History: Sans Soucie Textile + Design (2002–2019)

Sans Soucie Inc. builds on the legacy of Sans Soucie Textile + Design, an award‑winning Vancouver‑based textile and design studio active from 2002 to 2019. This history page documents the origins of the practice, the development of its industrial upcycling methods, and the partnerships and exhibitions that inform the work of Sans Soucie Inc. today.

Origins in Vancouver

Sans Soucie Textile + Design was established in Vancouver in 2002 as a zero‑waste upcycling innovation textile and clothing design studio dedicated to transforming pre‑consumer waste hosiery from Canadian mills into new textiles, garments, accessories and soft furnishings. From the outset, the studio combined artisanal methods of zero waste dyeing and printing, surface design and garment construction using obsolete industrial sewing and textile machinery, treating textile waste as both material resource and research tool.

Early prototypes were developed as a student in response to the volume of mill waste observed in production, leading to a long‑term exploration of how pre‑consumer hosiery waste could be remanufactured into functional, durable and unique textiles.

Developing an industrial upcycling method

Over eighteen years, Sans Soucie Textile + Design developed a signature industrial upcycling method for waste hosiery that combined:

• zero waste hand dyeing, print and surface design methods

• zero‑waste cutting and re-assembly construction methods

• the creative reuse of decommissioned industrial finishing machinery from the hosiery industry to remanufacture this waste into yardage, garments and other outcomes.

The studio specialised in transforming pre‑consumer nylon hosiery (including pantyhose and tights) into one‑of‑a‑kind heirloom textiles and limited‑edition collections, keeping offcuts in circulation by developing reuse strategies. These were then made into one of a kind garments, accessories, sculptural forms and installations. This practice positioned hosiery waste as a site for circular design, cultural identity and creative expression long before “circular fashion” became mainstream language.

Partnerships, exhibitions and recognition

The Vancouver studio worked with Canadian manufacturers to divert hosiery waste from landfill, including Doris Hosiery, Reliable Hosiery and a partnership with Gildan Apparel Canada that supplied pre‑consumer hosiery waste for transformation into new textiles and garments. Additional partnerhsips were made with Hanes, USA and smaller mills on US based projects between 2013-2016.

Sans Soucie collections were shown at international fashion weeks and exhibitions in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia, and were recognised with awards for innovation in craft, design and sustainability. This period established the studio’s reputation for experimental textile upcycling and its commitment to integrating craft, industry and digital technology in a circular framework.

Transition to the UK

In 2019, the studio relocated to London, coinciding with the closure of its long‑term Canadian mill partner and the retirement of the original hosiery waste resource. Rather than reproduce its Canadian work, Sans Soucie chose to archive the Vancouver collections and methods as a complete body of research and practice.

New relationships with UK manufacturers with a specific focus on UK sock and hosiery waste led to doctoral research and, ultimately, to the formation of Sans Soucie Inc. in 2025. It inherits the methods, learning and archive of Sans Soucie Textile + Design while operating as a distinct business focused on UK‑based material streams, partners and circular systems.