Upcycling Forgotten Textiles into Sustainable Wearable Art

MOMOYO STOBY FASHION (

Private sector

)

#SDGAction61467

Description

MOMOYO STOBY FASHION is committed to promoting sustainable fashion through the preservation and reuse of vintage Japanese textiles. By transforming discarded or forgotten materials such as Showa-era tenugui, vintage banners, and traditional fabrics into one-of-a-kind garments and accessories, the brand aims to reduce textile waste while preserving cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship. The initiative also seeks to encourage more responsible consumption by promoting slow fashion, small-scale production, and long-lasting design rather than mass production. Through international exhibitions, runway presentations, and cross-cultural collaborations, the project aims to raise awareness of sustainability, circular fashion practices, and the value of cultural storytelling through clothing. As a woman-led independent brand, MOMOYO STOBY FASHION is also committed to supporting creative entrepreneurship and demonstrating how traditional craftsmanship and contemporary fashion can coexist within a more sustainable future.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

This initiative is carried out through the collection, preservation, and transformation of vintage Japanese textiles into one-of-a-kind contemporary garments and accessories. Materials such as Showa-era tenugui, vintage banners, kimono fabrics, and other historical textiles are carefully sourced, repaired when necessary, and redesigned through handmade production processes. The initiative prioritizes small-scale production, textile reuse, and slow fashion practices in order to reduce waste and encourage more responsible consumption. Each piece is individually designed to preserve the original character, history, and cultural value of the materials. Implementation also includes international exhibitions, runway presentations, editorial collaborations, and digital communication to raise awareness about sustainable fashion, circular design, and cultural preservation. Through these activities, the project promotes dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary global fashion culture.

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

The initiative contributes to capacity-building by sharing knowledge about sustainable fashion, upcycling, and traditional Japanese textile craftsmanship through exhibitions, collaborations, public presentations, editorial features, and international creative exchange. Handmade production techniques and circular design practices are promoted through ongoing project activities and public engagement. Digital communication tools are also used to support collaboration and the international exchange of ideas related to sustainable fashion and cultural preservation. For example, on April 23, 2026, I participated as one of three panelists in an event hosted by IDEC and Kanagawa Prefecture, which supported small businesses seeking to enter the New York market. During the event, I introduced my designs, brand philosophy, and experience in international fashion activities, sharing practical knowledge about sustainable fashion, cultural storytelling, and overseas market development. Another example of promoting sustainable fashion awareness was a February 2026 editorial feature in THE Magazine for its “Wellness Rewired” issue. The article featured my designs and brand philosophy, exploring themes of upcycling, memory, imperfection, and the quiet power of garments that carry lived history. Through this editorial exposure, the initiative reached broader audiences and helped communicate the cultural and emotional value of sustainable fashion.

Coordination mechanisms

This initiative is independently led and managed by MOMOYO STOBY FASHION under the direction of founder and designer Momoyo Stoby. The project is developed through collaborations with fashion organizations, cultural partners, exhibition platforms, and international creative networks that support sustainable fashion and cultural exchange. Coordination is carried out through direct communication and collaborative planning with participating partners, including exhibition organizers, runway platforms, photographers, stylists, models, and supporting institutions. Each collaboration is managed on a project basis with shared goals related to sustainability, cultural preservation, and creative innovation. The initiative prioritizes small-scale production, ethical creative practices, and responsible material sourcing through the reuse of vintage textiles and handmade production methods.

Evaluation

The impact of the initiative is evaluated through both qualitative and practical indicators related to sustainability, cultural preservation, and international engagement. Key evaluation measures include: the amount of vintage textiles reused and diverted from waste, the continued production of one-of-a-kind handmade garments rather than mass-produced products, participation in international exhibitions, runway presentations, and collaborative projects, audience engagement and awareness related to sustainable fashion and cultural preservation, and the development of new partnerships and international opportunities connected to circular fashion practices. The initiative also considers feedback from customers, collaborators, event organizers, and public audiences as part of its ongoing assessment process. Through these evaluations, the project aims to continuously improve its contribution to responsible consumption, slow fashion, and the preservation of traditional textile culture.

