Adhesif

Specialties

Adhesif Clothing is a Vancouver, BC clothing company that produces handmade memorable one-​of-​a-​kind garments since 2003.

Each upcycled piece is made with up to 95% vintage & reclaimed materials & 100% heart, a truly well thought out process made by designer Melissa Ferreira.

Every article of clothing has it’s very own distinctive personality with a visual array of eclectic prints & color compositions.

We are passionate about sustainability & handmade goods so at our shop you will find the work of over 50 other local artisans & designers creating gorgeous handmade fashion accessories like leather goods and jewellery in a similar fashion.

The result brings a striking presentation of polished yet playful pieces that are also Eco friendly. This way you not only look good but feel great too!

History

Established in 2003.

Originally born in Montréal, Melissa was influenced by her mother who worked in garment production for large scale clothing distributors in that city. Since xperimenting with textiles most of her life, Melissa is proud to say she is primarily self-​taught.

Working as a vintage clothing buyer for many years, since high school, inspired Melissa to create garments with older textiles because of the amazing quality and special characteristics a lot of these textiles own.

There is a double advantage in using sustainable materials; not only do they reduce waste, but they add distinctive personality to all of her eye-​catching creations.

Special details are added to her designs like appliqué, hand stitching & hand dying.

Every handmade piece is made with up to 95% sustainable materials and locally produced in Vancouver, BC.

Designs by Adhesif Clothing can be found in their flagship location at 2202 Main Street in Vancouver as well as local and national artisan markets year round.

Meet the Business Owner

Melissa F.

Business Owner

Description of Creative Process

The process for creating my up-​cycled garments first requires a bulk quantity of handpicked recycled materials.

I make quarterly trips to my supplier of second hand goods and spend hour’s hand selecting materials for whatever season I may be working on, for example lamb’s wool & cashmere sweaters for production of my reworked knitwear designs in the fall/​winter.

I then spend a few days laundering all materials and prepping the pieces for the deconstruction phase where all clothing items are taken apart from the seams. The fabric from these garments are then used in the constructing my new designs. Many of my designs are based on patterns inspired by vintage garments with a modern twist added. All pattern blocks are drafted by hand onto paper.

I hand cut and arrange each piece. The pieces are then bundled in groups according to style and organized in sequence for sewing. Much of the sewing is done by myself my small team of helpers.