Care Instructions

Published on July 2025

I once found a well-worn jumpsuit in my closet with holes repeatedly stitched up in the same place. Witnessing and practicing this act of repair may very well have been one of the few things that helped me feel tethered, perhaps even coaxed out a sense of kinship with my everyday life that was otherwise steeped in constant consumption. That feeling followed me every time I saw a stranger wearing something well-worn. It seemed to me that the practice of sitting down and committing to care work—with needle and thread—was an act of resistance against a backdrop of convenience culture. 

I started to wonder if others did the same—and I followed this curiosity throughout the tail end of 2024, spending afternoons talking to Dubai residents about their treasured objects: how they’ve mended and cared for things that hold so much of their personal histories. Through this exploration documented through recorded conversations and a zine, I was reminded that while consumer culture insists there’s always more to be had, often, what we need may already be here.