Common Read Week Events
Jean Swap
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment
Date: Feb. 24 – 26, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Loving Lounge (second floor UCEN)
Take a pair! Leave a pair! Do both! As part of rethinking our clothing consumption patterns, inspired by following the lifecycle of a pair of jeans in the Common Read, author Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professor Maxine Bédat’s groundbreak work Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment, come participate in a sustainable way to add some great new jeans to your closet or find a new home for a pair you don’t wear anymore!
Wear it Forward Sustainable Fashion Show
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment
Date: Feb. 25, 2026
Time: 3 to 4 p.m.
Location: Happenings Room (first floor UCEN)
We’re channeling our own New York Fashion Week and inviting you to be in attendance. See how Flint Costume Design students create wearable outfits from Wolverine Essentials, watch models strut the runway, and while you’re there, grab some hors d’oeuvres and get a book signed by this year’s Common Read Author, Maxine Bédat.
Author Keynote
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment
Date: Feb. 25, 2026
Time:2 to 3 p.m.
Location: KIVA inside the UCEN
Join us to hear Maxine Bédat, author of UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment and our 2025-26 UM-Flint Common Read selection. Bédat is the founder and director of New Standard Institute, a “think and do” tank that uses data to drive accountability and sustainable analysis in the fashion industry. She will serve as the Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professor for 2025-26 at UM-Flint.
Join us immediately following the keynote in the Happenings Room for food and refreshments, a book signing featuring free copies of the Common Read, and a fashion show styled by FPA students with clothing from Wolverine Essentials. You can also pick up your free book anytime from the campus bookstore or read the e-book available through Thompson Library.
Lunch & Learn featuring Common Read author Maxine Bédat
UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment
Date: Feb. 25, 2026
Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Location: ICC (first floor UCEN)
Let’s welcome this year’s Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professor and author of this year’s Common Read, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment, Maxine Bédat!
Join Maxine Bédat to learn about her career and academic history while having lunch on Thursday, February 26, from 12:30 – 1:30 P.M. in the Intercultural Center!
Lunch and Learns are monthly events where a faculty/staff member from campus or a Flint community member will tell us about themselves and their academic or professional journey and also answer any questions people in the space will have for them. So if you ever want to learn more about someone’s profession, feel welcome to join in while having something to eat since food is always provided!
For questions, contact Rebecca Tonietto at tonietto@umich.edu or Sasha Drummond-Lewis at srdlewis@umich.edu.
Thank you to the Office of the Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs, Jack W. Thompson, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professorship, and co-hosts the Department of Fine & Performing Arts, Shelby Newport Chair and Costume Designer, and the Planet Blue Ambassador Program, for their contribution to this event.
Common Read Book Club
Nov. 19 (in-person) at noon
Nov. 21 (on Zoom) at noon
Hosted by the Frances Willson Thompson Library
If you are enjoying the Common Read, come talk about it! The library is hosting two opportunities this semester to discuss Maxine Bedat’s Unraveled. The meeting will be held on the Library’s third floor by the Writing Center on Wednesday and on Zoom on Friday.
The Business of Sustainability-Zoom webinar
Nov. 11 at 4:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: 974 3267 0653
Hosted by the Department of Green Chemistry and Biochemistry
Marcie Colling, adjunct faculty from Oakland University, will discuss sustainability in relation to fashion and fibers.
The Mending Lab
Date: Oct. 1
Time: 3 to 6 p.m.
Location: Theatre Lobby
Bring along a garment you no longer wear and give it new life! The Mending Lab is a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn simple, creative techniques to repair and refresh clothing.
Try your hand at machine or hand sewing, ironing on decals, and even printing and stamping! With four stations and a variety of materials, the possibilities are endless.
Whether patching a hole, re-stitching a seam, or adding a little flair, this is a fun way to make old clothes look new again.
Don’t have a garment? No worries! We’ll have a limited supply of clothing for you to choose from, whether you want to practice or make your own!
No sewing experience is required, so bring your piece and an open mind!