In recent years, sustainability has become a buzzword and turned a few heads. Just as consumers today are taking a closer look at the food they consume and the chemicals they put into their bodies, they are also shifting their purchasing decisions to create a cleaner environment through the clothes they wear. Sustainability is the fashion now, and it’s heartening to see an abundance of brands and industry leaders putting their upcycled foot forward to champion ethical production, consumption and wear.
If you live in Australia, you can find the Melbourne Fashion Festival’s extensive program to find the best events to attend that focus on repurposing, recycling and minimizing our collective contribution to landfill.
The programs are:
Hoard Repair Lab. It is an online event, March 11 – 20, 10 am – 5 pm daily where you can find those perfect jeans that have been worn down to the point of no tomorrow, or that dress you swore you’d wear, but five years later, still hangs in your wardrobe untouched (I know you know the one). It’s time to breath new life into these pieces, and the MFF Hoard Repair Lab is here to help.
Fast Fashun Magazine Launch. It is a free event on March 19, 6.30pm. A sustainable twist on haute couture, this event invites attendees to rummage through a giant pile of salvaged MFF clothing and textile waste on-site to create an outfit that can be walked down the runway as part of the event. Participation is encouraged, but not compulsory. The event will also showcase the latest Fast Fashun magazine launch offering a showcase of collages, visual art, creative writing, commentary on fashion culture and practical information on taking personal action in the choices you make around consuming fashion.
No.13: This is also a free event on March 11, 11.00 am. Approximately 501,000,000 kg of textile goes to landfill every year in Australia. In the spirit of grand gestures, she plans to bring 3000 kgs of textile waste into a gallery where each garment will be counted, sorted and categorized into wardrobes and shelves as a data collection method to get to the bottom of which clothing items are being discarded and why. The event hopes to encourage people to think about their relationship with clothing for a more environmentally sustainable future.
Many Hands: The Making of a Garment on March 11 – 20. When we go into a store or buy a piece of clothing online, it’s hard to visualize the process that your threads have already endured to get to that place in your very hands. Now’s your opportunity to follow the compelling journey of the many hands that make a garment from its inception to its home in your wardrobe. Australian Fashion Summit: The Circular Consumer is an online event on March 17, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Homie X Nobody Denim Pop-up on March 11 – 20. HoMie and Nobody Denim’s collaborative showcase is there for you to promote sustainability. In the true spirit of both Australian labels’ commitment to fostering ethical production and awareness of social issues, the runway will simultaneously explore the art of inciting conversation around textile waste, mass production, consumer impact and unemployment amongst the youth.
