Refashioning clothing and textiles for new life is one way to reduce waste, and reuse organisation Reverse Garbage Queensland (RGQ) is set to demonstrate the limitless possibilities when their wearable art exhibition, WornOUT, returns for another year.
WornOUT 2018 will be co-presented by Textile Beat and proudly sponsored by Brisbane City Council. It will kick off with an opening night launch event at the Princess Theatre in Woolloongabba on November 24 from 7pm. The event is free, open to the public and will feature runway showcases for Refashion, Wearable Art and Cosplay.
The exhibition will be followed by a series of creative workshops and a static exhibition of selected garments from the runway shows – details to be confirmed – stay tuned to the official Facebook event page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/176849939756628.
Australians are the world’s second-largest consumers of new textiles. It’s estimated we buy around 27kg of clothing and send around 23kg to landfill per person every year. While large-scale industrial solutions may emerge, WornOUT is a here-and-now pushback to fast and disposable fashion and costume. Individuals and communities who want to create change can do it now and express their own creativity at the same time.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said Council was proud to support WornOut, which aligned with its vision of a clean, green and sustainable city.
‘WornOUT 2018 provides an interactive and educational opportunity for Brisbane residents and visitors to learn about how they can contribute to making our city liveable and sustainable for our children, and their children to follow,’ Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said.
‘This event encourages residents to consider how they can make more sustainable fashion choices, prolong the life of existing clothing and actively supports textile recycling, reuse and repair so we can reduce the amount of textiles going into landfill.’
Exhibition director, Jane Milburn from Textile Beat, has been at the forefront of Australia’s slow fashion movement and believes a shift away from this unsustainable practice must occur. She also believes there is growing evidence that it’s happening.
‘WornOUT is an exciting opportunity to nurture an upcycling culture that enables designers and makers to explore creativity in unique, empowering, and resourceful ways,’ said Jane.
According to project co-ordinator for RGQ, Bill Ennals, textiles are also the fastest-growing product segment moving through their warehouse which also stocks timber, metal, plastic, glass, containers, ceramics, paper and card amongst other materials.
‘We want to challenge people to question their ideas about what “worn out” means. Textiles are consistently our biggest selling product and we get a lot from local businesses diverting their excess stock to us, but we also get a lot of materials that have had one life, but still have something to offer. Our community is really engaging around creative ways to reuse these things and you will see that on display in the exhibition,’ said Bill.
Refashion Curator, Elizabeth Kingston, said WornOUT aims to spark unconventional and disruptive thinking by inviting designers to engage in playful storytelling through garments made using pre-loved and salvaged materials. ‘Every day is a new opportunity to create when we bring together textures, colours and shapes in creative ways and reinvent them as refashion,’ said Elizabeth.
What: WornOUT? An Upcycled Refashion, Wearable Art and Cosplay exhibition including launch night with runway events, food and drinks.
When: Saturday November 24th, 7pm – 9.30pm
Where: The Princess Theatre, 8 Annerley Rd., Woolloongabba
How: entry is free, suitable for all ages
More information: Project co-ordinator Bill Ennals wornout@reversegarbageqld.com.au 07 3891 9744 (Monday to Wednesday only) or 0402 499 225 or WornOUT director Jane Milburn jane@textilebeat.com 0408 787 964
- Another event featuring upcycled fashion. mending and much more for the environmentally conscious is Eco Fashion Week Australia, which comes to Port Douglas in north Queensland on November 4-10 this year and Perth, Western Australia, on November 15-21. To book for Disposable Planet seminars and runway shows, visit the EFWA website.