Clothes for Chairs

How might discarded clothing be used to restore function and value to an otherwise unusable object? 

Working with reclaimed chair frames and post-consumer clothing, participants in this one-day design workshop led by Future Archive will experiment with sewing, hand stitching, weaving, knotting, and upholstery techniques — applying garment-based thinking to functional object design.

The workshop is structured around material exploration and collaborative problem-solving. There are no expected finished products, only processes worth following.

Guided making sessions throughout the day will introduce practical skills in textile reuse, while dedicated time for material exploration gives participants space to develop their own approach to transforming waste materials into new seating surfaces and structures.

Workshop outcomes will be shown as part of the Clothes for Chairs exhibition at Abbotsford Convent, 21–24 May, alongside resolved chair works by Melbourne designers and artists working across fashion, textile art, and material research. Participants will receive a project publication after the exhibition.

Clothes for Chairs is presented by Future Archive as part of an ongoing investigation into textile waste, garment afterlives, and circular material systems.