Abstract

Our clothing is our second skin, a pliable shelter. In contrast, the apparel and footwear industry is highly globalised with a supply chain that stretches around the world, almost completely disengaged from the consumer. The 100-Mile Suit – the result of a six-month design experiment that utilised a regional supply chain with the aim of reintegrating and reconnecting the wearer of clothes to local trades and economies – was intended to introduce a dialogue about resources and community, an attempt to unravel the disconnect of consumer to product. Originally developed as part of a museum exhibition focusing on local communities and collective gestures, the 100-Mile Suit project employed virtual spaces of blog and internet for collaborative dialogue as well as a physical museum as a production space during demonstrations akin to ‘sheep to shawl’ events. A regional garment supply chain was simulated, wherein the community could witness the process of making clothing, talk to the makers and touch the materials.