The latest
figures suggest that in Europe alone, we throw away 5.8 million tonnes of
textiles to landfill every year! In the UK, we’re responsible for about 350,000
tonnes of that, and we reckon it’s about time to get a grip on it and bring the
number down drastically. That’s why Luxe Models were pleased this week to see that upcycling is becoming much more
popular in the fashion world.
Many people
don’t realise that nylon takes 30-40 years to decompose, or that wool as wool
breaks down, it releases methane, which is a major contributor to greenhouse
gases. Upcycling offers fashionistas the chance to recondition old items and
fabrics and release them back into the fashion sphere.
This
practice has the potential to revolutionise the fashion business. Jewellery
creator Kerry Howley’s Attraction/Aversion
collection is made entirely of discarded human hair, and while this may sound a
little grotesque, the pieces themselves are really quite beautiful and
certainly something to get people talking. In terms of more mainstream textiles
and clothing, TRAID are a fantastic
group who turn discarded items into new, original pieces with all the profits
going to charity. Similarly a couple of years back, Topshop teamed up with Reclaim to
Wear to produce garments made using leftover fabrics from the fashion
industry.
Taking
inspiration from generations before us, these initiatives show that inspiring
fashion steps can be made through making do and mending. Though that’s not to
say Luxe Models don’t still love high fashion items! Of course we
do! We just think that with a little time and effort, there are plenty of ways
to make fashion last forever.
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