by In 1942, the British government’s Board of Trade started a Make -Do and Mend program. It was one of several campaigns that encouraged the public to save resources during World War II by learning basic sewing skills and taking over larger projects such as conversion of men’s clothing into women’s fashion. Today, Fashion Revolution, a non-profit social company that was founded in Bangladesh in 2013 after the Rana Plaza Factory Factory Disaster, is preparing to start its own improvement on the public day. This weekend, participants from all over the world will be able to join free local community courses in order to learn how to repair and stab yourself.
However, this scheme aims to remedy not the scarcity, but over consumption.
Cheap prices and a quick trend cycle have made fashion the most environmentally harmful industry after oil and gas, which led 10% of global carbon emissions. Microfiber made of synthetic clothing can be found in food chains, while 2023 became a photo from the room of a clothing mountain in Chile Atacama desert. We live in an era of social media clothing and a mentality “once, then throw”. It is often cheaper to buy a replacement of a stained object than to clean it dryly, and the same applies to rips and cracks. Even the risk of tariffs for fast-fashion giants such as Shein and Temu is unlikely that they are significantly preventing the fleeing of clothing and prices (Temu sells boots for $ 0) that they are still considered cheaply with higher tasks.
The mode evolution describes the program as a protest. “In times of disposable fashion, the repair of our clothes is a revolutionary act,” they say. “While the fashion industry is active on a global level, their effects and necessary solutions can vary according to region and demand localized measures.” This collective action is not just about repairs. They also encourage upcycling – reuse of existing clothing or rejected materials to transform them into new products. Luxury designers such as Ahluwalia, whose knitted ribs from dead fabrics were worn by celebrities such as Doechii, and the French designer Marine Serre, the old Terry scarf and silk scarf turns into clothes and jackets, are proof that upcycling is cool.
Many smaller independent British brands drive the change. World Secrets makes clogs with antique kilim carpets, while Helen Kirkum Second -Hand trainer obtains from charity promoters and then deconstructs them to shiny new versions. Then there are pikol clothing that makes white lotus-like holiday shirts of vintage tables and spilled milk, which produces everything from fishing vests to bishopsleeved blouses from pretty vintage textiles.
For those who stare at moth -moth -motted cashmere jumpers (the season) or party dresses with torn hems, one hopes to be part of the solution. With the platform you can upload a photo of your damaged or unworn element and then be connected to you that offer everything from visible fracture to coloring and redesigning.
In a world in which fashion trends take off and then burn out within days and repair and revised something that they love, it could only be the ultimate act of defiance.
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