Each year we, that’s you and me, purchase around 1 million tonnes of clothing and discard the same amount. Gulp. Of that about 350,000 tonnes goes to landfill. But before your eyes gloss over and you switch to scanning the Daily Mail Online, let me say that I agree like Vivien Tang co-founder of sustainable start-up Clotho London, that sustainable fashion is ‘ at it’s best, […] a dry topic. At it’s worst, it’s downright dull and preachy.” *
But, whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we are consuming the earth’s resources at an alarming rate. Jonathan Wise in his book Looking Up claims
‘If everyone in the world used the same amount of natural resources as we do in Europe, it would require THREE PLANETS to allow the Earth to replenish itself.”
Orsola de Castro, sustainable designer and co-founder of Fashion Revolution, says “the fashion industry is the 2nd most polluting industry after oil.” So, if we want a planet to pass on to our children’s children, then we need to change our spending habits on fast, wonderfully frivolous, fashion. As Jamie Perry Campaign Manager at Love Your Clothes says, “Keeping clothes in use for longer is the single biggest thing we can do to reduce the environmental impact of clothing.” This year Brighton Fashion Week focused purely on sustainability. As part of the event Love Your Clothes and Cancer Research UK set Brighton’s designers and students a Fashion Salvage Challenge: to create something new from a tonne of discarded clothing. Here’s what they created:
Naomi Nu McAdam, 23, is an ex fashion student who now works as a graphic designer and artist. The mastermind behind this project, she created this tutu halter neck wonder with Sarah, a Parisian fashion designer. Naomi’s inspiration? Halloween is her favourite time of year, and she is also a fan of gothic horror movies and drag queens, particularly House of Grand Parade.
Victoria is French; she lives in the Loire valley but was in Brighton visiting her sister. She has created this remarkable ball gown out of an old duvet. Victoria has visions of starting her own sustainable brand.
Amy has created this suit jacket and shorts out of a pre-exiting jacket, a pair of corduroy trousers and a super sized check skirt. A student at Northbrook College, she is in her first year of fashion training.
Now these outfits may never see the light of day again, but that is beside the point. Fashion Salvage was a fun creative event with a serious message. We need to rethink how we buy and treat our clothes. For if we value our world, then throwaway fashion is no longer acceptable.
Student rummages through the “tonne of clothes”
Love Your Clothes make these simple suggestions for how we can change our habits:
- Choose clothes that are made to last
- Consider buying pre-owned and hiring clothes
- Give your clothes a new lease of life through repair and alteration
- Restyle clothes with a new accessory of combination
- Save money by washing at 30 degrees
- Line-drying helps clothes last and saves money
- Ensure quality clothes are re-used through donation or re-sale
- Find out where to recycle your worn out clothes at recyclenow.com
Visit loveyourclothes.org.uk for more tips on caring for and upcycling your clothes.
Photos by Rod Leon and N4 Mummy
I liked Amy’s creation best! It’s a very important message.
Author
I think her’s was probably the most wearable of them all, they were a very creative bunch much more talented than I am on a sewing machine. An important message but perhaps one difficult to put into practise xxx