Welcome to Fafafoom Studio
Repurposing textile waste to construct, refashion, or repair garments and accessories.
We rescue and upcycle discarded fabric remnants, textile samples, and other materials to create custom garments, accessories, and home decor.
To extend lifespan and wearability, we thoughtfully repair torn or worn out clothes, vintage garments, and accessories whenever possible.
Pre-owned clothes and accessories get deconstructed, pieced together, and reassembled into garments with new silhouette / colors / surface patterns / embellishments.
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Experience Mira's Textile Arts in Virtual Reality
The Climate Gallery features Mira Musank in the virtual “A Study in Artivism” exhibition. See Mira’s creations in the virtual Textile Arts Gallery and check out galleries from 4 other climate artists – Klara Maisch, David Solnit, Minori Murata, and Rose McAdoo.
Watch Artist Talk with Mira Musank
Climate Gallery‘s “A Study in Artivism” exhibition kicked off with Mira’s Artist Talk and her Textile Art Gallery tours. Watch the recorded 30-minute talk and subsequent gallery tour clips!
Video Guides
Artist Talk starts at (3:10)
Gallery Tour starts at (40:14)
Download presentation slides
Why We Do It
Our Motivators
73% of all clothing materials end up in landfills or incinerated.
In the US, the figure is around 85% in 2018 – 11 million tons of textiles got landfilled, the rest incinerated. Moreover, less than 1% of old clothes get recycled into new ones, and 92 million tons of textile waste is produced each year. This translates to an equivalent of a garbage truck filled with textiles and clothes dumping its load into landfills every second, every year.
There is an abundance of textile cutoffs, remnants, and samples that are of good quality and never made into a finished product before being discarded. By reclaiming these materials and creating thoughtful designs, we can shift perspectives about “textile waste.”
People wear clothes fewer times before throwing them away.
Throwaway culture has continued to worsen, especially with the normalized crazed of fast fashion. The number of times a garment is worn has declined by 36% in 15 years. It’s estimated that an average American throws away 81 pounds (37 kg) of clothes every year. To make it worse, the majority of discarded clothes are not recycled.
The mix of materials (fiber yarns, synthetic filaments, plastics, etc.) within our clothes dictates what can be recycled effectively or not. Globally, only 12% of clothing materials are recycled. The rest are most likely downcycled, incinerated, or landfilled. Approximately $500 billion is lost each year due to decline of repeat wearings and failure to recycle clothes.
Donating used clothes and textiles can be problematic.
Only 10 – 20% of donated clothing gets sold domestically in the US. The rest gets exported overseas, with the US contributing 40% of secondhand clothing exports globally. 70% of global secondhand clothing donations end up in Africa, and others landing elsewhere are most likely incinerated or go to domestic landfills. At Kantamanto Market in Ghana, 40% of secondhand clothes that arrived go straight to landfill due to bad conditions.
If we can encourage people to hold on to their clothes longer, that means fewer clothes will go through this dreadful secondhand clothes funnel that ends up catalyzing environmental disasters and displacing people.
What We Make
Our Projects
Modern Ethnic
Biking Pants Repair
Six-Square Top
Tulle Cage Dress
Origami Treasure Boxes
Gardening Outfit
Handkerchief Dress
Boro Shirt
Featured Project
Gathered Cloths
An active study of collecting and repurposing textile waste into functional and modular apparel design. Growing amounts of scrap cloth are gathered and assembled into a new form with each iteration.
Initiated during Climate Creative Spring 2021 cohort participation, the Gathered Cloths project invites better awareness of textile waste, encourages textile repurposing efforts, and welcomes contemplation of the textile lifecycle and its importance in meaningful climate actions.
Featured Project
ReCollection
A fashion design collaboration with emerging fashion designer Jesus Romero. Would you recall the true worth of textiles and extend their lifespan? A mini-collection loosely inspired by Japanese and Victorian aesthetics, refashioned from pre-owned / vintage clothes and textiles.
In the Media
Featured In
Mira Musank’s works have been shown in global publications and channels. It’s been a humbling yet exciting journey towards increasing awareness of textile waste, encouraging creative reuse, and fostering direct climate actions.
Who We Are
About Us
Mira Musank is a textile upcycling artist based in San Francisco Bay Area – land of indigenous tribes Ohlone, Muwekma, and Lisjan.
Repurposing discarded textile samples, used clothes, and fabric remnants, she transforms them into custom garments and home decor. Her designs are inspired by a combination of Western haute couture and traditional East / Southeast Asian cultures.
Through an intuitive process of sewing, weaving, and hand embroidery, Mira aims to give second chances to so-called textile waste in more intimate yet expressive intentions. She also regularly redistributes materials to the local community for creative reuse.
How We Do It
Our Blog
Interpreting Kebaya, Making a Modern Ethnic Ensemble
Modern Ethnic outfit is my interpretation of kebaya dressing. They are made using vintage ikat textile and inspired by several free minimal-waste patterns. Only on fafafoom.com.
Restoring a 1950s Atomic Age Dress
Restoring and repairing a beautiful 1950s Dress for my summer 2022 wardrobe. Smart alterations include lining and inseam pockets. Only on fafafoom.com.
Pink Delight! Natural Dyeing with Camellia Flowers
My next experiment is dyeing with camellia flowers. Amongst all natural dyeing projects I have done so far, this is my favorite. Check out the pink delights! From fafafoom.com.
5 Slow Fashion Tips for a More Sustainable Wardrobe
Five slow fashion tips to help you transform your sustainable wardrobe for a cleaner, greener future. A guest feature from Reese Jones for Fafafoom.com.
Upcycling and Repairing Ideas for Garden Decor
The garden has become a special place, especially during Covid-19 pandemic. During shelter-in-place period, I made garden decors by upcycling locally sourced items.
Natural Dyeing with Japanese Maple Leaves: Notes from a First-timer
Notes from my first natural dyeing experiment with Japanese maple leaves in fall season. Three batches of dyeing using fallen leaves sourced from two different trees in the garden. So much to learn and enjoy afterwards.
A kind reminder: All the pictures featured here are protected under Creative Commons license. They can only be used with prior consent from us and linked back to fafafoom.com. Commercial use of any material is forbidden. If you'd like to use our pictures, please email us.