
Thin strips of cassette tape are laid out vertically side by side. With the help of a curved needle, more tape is threaded horizontally through the vertical ones. Who would have thought that cassette or video tape could be fashioned into tote bags and even a dress? Chuan shows us an A-line spaghetti strap dress she made entirely out of tape — her imagination knows no bounds. She recalls, “It all started out quite organically. Cassette tapes have been a part of my memories growing up. Before smartphones and social media, my friend who was living in Australia and I would record our thoughts and songs and send them to each other.” This was, in a way, Chuan’s tribute to her past.

The completed MusicCloth is coated with a protective layer to prevent the tape from peeling and then placed underneath a cardboard cutout of a person’s profile. Chuan says that while studying in New York, her lecturer brought her to the Material ConneXion Library, a place that stores more than 8,000 reference materials for companies looking for sustainable materials. She was inspired by what she saw and decided weave tape into a piece of fabric measuring 8in by 8in. “I sent one sample to the Library and they asked me to send 20 more pieces for them to display in their libraries all over the world. Our material was selected as one of the most innovative woven materials.”

Tote bags made from MusicCloth.