Identity, Craft, and Visible Mending
RAW Art Works | January 2024 | 24 Youth
Armor Jackets was a textile-based identity project in which youth transformed secondhand jackets into personalized “armor” using embroidery, visible mending, paint, patches, beads, and hardware. Participants first learned foundational hand-sewing techniques — including running stitch and blanket stitch — by creating custom embroidered patches, then applied those skills to redesign and up-cycle their chosen jackets.
The project integrated technical skill-building with identity exploration. Youth reflected on fashion as self-expression and used their designs to communicate values, experiences, and aspects of self they wanted the world to see. The emphasis on repair and slow fashion reframed mending as empowerment, while the tactile process of sewing fostered patience, focus, and peer collaboration.
Each student left with a finished wearable artwork; a durable, expressive garment that symbolized resilience, creativity, and pride.
