When you think of punk rock, sustainability might not be your first port of call. But for Haven DeAnglis, founder of STITCH AND DESTROY, and her partner Corey Heffernan, sustainable clothing is the most punk rock value there is. Their recently opened boutique and studio is located near the center of Philadelphia’s historic punk rock scene at 523 S 4th Street. Here, Haven and Corey are tackling fabric waste hyper-locally, constructing garments out of waste materials, collaborating with other local waste-based makers, and spreading awareness of the destructive side of fashion one t-shirt at a time. In our interview with Haven, we learned more about the business, its underlying ethos, and why she loves Philadelphia. 

Haven and Corey met at MICA, the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. But after graduation, they decided to make Philadelphia their home, moving during the COVID crisis and settling in West Philadelphia. Haven is originally from New Jersey, while Corey is from Delaware. The pair had long liked Philadelphia as a city and were eager to make the move. 

Before moving to Philadelphia, Haven had already created her company, using the experience of her senior fashion show, in which she made a design line exclusively using waste. “My whole senior thesis project was made out of textile waste materials. I consider that our first collection in a way,” Haven explained. 

At the time, the company sold its products at fairs and markets, a fun but exhausting process that required a lot of time spent packing and unpacking stock. Now, with a permanent store and studio space, Haven can work in the boutique and show customers the process of repurposing textiles for clothing creation.

They also plan on using the studio to run workshops, teaching would-be sewers how to use textile waste in their sewing projects. “We’re trying to host workshops once a month. So far, we’ve done one – a hand sewing [workshop] for homemade catnip toys. We want to do mini sewing and upcycling workshops to help people learn to sew themselves,” said Haven. 

Her interest in sewing and sustainability started early. A member of her high school’s environmental club, she had long championed sustainable practices. A high school home economics class got her started in sewing, and she began experimenting from there. As Haven describes it, “There is such a DIY aspect to Punk Rock. This influenced me to want to re-create something that already existed. I loved vintage stores as a kid and shopping, but I didn’t know the full impact of textile waste. After taking classes at MICA in sustainable fashion and materials, the idea was always how we can do better as artists and people.”

Studying fiber and textile art at MICA taught her textile creation. However, the move to making a career out of sustainability-oriented sewing came from experiences she had while interning at TerraCycle, where she made products out of plastic packaging, and MamerSass, a small upcycled fashions company much like STITCH AND DESTROY.

For Haven, the connection between punk rock and fashion is intrinsic. “Punk Rock is a huge part of my life, and I got into music and fashion simultaneously. The music can be aggressive but it’s trying to change our world in certain ways.” Ultimately, your fashion choices are a reflection of who you are and your values. “Punk rock speaks to how we have to do better in this world. Using textile waste is important to me because we’re not contributing to landfills,” adds Haven.  

In the spirit of wearing what you preach, the shop is full of stylish t-shirts made from upcycled clothing items, pleated skirts made from recycled neckties, denim jumpsuits mixing denim pieces, and visible mended pieces.  “We use deadstock fabrics, yardage, and fabric scraps, and we get things from Fabscrap, The Resource Exchange, and even Rabbit Recycling. We also upcycle clothing donations, and something unique about us is that we take things with stains and rips, something traditional thrift stores can’t do. We’ll cut those up, and patch them into something new,” said Haven.

Eventually, they plan to include a textile recycling program of their own, especially as they expand their hours and product lines. “We’re working towards a way for people to drop off existing clothing with us,” explains Haven. 

The store has found a wonderful home on South Street, much to Haven’s delight. “South Street has such a rich history of small businesses and music. This is such a punk rock destination. Everyone has been so welcoming in the small business community here, and it’s been wonderful. I love South Street!” Consumers have also been welcoming and warm. “We have people come in and share their sustainable fashion journey with us, which is wonderful. We’re a unique business, there aren’t too many people making and selling in the same space. So, people come to see that, which is great.” 

Haven and Corey plan to expand the company and even use their space for events highlighting local artists and musicians, pop-ups with other sustainable makers like Get Lit Candles, Revinyl, Vellum Street, and Philly Plastico, all companies working with waste products to re-make so-called garbage into treasures. For a list of upcoming events at the shop, check out their calendar.

If you are interested in sustainable fashion and products, STITCH AND DESTROY should be on your radar. It’s the type of hyperlocal, Philadelphia company that makes our city and community so special and unique. With the holiday season just around the corner, Haven and Corey’s store might be the perfect place to pick up fantastic one-of-a-kind items for the people in your life who deserve sustainably minded and effortlessly cool gifts (i.e. everyone you know). After all, there is nothing more Punk Rock than that!