Try altering used clothing into functional art without losing the personality and tailoring of the original garment. The Quilts of Gee’s Bend are a popular example of people who use old clothing and material for necessity and create something beautiful. German designer Edson Raupp walks a similar path with his line called “Suitcase”, except that he is using old clothing for the beauty and precision that are inherent in the original design.

The pieces in Edson Raupp’s collection feature hidden buttons and pockets, lapels, stiches, and tailoring with all the brilliant lining and detailing intact, in very hardy and beautiful bags for women and men. Derived from a joint effort to preserve the beauty of suit tailoring and provide recycled materials, Raupp bought beautiful dark suits from charity shops in London and made items like the large suitcase bag, the medium suitcase bag, and the suit sleeve handbag that currently debut in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum Shop and in the touring Craft Council Exhibition, Well Fashioned: Eco Style in the UK.

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