A box of fabric samples headed for the trash led San Francisco designer Elizabeth Brunner to found eco-friendly clothing company Piece x Piece, which sells women’s apparel made from textile scraps and remnants that would otherwise end up in landfills.
While interning for local label Isda & Co, the California College of the Arts alum was tasked with sorting through boxes of samples and discarding what the company no longer needed.
“I had a really hard time with the thought of these beautiful fabrics going to the dump so, I asked if I could take them home instead, which I was allowed to do. The boxes sat in my garage for a year while I finished my last year of studies and, after that, I began working with the swatches,” says Brunner.
Making its debut in September, the line reuses fabric remnants from Bay Area labels such as Isda & Co., gr.dano and Erica Tanov. The cast-offs donated from these companies are then pieced together to fit patterns, and many feature hand-stitched details.
“The design process is laborious from start to finish, sourcing the fabrics, picking them up and placing them together, as well as everything in between. Every garment we make has a substantial amount of attention paid to it,” explains Piece x Piece collaborator Reeves Sinnott.
Influenced by classic menswear, the line of one-of-a-kind, limited edition garments ($176 and up), currently available at 440 Brannan Studio, includes a versatile v-neck tank, a little black dress, high-waist wrap skirt, patchwork tank top, cropped vests and knee-length shorts.
The result is a line that’s not only eco-friendly and based right here in San Francisco, but a source for unique style – all things we treasure.
Photography courtesy of Michelle Blioux for Piece x Piece
