From vintage clothes to picture books: upcycling tells new stories for children

Florence, May 21, 2026

Sustainability in fashion also hinges on the ability to reinterpret what already exists. Starting from this statement, the project took life and was carried out by second-year students on the Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design at Accademia Italiana Firenze, in collaboration with the Mani Tese association and the Usato Bene Mani Tese social cooperative, which are dedicated to collecting and redistributing second-hand clothing to promote solidarity and mindful consumption.

At the heart of the project is a selection of vintage children’s garments: unique, handcrafted pieces designed to stand the test of time. These garments, steeped in history and identity, have been given a contemporary twist through the work of young designers, using upcycling techniques.

It wasn’t just about fashion: the project also combined storytelling and illustration, giving rise to a multidisciplinary creative process. Working in groups and guided by professor Tecla Frigerio, the students created illustrated children’s books, developing characters, settings and stories based on the recycled clothes. 

Through techniques such as patchwork, layering, manipulation and the blending of garments, new visual identities have come to life, celebrating the history of the garments and transforming it into new design possibilities.

The final projects offered an exploration of the emotional and cultural value of clothing, demonstrating how design can serve as a means of telling stories, preserving memories and envisioning new forms of sustainability.