A skirt made from shirts... a dress made from table cloths... a cardigan made from two jerseys... and luxurious nightgown from a sentimental souvenir... a coat made for walking Canada's cold streets in in the 1980's, now re-tailored for city life in Dunedin for winter 2019.

These are some of the projects we worked on at the top of Dunedin Public Library last month during ID Fashion Week.

Desi and I were joined by four attendees with a wide range of background sewing experience, all keen for ideas on how to re-imagine items which had been stashed away (in several cases for years).

Treasured items made from silk, cashmere, organic linen and denim (from days before Lycra and polyester were added).  Items that were hand-made by them decades ago, or by family members, or 'the tiny gentleman who worked in a cupboard-sized workshop just off the street in Bangkok' ...

These are common themes we experience with Upcycling: items where the provenance is personal, the fabric of a quality that seems undervalued in the current form, or simply the desire to make something more practical for our contemporary taste and lifestyle.

It is hugely rewarding to take inspiration for what something already is, and consider what form it could be to become more than what it was - more practical, more appreciated, more beautiful, and much more personal.

In our Mend & Make Awesome workshops, we see this on a small scale. People repairing or altering items to improve them. Upcycling however, is a much bigger (and often trickier) enterprise, involving many hours work, and often facing challenges when the previous shape resists your efforts and you have to think again. It's easy to become disheartened and stuck, and end up with grand plans put indefinitely on hold.

This is where having some outside advice is so valuable. Having another person to bounce ideas with, suggest alternatives techniques, or to make the tea!

This workshop was a delight on all levels, and we hope to organise more in the near future!

Her latest research project aims to investigate current textile practitioners utilizing clothing upcycling as a component of their practice. It will shed light on issues such as:
 

• What motivates people to upcycle, and how does their upcycling relates to the wider fashion industry?

 

• What methods of upcycling they use?

 

• Why upcycling clothing important is important to these individuals?

 

• And how economics feature in their practice (i.e. working conditions, arrangement of business/practice, having time, economic sustainability)?

From her own experience, Kirsten believes practitioners may upcycle for a variety of interrelated reasons such as enriching their and others lives, DIY, sustainability, affordability, beauty, politics, aesthetics, experimentation, and self-differentiation.

As part of the study, Kirsten will be organising a public forum, where participants in the study will share with the wider community, their inspiration and creations. The role of upcycling within the wider context of the fashion industry will also be highlighted in this forum to be held on Wednesday 24th April, coinciding with international Fashion Revolution Day. This forum is open the public, and will be a fascinating insight into this increasingly popular practice. For more information about the seminar, please email Kirsten: kocki817@student.otago.ac.nz

We are each looking forward to taking part in this fantastic research, and seeing how it will highlight the value of repurposing clothing, not only personally, but in understanding and enriching our ever changing culture of fashion.

In November (2018) we were excited to see that the DCC and Dunedin Dream Brokerage (formerly known as Urban Dream Brokerage) were promoting Te Ao Tūroa - Dunedin’s Environment Strategy by inviting applicants for  'Environment Envoy' projects.

 At Stitch Kitchen, we're always cooking up ideas for ways to inspire people to look at things in new, creative ways - especially when those ways lead us as a community towards healthier, happier, more resilient and sustainable future.

One project we've had on the back burner for a wee while was to help address an issue we're very much aware of, but which no one seems to know how to solve, and so the whole issue is ignored:

Dunedin waste management review reports that Dunedin’s textile waste to landfill has doubled in the last year, with over 4 thousand tons of textiles added to our green island landfill.  

As well as putting pressure on landfill capacity and speeding the need for additional land to be converted from natural landscape or productive purposes to industrial waste storage. Textile waste also contributes significantly to Dunedin’s carbon footprint, as slowly degrading synthetic and natural fibres contribute 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions from our current landfill, which will continue long after the landfill has been decommissioned.

This textile waste comes from a range of sources; from commercial industry and manufacturing (yes, we still do have some textile companies here!), and from 'households' (i.e. us).  While commercial waste in being reduced, thanks to waste minimization practices, the concerning thing is that household waste that is climbing, with traditional 'recycling' options being reduced. 

As we keep buying cheap, low quality garments, it's no surprise that they do not last multiple wears let alone multiple owners, and many of the garments given to op shops are not good enough quality to go anywhere but the skip... to be buried in Green Island.

This is all very gloomy grey and serious!

How can we create a positive, empowering way to engage the community in discussion and demonstrate how textile waste can not only be reduced, but used to enrich our lives?

We have an idea... and the Environment Envoy selection committee think it's a goodie too!

....


(That's right, I'm going to keep you hanging out for the details! But thanks to the DCC and Dunedin Dream Brokerage, we will certainly be letting you know the where, what and when very soon :) )

A short time ago, Fi and I spoke with Lynn Freeman about fashion, waste, and the revival of sewing and mending.

Our conversation was aired on 3rd January 2019, and you can listen again via the Radio NZ podcast.