By Robin McConchie
We live in a throwaway society, with an increasing amount of textiles used in the fashion industry made from synthetic fibres and garments produced using underpaid labour. Jane Milburn has a passion for natural fibres and believes behaviour change is needed towards dressing more responsibly, wearing clothes for longer and limiting the amount of textile waste thrown into landfill each year.
Using her campaigning and making skills, Jane created Textile Beat in 2013 and developed a 10-point Slow Clothing Manifesto of ways to reduce our material footprint. During the past six years, Jane has advocated for change across Australia through more than 560 engagements.
Her passion and drive have been rewarded with a 2019 Churchill Fellowship to travel overseas to investigate ways hands-on upcycling can help reduce textile waste and enhance wellbeing. Robin McConchie recently chatted with Jane. More about the fellowship project: Jane Milburn Churchill Fellowship project 2019 2020
Jane Milburn at work, left, and at Government House for the Churchill Fellowship presentation with her adult children, Max, Lily and Casey and husband Darcy.