How It's Made
The production at Sarah Aphrodite is circular, by nature. Since the beginning of SA, leftovers from every stream of production — deadstock, in-house fabric, upcycled garments — go straight into the scrap collection, where nothing gets wasted. A small amount of fabric used across the board — maybe 5% — is new, or its origin isn't fully known.
Sarah Aphrodite is made three ways.
Recycled Collection — pieces built from garments that already existed, given a new life. The heart tee and heart jeans collections are made entirely from upcycled garments — not fabric bought by the yard.
In-House Production — limited runs of a few designs at a time, made mostly from deadstock fabric bought from jobbers. Made in small runs of multiples — the one category built for continuity rather than a first of its kind.
One-of-One Originals — hand-sewn, one of a kind, made mostly from the hand-picked, in-house fabric collection — new and antique material gathered from markets all over the world — and the scrap collection, made up of all the leftover material.
Reusing and reworking material like this isn't a marketing decision. It's a way of living and working mindfully connected to the surroundings, and it shapes almost every choice in the process — what gets kept, what gets mended, what gets left exactly as it was found.
Small holes get mended as best they can — sometimes visibly, when there's no other way. Stains and markings sometimes stay, if they add character rather than take away from it — often making a piece even more unique than it would've been otherwise. Every piece is judged on its own, case by case.
Sarah Aphrodite is the true antidote to mass-produced fashion.
Imperfections are included
Sarah Aphrodite is committed to reusing materials as much as possible. That means working with fabrics that may be aged, worn, or already marked by life before we start working with them. Working this way means having to accept the outcomes that come with this type of production.
Stains, fraying, thinning fabric, or small holes aren't treated as faults. They're part of the reality of when you build from what already exists. We repair what we can and try to keep the honesty of the material intact, as long as the final piece still feels powerful, expressive, and beautiful.
This type of production is part of what gives Sarah Aphrodite pieces character. We acknowledge and include the imperfections, rather than rejecting them.
We know this approach won't appeal to everyone — and that's okay. We design for those who are drawn to rawness, realness, and imperfection. This is clothing with character. It's not about polish, it's about presence.
Below are examples of the kinds of imperfections we sometimes work with. We decide on a piece-by-piece basis what's acceptable and what isn't. Each piece is one of a kind.
