'Unraveled' author Maxine Bédat, sustainable fashion show highlight UM-Flint's Common Read

The University of Michigan-Flint will host Maxine Bédat, author of "Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment," 2 p.m., Feb. 25, in the Harding Mott University Center KIVA. The reading will be followed at 3 p.m. by "Wear it Forward," a sustainable fashion show in UCEN's Happenings Room.

The events are part of the university's Common Read program, an annual initiative that brings students, faculty, staff and community members together through the shared experience of reading and discussing a book each academic year. The book and the events surrounding it emphasize the importance of reading for higher education, enable conversations and relationships based on the shared reading experience, and integrate the campus into national and global culture and discussions.

"After reviewing several strong contenders over the summer, our committee found overwhelming support for Maxine Bédat's 'Unraveled,'" said Sasha Drummond-Lewis, Common Read committee co-chair and associate professor of sociology. "The book's breadth spans climate change, environmental justice and social inequities, which resonates deeply with our collective concern for sustainability."

The Common Read committee partnered with Shelby Newport, professor of theatre and dance and the chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department, Audrey Banks of the U-M Arts Initiative and Jazlynne Cathey of UM-Flint's Planet Blue Ambassadors to develop programming around the book.

"These collaborations do more than just extend our reach; they foster our campuswide commitment to leaving behind a better world," Drummond-Lewis said.

During her visit, Bédat will explore sustainable consumption and supply chain accountability.

"I am honored and thrilled that 'Unraveled' has been selected as the Common Read at UM–Flint," Bédat said. "Connecting with students—our future—has been the single biggest gift of writing this book.

"I'm especially excited to visit campus and spend time with the university's community of learners, makers and researchers because the questions 'Unraveled' raise do not have one 'right' answer. They require creative problem-solving across disciplines," she said. "My hope is that students come away with two things. First, a clearer view of the real human and environmental costs embedded in everyday products. Second, a sense of agency about what it looks like to build practical, thriving systems that are both efficient and accountable."

The sustainable fashion show will feature approximately 12 looks, each composed of clothing sourced from Wolverine Essentials, designed by students enrolled in a theatre costume design course.

Rebecca Tonietto, Common Read committee co-chair and associate professor of biology, said the book's interdisciplinary nature makes it ideal for campuswide engagement.

"'Unraveled' is a fantastic selection for our campus community as there is a chapter in the book directly relating to every discipline," Tonietto said. "The content ranges from sustainable farming practices to workers' rights, dye chemistry to supply chain management, and the expanding use of AI and robotics in the workforce to the manufacturing of sustainable fashion. We hope this book not only engages a wide audience, but also reinforces how all disciplines working together can solve complex problems, especially when there may not be clear solutions from any one perspective alone."

Scenes from the fall 2026 Mending Lab event. Photos by Audrey Banks. Click to enlarge.

The upcoming author visit and fashion show build on the Mending Lab event, staged during the fall 2025 semester, during which students, faculty and staff met to repair and revitalize well-loved clothing. The committee is planning an additional Mending Lab this spring, as well as a one-month "no buy" pledge encouraging participants to rethink consumption patterns.