RECLUSE














In collaboration with Rebecca Brusa
Thesis Project, IUAV, 2025
Social Design, Upcycling




Recluse is a collaborative project developed with women from the Il Sorriso community in Fontanelice (Bologna), a rehabilitation community for people recovering from drug addiction. In a five-day workshop, we
co-designed and produced a sustainable fashion collection using textile waste and discarded garments, concluding with a public event.

More Details About the Project

“Reusing something that already had a life, to give it a second one. It’s a bit like us here. You come from one life and start creating another.” 
— L. (a member of the workshop)

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The Project
Recluse is a social innovation project developed with women from the Il Sorriso community in Fontanelice (Bologna), a rehabilitation community for people recovering from drug addiction.

In a five-day workshop, we co-designed and produced a fashion collection using only discarded garments and textile waste. With just a few tools: scissors, pins, and ribbon, participants deconstructed and reassembled materials into new wearable pieces.

Design here is reduced to the essential.

The project concluded with a public runway event, opening the process to an external audience and creating a moment of exchange.

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Collaborators
[Art & Creative Direction]
Martina Gerardi 
Rebecca Brusa

[Event Organization]
Martina Gerardi 
Rebecca Brusa


[Photos]
Yunus Muhammad




Last Updated 24.10.31