When it comes to patches, everyone will associate with the poor. In times of scarcity and war, the poor civilian was wearing clothes with patches. Therefore, clothes with patches became the opposite of fashion. In the advanced age of material abundance, people’s living standards enhanced. We came to seek the realm of spiritual civilization. People were finding the ingenuity of patches – a plain and brave heart. And they show their respect to the wives and mothers that silently sew and mend the clothes for their husbands and children.
Patchwork, sometimes it’s also called “pieced work”. Patchwork was usually used for the craft of quilt made in Europe and America during the 18th century. In the 18th century, the Amish and Dutch colonists settled down from Europe to the Midwest of America, they lived in this land adhering to the principle of faith. At the same time, the traditional sewing craft they brought to America. When the war broke out, the Amish Women began to use various cloth to make the quilt and raise money to subsidize the red cross society by a quilt made. The quilt was also given as a mascot of local customs and practices, for the coming-of-age ceremony and wedding gifts. The quilt has also increased its humanistic spirit with the changes of The Times. In order to commemorate its symbolic historical value, Americans made a drama film about quilts and love in 1995. It is called “How to make an American Quilt” The movie is about a woman who has just graduated from college and is considering whether to accept the proposal from her longtime cohabiting boyfriend. So she went home to reunite with her relatives, also to consult them. These elders not only actively support her to form a family, but also share their love and marriage experience with her when they work together to make a quilt with patches. Each character used her sewing thread to stitch her past love stories into a quilt. Patchwork was also used to express a kind of protest against upper-class society. Revolt hippy and punk decorate their clothes with patches to irony luxury.
In recent times, patchwork has been a pattern of manifestation by spinning artists in Europe and America. A mixed-media artist from America repurchases clothes the methods of hand-drawn, embroidery, and piece. The art pattern of manifestation is already adopted by many famous designers and praised highly by the public.
Fast fashion will probably bring pleasant sensations, but it will also bring a sense of guilt for the environment. Many greener people are appealing to sustainable production. The deep culture and exquisite craft produced by patchwork is exactly the method of sustainable production. But will this slow approach capture the fashion obsession of many beauty lovers? The answer depends on how you treat the synthesis of fashion, art, and culture.