Mended: The Story of a Dress and the People Who Made It by Elizabeth Segran

A word from the author:

"I've spent more than a decade writing about the fashion industry for Fast Company, and in that time I've had the pleasure of meeting the highly skilled people who make our clothes: cotton farmers, factory technicians, sewers, finishers, menders. Mended: The Story of a Dress and the People Who Made It is inspired by these workers. With beautiful art, it introduces children to the people who make their clothes, and helps them understand how much skill and care goes into every garment they wear.

"As the book launches, we would love to get it into the hands of garment workers' families. In partnership with Custom Collaborative, companies and individuals can buy copies of Mended that will be distributed to garment workers in New York.

"Custom Collaborative is a nonprofit based in the heart of New York's Garment District that trains, mentors, and advocates for and with no- and low-income and immigrant women, equipping them to design, sew, and sell sustainable fashion. Half the women in their programs are immigrants, from 29 countries. More than two-thirds are primary caregivers.

"Every book is sold through Maxima, an independent bookstore in my town of Arlington, Massachusetts. Our goal is 300 copies, but more is better. Thank you for supporting this. Every copy counts."

Click here to pre-order your copy of Mended and support this fundraiser! Book releases April 6th, 2027

ABOUT THE BOOK

A vibrant picture book that follows a favorite dress from cotton field to factory and inspires kids to love, value, and mend their clothes instead of chasing fast fashion.

Each new stitch tells a story.

Of all the clothes in her closet, Lucy loves her rainbow dress most. She adores how it whirls and twirls and flutters. When her dress tears, her neighbor Mrs. Garcia, a seamstress, teaches Lucy about all the skilled people who made her dress before she began to wear it. 

Alongside Kay Sohini’s immersive illustrations, fashion journalist Elizabeth Segran tells the story of a young girl who learns that the greatest sustainable clothing practice is to wear the clothes we love again and again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Segran wears her favorite dresses on repeat. For more than a decade, she's been a staff writer at Fast Company magazine, where she covers the fashion industry. She received her PhD in South Asian studies and women's studies from the University of California, Berkeley after graduating from Columbia University. She grew up in Paris, Brussels, Singapore, Jakarta, and London, but is happily settled in Boston, Massachusetts, with her books, daughters, and husband. She loves hearing from readers and sharing tips about sustainable kids' fashion. Visit her online at ElizabethSegran.com.