The Garment Revival project prolongs both the lifetime and memory of a garment.

The garment revival project revitalizes damaged, old, and worn textiles that otherwise carry significant meaning. Garment Revival is the preservation of nostalgia and textile through repurposed fashion. It encapsulates the idea of tangible emotional significance by repurposing the donated garments of customers into new pieces ready for wear. It gives new meaning to well-loved textiles and resurrects a garment otherwise doomed for a life in the back of the closet.

Start by filling out the Submit a Garment form and we'll schedule a follow-up consultation with Julie to discuss your style, preferences and garment. Once a vision has been set, Julie deconstructs the article, adds dead stock material to fill in its design, and sews together the finished product.

submit your garment

Kristen Iskandrian

author, mother, Birmingham, AL 
In spring of 2016 I was walking around Salem, Massachusetts, with my family. The famous location of the witch trials of 1692, The Satanic Temple, and other attractions, including the gorgeous Peabody Essex museum, where we had spent our morning ogling the World of Wearable Art Exhibit, Salem has a distinct, arty, occultist aura. My sister-in-law and I wandered into a vintage/consignment store and I was struck by this housedress, the color and cut. Such a homey, simple garment, in stark contrast to its witchy environment--I thought it would be the perfect souvenir. It was fun to imagine the lives it had lived and the women who had worn it before me. I wore it a lot--lost and replaced several buttons, ignored a few tears at the seams. Finally, it became unwearable, but I didn't want to let it go, as it called to mind a special day. Julie transformed it into something completely amazing, honoring its humble housedress roots while elevating it into something upscale, structured, and sexy. It's the perfect blend of Salem-witchy and timeless chic.
www.kristeniskandrian.com
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Ann Trondson

director Aveda institute Birmingham, AL, artist, mother
www.AnnTrondson.com
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Graham Yelton

graphic designer & photographer, mother, Birmingham, AL
www.grahamyelton.com
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Christiana Roussel

Southern food and lifestyle writer, mother, Birmingham, AL 
The dress hung there in the back of my closet, peeking out every once in a while to tease me with how pretty it was. Of course, the measurements the dressmaker used changed the moment I walked out the door. I was bigger here, maybe smaller there, but every time I succumbed to trying on that dress, the zipper would only go up so high. Then, I met Julie: Super Mom to two beautiful children, incredibly charming, and also a badass fashion designer. When Julie asked if I had a favorite garment to repurpose, my first thought led me back to that comely dress in the back of my closet. Meeting at her studio, I brought along some of my other favorite pieces from my closet that fit just right. She listened to me, to the fabric of the dress, the stories my closet told. After I left her studio, I imagine she spoke to the fabric and whispered its future. I had no idea what would become of that dress but I was wholly unprepared for its next life. I was blown away. I adore my bespoke, one-of-a-kind, custom, Julie Maeseele, Zkano-sock-sleeved blouse. That midnight blue-silver sparkle fabric is still the star of the garment but now there is more room for me…