Reusing and repurposing textiles that already exist is a practical and regenerative way to reduce our material footprint on the world and Eco Fashion Week Australia is showcasing upcycling designers in the 2024 EFWA Upcycling Challenge to share creative possibilities.
EFWA Upcycling Challenge coordinator Jane Milburn OAM said 12 designers will feature in the EFWA Upcycling Challenge Runway Collection at Perth Western Australia on November 17.
Designers chose a ‘hero’ textile that is made from dormant natural fibres and built on that textile to create a new unique garment with meaning and story fit for A Closet of the Anthropocene.
The ‘hero’ textile might be a damaged treasure discovered in a thrift shop, a family heirloom, a favourite outdated garment or something painted in art school. This textile can be repurposed along with other natural materials of choice into a storyful creation with the hero at heart.
“We are aiming to tell the story of how designers can transform the energy embodied in a treasured but languishing piece of material into a contemporary form that speaks to our need for sustainable, meaningful and comfortable everyday wear in the post-COVID era,’’ Jane said.
“By reusing existing natural resources and creating garments that have attachment value, the Upcycled Collection will be fit-for-purpose in A Closet of the Anthropocene (the current geological age shaped by human impacts) as fashion undergoes a biorennaisance.”
Eco Fashion Week Australia will run for the month of November 2024 in and around Perth Western Australia and will feature more than 40 artists and designers exploring subjects and themes related to climate change. Learn more about Eco Fashion Week Australia here.
If you have questions about the Upcycling Challenge, please email Jane Milburn on jane@textilebeat.com Jane has been upcycling her clothing since 2013 as a way to spark action in response to fashion excess and textile waste. She is the founder of Textile Beat, author of Slow Clothing: finding meaning in what we wear and in 2022 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to fashion sustainability.