Piper is a fashion and textile designer currently studying at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), specializing in upcycled and sustainability-focused clothing. As a queer creative with a five-year background in film props, Piper brings extensive experience working with unconventional materials and a strong passion for creative problem solving. Their transition from film into fashion has allowed them to apply experimental construction techniques and material exploration to sustainable garment design, particularly through the use of preloved and upcycled materials.

Since beginning their studies, sustainability has remained a central pillar of Piper’s creative practice. As they learned more about the environmental and social impacts of contemporary fashion systems, sustainable design became deeply integrated into their artistic and conceptual approach. This commitment was reflected in their window display installation, Your Style is Trash, created for the TMU Student Learning Centre. The project featured couture dresses constructed from commonly littered waste materials, serving as a commentary on fast fashion, overconsumption, and environmental degradation.

Piper was also selected to work with retired merchandise featuring TMU’s former name. Using 15 baseball hats, they created an upcycled artwear piece exploring themes of survival-based defensiveness and vulnerability. The project held significant personal meaning, as TMU’s renaming represented an important step toward reconciliation and accountability within Canada’s history. Piper viewed the opportunity as a way to participate in transforming outdated symbols into something thoughtful, expressive, and forward-looking through sustainable design.