The Art of Recycling: When "Visible Mending" Transforms the Old into Luxury

For decades, the rule was simple: if it's torn, it's finished. Or at least, if it's repaired, it has to be invisible. Repairing was an admission of poverty.

By 2026, the trend had completely reversed.

We are witnessing the explosion of "Visible Mending" and upcycling. This movement, far from being a passing fad, is a philosophical and aesthetic response to fast fashion. Consumers no longer want disposable products; they want stories.

The wisdom of Sashiko and Kintsugi

This trend is rooted in a centuries-old Japanese tradition. One immediately thinks of Sashiko, the geometric embroidery originally used by Japanese farmers to reinforce worn work clothes. Instead of concealing the wear, the white thread on the indigo highlighted it, giving it a graphic quality.

One also thinks of Wabi-Sabi, the philosophy that accepts and celebrates imperfection, and Kintsugi, the art of repairing broken ceramics with gold. The scar then becomes the most precious part of the object. It tells a story of survival.

Upcycling as a business model

For the modern artisan, this represents a tremendous business opportunity. Transforming an existing material requires fewer raw materials but adds invaluable emotional significance. The customer no longer buys a garment; they buy a unique piece, rescued from oblivion.

The Perfect Example: L'Atelier Bâtard

Within the Socle team itself, we have living proof that this approach works. Our artistic director, Charlotte Beaudin, is the founder of L'Atelier Bâtard.

Her work perfectly embodies this aesthetic of resurrection. Charlotte doesn't simply sew; she hybridizes. She takes forgotten textiles, garments that have "lived," and deconstructs them to ennoble them. At L'Atelier Bâtard, a stain becomes a motif, a tear becomes a window.

It's raw, it's unapologetic, and it's profoundly modern.

Lesson for creators

What L'Atelier Bâtard and the Visible Mending trend teach us is that industrial perfection is boring. In the age of artificial intelligence and mass production, humans are searching for the "trace of the hand."

For Quebec artists and craftspeople, the message is clear: don't hide your processes. Don't throw away your failures. There is beauty (and a market) for what has been broken, loved, and repaired with artistry.