24
Repair as resistance
For as long as we have been wearing clothes, we have been mending them. Today, we consume and discard clothing faster than ever before, but mending reminds us that the process of making garments has always involved skilled labour.
As we become increasingly removed from the production of our clothes, repair transforms into an act of resistance. We’ve chosen to display objects that tell human stories through visible repair, from the global to the intimate. What stories do your clothes tell?
Written by: Floor Assistants, V&A East Storehouse
Published: November 2026
Seasonal Display
- Museum Number
- T.36-1935
- Description
- Sampler
- Artist/Maker
- Littleboy, Rachel
- Location and Date
- England, 1798
- Materials/Techniques
- Wool (textile), Embroidering
- Museum Number
- T.253-1923
- Description
- Jibba
- Location and Date
- Sudan, 1870-1890
- Materials/Techniques
- Cotton, Wool, Velvet, Silk (textile), Applique
- Museum Number
- T.506:1, 2-1994
- Description
- Pair of boots
- Location and Date
- Germany, 1980s
- Materials/Techniques
- Leather
- Museum Number
- 1243-1904
- Description
- Textile fragment
- Artist/Maker
- Unknown
- Location and Date
- Egypt, 410-540 AD
- Materials/Techniques
- Wool, Single-needle knitting
- Museum Number
- T.468AA-1980
- Description
- Label
- Location and Date
- England, 1901
- Materials/Techniques
- Canvas, Embroidery
- Museum Number
- T.152 to C, E, H to W-1962
- Description
- Workcase
- Artist/Maker
- Unknown
- Location and Date
- England, 1875-1899
- Museum Number
- CIRC.214-1928
- Description
- Sleeve
- Location and Date
- Bulgaria, 19th century
- Materials/Techniques
- Linen (material), Silk (textile), Embroidering