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With Gen Z under lockdown, DIY fashion takes off

Restructuring, upcycling and customising garments is more popular than ever with young people. And brands might have a part to play.

Restructuring, upcycling and customising garments is more popular than ever with young people. And brands might have a part to play.

Young people are increasingly interested in customising, upcycling and reconstructing clothes amid Covid-19, as shown by a spike in upcycling, resale and increased consumption of DIY clothing supplies.
Going further to tap into Gen Z’s affinity for ethical, unique clothing, brands including A-Cold-Wall and Dickies are selling or giving away deadstock fabric or branded hardware to establish connection with a burgeoning audience that, in lockdown, is looking for hobbies.
Activity on Depop is a good barometer of young people’s wants, as 90 per cent of its 15 million registered users in 126 countries are under 25, with a third of 18-25 year olds in the UK registered on the platform.
Young creators at home could help brands breathe life into past-season garments or textiles. “If bigger brands or designers were able to say, ‘Hey, I like what you’re making, I’ll send you a bag of fabric scraps’, I can work with it and that’d be really cool,” says Salazar.