--- Dynamic duo to influence fashionistas by challenging
binning trends ---
Did you know that in the UK alone, garments have an
estimated life span of two years, three months. It is estimated that £140million worth
(350,000 tonnes) of used clothes ends up in landfill each year, which is over
30 percent of our wardrobes.
Now that is a lot of wastage and those figures signify that
we simply have too much clothes.
So it is encouraging to learn that an initiative, part of
the Love Your Clothes campaign will see two Scots textile and fashion designers
joining forces with the charity company the Salvation Army to transform old
garments into new clothes and to remind people that clothes should never be thrown
away as they always have a value.
The two designers from Scotland chosen for this one-off
opportunity are sustainable textile designer Aimee Kent and Jemma Wood, owner
of Black Cherry Studio.
They will embark on a 12-week residency to create two new
“fashion-forward” collections from 150 kilos of unwanted garments. They will
create couture collections from clothes donated to Salvation Army charity shops
and clothing banks, thereby transforming them into catwalk-worthy creations. Both designers will receive £3,500 for the residency of 12
weeks. They will also get to retain the collection at the end of the project.
The commission will finish on 28 February 2016 and the collections will be unveiled in March 2016.
Specialising in printed textiles, joint winner Aimee Kent (above left) - who has
worked with Henrietta Ludgate and Niki Taylor from The Top Project and
Olanic, said: “I feel honoured to have
been chosen to take part. This opportunity is the perfect fit for me, because I
already run a sustainable surface pattern design which focuses on the re-use of
materials. I want to create designs that can be worn again and again and never go
out of style. That’s what I intend to do here.”
Speaking of the upcoming challenge, Jemma Wood (above right), owner of
Black Cherry Studio said: “It feels absolutely amazing to have been selected.
We were blown away when we heard the news. I have lots of great ideas that I am
keen to get started on. I want to create a meaningful collection that brings
together elements of both the Salvation Army and Zero Waste Scotland. Our
specialism is textile print, which will breathe new life into the unwanted
garments and shoe people that with a little creativity you can turn the
unwanted into the desirable. I can’t wait to get started.”
The Salvation Army Trading Company, one of the largest
clothing recyclers in the UK receive around 30,000 tonnes of donated
textiles each year, which helps raise vital funds for the charity’s work with
vulnerable people.
Catherine Hamou from The Salvation Army Trading Company said: “There is so much value in textiles that people often don’t see.
“As a charity that works with vulnerable people all over the
country, we see the effects of poverty every day; clothing should never been
thrown away when it can be reused or re-worn. Donating textiles to charities
like us means that you’re helping to raise millions of pounds each year for
people who need it most – and not only that, but you’re helping to prevent
hugely unnecessary waste that could be heading straight to landfill,” said Catherine.
The charity is well known across the country, helping to
fund programmes with homelessness and addiction services, care for older
people, help at emergency incidents, support for adult victims of human
trafficking in England and Wales, a Family Tracing Service and more.
Lynn Wilson, textiles manager, Zero Waste Scotland said: “All textiles have a value and can be used again and again; clothing should never be put in the bin.
“I believe that with a little TLC, most unwanted clothing
can be transformed into something valuable. We really want people to see there
is worth in their clothes," said Lynn.
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