Fortiv was formed as a response to the mass amounts of clothing and textile waste headed to landfill. All of the clothing, textiles and trims we use are reclaimed from rag houses, thrift shops, and local manufacturers.  We see what we make as a way to extend the life of what has already been produced.

Fortiv combines construction, colour and craft to transform reclaimed materials into clothing and textiles goods that are truly one of a kind.

construction

Our ever changing materials allow for a continual process of play and exploration. Each item we create presents a unique set of parameters to work with. 

Reclaimed clothes are either re-fitted and re-worked, or treated as the fabric our designs are cut from.  Our scraps leftover from the clothes we make become the base for our range of textile goods.

Throughout the construction process, we look for ways to reduce our impact. Unused buttons and trims are saved and scraps are often patched together. Any scraps that do not get used are recycled through a local textile waste initiative, Fabcycle. 

colour

Fortiv uses natural dyes as a way to alter what we reclaim. We create textures and alter shades through an explorative process combining foraged, collected and local/ ethically sourced dyes. 

We partner up with local florists and neighborhood shops to re-use their wilted flowers and food scraps, finding a use for what would otherwise be composted.

Our process often layers multiple dyes, playing with varying techniques and discovering new colours as we go.

craft

Fortiv celebrates hand crafts for the stories they share, the traditions they hold, and the imprint our hands leave on what we make. We practice a slow approach to fashion, resisting mass manufacturing and re-thinking the way we engage with crafts. The holes we mend, patches we add, and illustrations we embroider enable a story to come forth that is one of a kind. Each detail becomes a symbol of transformation enabled through time and care.

Imagine if updating, altering, and mending our clothes was the norm? 

Imagine if we allowed our clothes to have more than one life, changing overtime as we do.

We are inspired by how we wear clothes, the stories they become, and how we pass them on.

We see the potential to transform what we already have and reframe our concept of waste. Our explorative approach challenges the perceived limits we’ve placed on our clothes and inspires us to redefine the status quo of clothing consumption. 

We believe the future of what we make begins with what already exists. We hope that by providing reclaimed clothing made with care we can inspire others to see the value in quality, craft, and reuse.