Partners

Fashion Week Brooklyn (FWBK), Brooklyn Beauty/Fashion Labo, Japanklyn Lab

SDGS & Targets

Goal 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

5.1

End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

5.1.1

Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex

5.2

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

5.2.1

Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age

5.2.2

Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence

5.3

Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

5.3.1

Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18

5.3.2

Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age

5.4

Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

5.4.1

Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location

5.5

Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

5.5.1

Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments

5.5.2

Proportion of women in managerial positions

5.6

Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

5.6.1

Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care

5.6.2

Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education

5.a

Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

5.a.1

(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure

5.a.2

Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control

5.b

Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

5.b.1

Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex

5.c

Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

5.c.1

Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment

Goal 8

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

8.1

Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries

8.1.1

Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita

8.2

Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

8.2.1

Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person

8.3

Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services

8.3.1

Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex

8.4

Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead

8.4.1

Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

8.4.2

Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

8.5

By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

8.5.1

Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities

8.5.2

Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

8.6

By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

8.6.1

Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training

8.7

Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

8.7.1

Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age

8.8

Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

8.8.1

Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status

8.8.2

Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status

8.9

By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

8.9.1

Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate

8.9.2

Employed persons in the tourism industries

8.10

Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all

8.10.1

(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults

8.10.2

Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider

8.a

Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries

8.a.1

Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements

8.b

By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

8.b.1

Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy

Goal 11

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

11.1

By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

11.1.1

Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing

11.2

By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

11.2.1

Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

11.3

By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

11.3.1

Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate

11.3.2

Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically

11.4

Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

11.4.1

Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)

11.5

By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

11.5.1

Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

11.5.2

Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global domestic product (GDP)

11.5.3

(a) Damage to critical infrastructure and (b) number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters

11.6

By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

11.6.1

Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities

11.6.2

Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)

11.7

By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

11.7.1

Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

11.7.2

Proportion of persons victim of non-sexual or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 months

11.a

Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

11.a.1

Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space

11.b

By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels

11.b.1

Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

11.b.2

Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

11.c

Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

11.c.1

Total official development assistance and other official flows in support of urban infrastructure or urban infrastructure projects, by sector

Goal 12

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

12.1

Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

12.1.1

Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production

12.2

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

12.2.1

Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

12.2.2

Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

12.3

By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

12.3.1

(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index

12.4

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

12.4.1

Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement

12.4.2

(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment

12.5

By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

12.5.1

National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

12.6

Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

12.6.1

Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

12.7

Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

12.7.1

Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans

12.8

By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

12.8.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

12.a

Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

12.a.1

Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)

12.b

Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

12.b.1

Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability

12.c

Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

12.c.1

Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP

SDG 14 targets covered

Name	Description

Deliverables & Timeline

31 December, 2026

International Sustainable Fashion Partnership Package Develop a professional partnership package for MOMOYO STOBY FASHION that includes a brand profile, sustainability statement, product overview, lookbook images, wholesale information, press materials

31 December, 2026

Sustainable Fashion Runway and Buyer Engagement Program Present MOMOYO STOBY FASHION’s upcycled garments and accessories through fashion shows, runway presentations, or curated editorial showcases in Japan and/or overseas.

Resources mobilized

Other, please specify

Business development and international outreach to buyers, media, retailers, fashion events, galleries, museums, and sustainability networks.

In-kind contribution

Vintage Japanese textiles, handmade production time, studio/workspace, existing photography, digital content, and promotional materials.

Partnership Progress

No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.

False

Feedback

Action Network

Timeline

01 January 2026 (start date)

31 December 2026 (date of completion)

Entity

N/A

SDGs

5 8 11 12

Region

Asia and Pacific
North America

Geographical coverage

Manazuru, Japan

Other beneficiaries

The initiative benefits multiple groups connected to sustainable fashion, cultural preservation, and creative industries. Beneficiaries include: consumers seeking sustainable and ethically produced fashion alternatives, independent artists, designers, and creative collaborators involved in exhibitions and editorial projects, local and international communities interested in traditional Japanese textiles and cultural heritage, and audiences engaging with sustainable fashion through public presentations, runway shows, and educational events. The initiative also supports greater awareness of circular fashion practices by encouraging more responsible consumption and appreciation for handmade craftsmanship and textile reuse.

More information

https://www.momoyostoby.com/

Countries

N/A

Contact Information

MOMOYO STOBY, Founder & Designer

mstoby@momoyostoby.com