Bring on 2020

\ by

On the Textile Beat enews December 2019 is in your inbox now if you’re subscribed, or you can read here or register on the right hand side of this website.

There’s been so much change in the past decade, it is exciting to think about what the next decade might bring. This time 10 years ago, I was on a journey of self-awareness with the Australian Rural Leadership Program. A pivotal decision to stop drinking alcohol (after having early stage breast cancer) enabled me to focus energy in a creative and purposeful way. Through Textile Beat, my background, interests, skills, experience and knowledge have come together to influence change and create awareness of more sustainable ways of dressing (Here’s one of my early Stitch in Time columns). Since 2013, I’ve had nearly 600 engagements around Australia spreading ideas for reducing our material footprint and have seen so much change in that time. I’ve been awarded a Churchill Fellowship based on that work which enables me to travel to Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe next year to investigate ways that upcycling/mending can help reduce our textile waste and enhance wellbeing. Wishing you and me well for our next decade of life.

Posted in: consumption issues, leadership, slow clothing \ Tagged: , , , , ,

Reuse to reduce textile waste

\ by

WornOut is an annual showcase of creativity and resourcefulness organised by Reverse Garbage Queensland to showcase designers working to reduce textile waste, with the 2019 theme being The Future of Waste.

As ambassador, Jane Milburn said that future really must be for us to waste nothing – and invest creative effort to keep materials endlessly circulating. Jane and ABC Brisbane’s Rebecca Levingston co-hosted this year’s event.

Rebecca Levingston and Jane Milburn co-hosts of WornOut 2019

‘There has never been a more important time to change our thinking and actions around reuse – to fully value and appreciate our planet’s precious resources,’ Jane said.

WornOut  is now in its third year and taps into the global awakening about social and ecological impacts of the fashion industry, which contributes up to 10 percent of humanity’s carbon emissions. It is curated by Elizabeth Kingston, supported Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, and was held on November 23 at Princess Theatre with showcases of refashion, wearable art and cos play.

Jane said the purpose of the WornOut showcase is to:

  • invest human energy, skills and creativity to transform ‘waste’
  • change attitudes about when – if ever – textile resources are ‘wornout’
  • show thrift and resourcefulness thriving in the local circular economy
  • have fun with what we wear in inclusive and diverse ways

Continue Reading →

Posted in: clothing waste, consumption issues, Exhibitions, Fashion Revolution, leadership, slow clothing, slow fashion \ Tagged: , , , ,

WornOUT? The future of waste

\ by
Reverse Garbage Queensland is returning to the Princess Theatre in November to celebrate Brisbane’s growing upcycle community of refashion, wearable art and cosplay designers in their annual WornOUT Exhibition.
The future of waste in the textile industry will be explored by Brisbane’s community of slow fashion designers when their creations hit the runway at Reverse Garbage Queensland’s (RGQ) WornOUT? 2019 showcase on Saturday, November 23 at the Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba.
According to Jane Milburn from Textile Beat, slow fashion advocate and Exhibition ambassador,  Australians are the world’s second-largest consumers of new textiles, absorbing around 27kg of clothing fibres annually, while sending 23kg of textiles and leather to landfill each year.
This trend could be set to turn with the world’s largest fashion resale marketplace ThredUp reporting that the second hand market is expected to make up one-third of global consumers’ wardrobes by 2033.
“We’ll be showcasing double the number of garments from last year, which is our largest contingency of refashion, wearable art and cosplay designers in our three-year history”, said Bill Ennals, Exhibition Coordinator.

Continue Reading →

Posted in: clothing waste, Exhibitions, leadership, reuse \ Tagged: , , , , , ,

Refashioning a future without waste

\ by

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.

Continue Reading →

Posted in: clothing waste, consumption issues, leadership \ Tagged: ,