For any designer hoping to make a mark in the fashion industry in 2024, sustainability needs to be top of mind. The reason? Our planet literally depends on it.
There has been more than enough written about how fast fashion practices are destroying the environment. (See: the polluting of water sources, the impact of synthetic fabrics which take as long as a plastic bag to break down in landfill and a global emissions footprint that’s annually bigger than all that of all flights and maritime shipping combined, for starters), FashionMagazine reported.
And some major designers and brands are finally taking note. Stella McCartney, Reformation and Mara Hoffman have all taken steps towards sustainable and ethical production. But let’s not forget that going down the ethical and sustainable road (unfortunately) requires funding. So what are emerging sustainable designers to do? Well, Fashion Revolution Canada — a North American organization aimed at educating consumers around ethical and sustainable fashion practices — has a few ideas.
Introducing the Student Upcycling Challenge, a Canada-wide contest tasking young designers in high-school, post-secondary and continuing education to design brand new, high-fashion looks using upcycled materials, like thrifted textiles or their own garments. “The competition aims to encourage the use of existing and recycled materials as the starting point for fashion design, and the reclamation of the skills needed to make clothing,” Sarah Jay, communications lead at Fashion Revolution Canada, tells FASHION. “We also hope to honour the growing number of designers and makers who are choosing to upcycle.”
In its second year, participants were judged by a variety of experts in the fashion industry, including Toronto Metropolitan University’s The Fashion Zone Manager Brian A. Richards, vice president of communications and marketing at Savers/Value Village, Sara Gaugl, senior creative & fashion director of FASHION, George Antonopoulos, and Fashion Revolution’s Jay. The submissions were evaluated based on creativity and design, level of transformation from the original garment, technical skills, and the designer’s use of recycled materials, taking home cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1000.
These three emerging Canadian designers are just getting started with their careers, and for Fashion Revolution Canada — and anyone who cares about sustainability in the industry — that’s a great thing to hear. “[Fashion Revolution Canada] envisions a future for our industry rooted in respect and regeneration, as opposed to extraction and exploitation,” Jay says. “Circularity, reuse and the reimagination of existing materials as opposed to relying on virgin fibres will be vital in ensuring a livable future on our planet.” We’d say they’re on the right track. /BGNES
