New heights in ethical fashion and consumer experience

Ethica- Thread is an adaptive reuse design spotlighting burgeoning ethical clothing brand ‘Mara’ and shifting thinking and behaviours about fast fashion.

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The site is The Garment Factory on Montrose Street in Glasgow’s Merchant City. Ethica-Thread is a cutting edge and immersive design filling the entire space of the building and incorporating the use of sustainable materials and ethical practice.

The design responds to unethical practices in the trillion-dollar global fast fashion industry, where cheaply produced garments are rushed from catwalk to store to rally new trends through excessive consumption.

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The user is presented with captivating range of experiences over five floors. Ethica- Thread is fully accessible and inclusive, and Mara’s brand identity cascades throughout. Movement is facilitated by the statement staircase and lifts to each level.

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The space is contemporary and multi-sensory, comprising a retail shop, a café, dye and screen- printing workshops, a studio for creatives, a sensory learning space and an events space. Off cut and pattern process influences Ethica- Thread’s design form and development. The Factory’s baronial architecture and sandstone elements inspires visual and tactile experimentation using rich copper cladding, concrete aggregate and organic fabrics.