Techniques from embroidery to cross-stitching are infiltrating legitimate fashion. Domesticity, whether it’s in a packaged meal kit or a pre-made hand-knit, is all the rage. People are appreciative of something that is handmade. The decade of the 70s was smitten with crafts but interest in them dwindled in the ’80s and ’90s.

At European fashion houses like Christian Dior and Loewe and American brands like Altuzarra and Ulla Johnson, techniques like crochet, macramé and knitting are dominant themes. Designers are identifying strongly with handwork, the social, collaborative, problem-solving aspect of it—of being literally hands-on. Fast fashion has pushed them to look to ways to make clothes that are not copyable by a machine, that are unique in their imperfections, as well. Fashion has fetishized the handmade ever since the sewing machine enabled mass production and conferred special status on anything handcrafted; that’s why the mystique of haute couture—which can employ hand-sewing, embroidery and appliqué—endures.

Handicrafts are seen as a way to combat anxieties about technology. Like yoga or meditation, needlework’s repetitive action has been shown to induce a relaxed state, and can lower heart rate and blood pressure. Designers have an added incentive to produce handmade items. Mass brands can’t easily imitate them.