For example, old leather needs to be cleaned, dyed again, and hand-painted with new designs for a new art story piece. The same goes for all the materials that can be customized for a particular project. I only use the best and most durable paint brands: Speedball (for fabric) and Angelus Paint (for leather/plastic). Finally, I only use natural dyes such as coffee, turmeric, and any available organic dyes.