The Great Fashion Stitch-Up Celebrating Creativity and Sustainability
Published on 30 August 2024
This past weekend, Bellingen was abuzz with creativity and purpose as it hosted The Great Fashion Stitch-Up, a vibrant event dedicated to upcycling unwanted fashion destined for landfill and raising awareness about the pressing issue of textile waste. Australia, one of the largest contributors to global textile waste, was a key focus of the day’s discussions and activities. The event was curated and led by Zenzi Grace of Loving Spoonful Productions, who successfully secured a $4,337 Environmental Levy Grant from Bellingen Shire Council to bring this initiative to life.
The day began at 9am at Maam Gaduying (Meeting Place) with a series of hands-on workshops in the park. Attendees were greeted by a mountain of textile waste from Raleigh Bowerhouse Community Reuse Shop and Bellingen St Vincent de Paul, inviting the community to transform these discarded materials into runway-worthy outfits. A sewing station, staffed by dedicated volunteers, was non-stop all day, as they assisted those less familiar with sewing machines, ensuring that everyone could participate in the creative process. This clothing would have been landfilled in the past, but with the new Council collection points will be given a second chance.
The event also featured the PurpleCard Project, facilitated by Dorrigo local Siobhan Donges, which engaged the community in a collaborative art project, made from unwanted fashion pieces. Meanwhile, the Bellingen Library hosted no-sew workshops, teaching participants how to turn an old t-shirt into reusable shopping bags and Janine Boyd introduced the ancient Japanese art of Furoshiki, a knot-tying technique that transforms fabric into versatile shopping or gift bags. Abbey’s Wearable Art Workshop added an extra layer of creativity, helping attendees embellish their creations with iron-on art.
The event featured inspiring guest speakers. Mary Walker presented a “Show and Tell” session on resourceful textile upcycling, followed by a workshop on sewing vintage lace and repurposed tablecloths into garments. Rhiannon Mitchell, founder of Saltwater Sistas, highlighted the connection between mental health and creativity, emphasising the benefits of creative outlets for young people in the community. She also had a stall at the park, teaching people how to weave with natural fibres.
Zenzi Grace, the visionary behind The Great Fashion Stitch-Up, shared the motivation behind the event, which had been a year in the making. “There are 227,000 tonnes of textile waste that Australians send to landfill every year—that’s the equivalent weight of four Sydney Harbour Bridges,” Zenzi informed the audience. “The Great Fashion Stitch-Up not only brings awareness to this massive problem but also offers a fun and creative way to tackle it.”
The most impressive upcycled outfits crafted during the day earned the "Community Creators" a coveted golden ticket to the "Behind The Runway" parade, the highly anticipated evening fashion parade at the Bellingen Memorial Hall, featuring live performances by Starman Bowie, Grxce, Blind Pretty, and DJ Phillage. The golden ticket holders, strutted their upcycled designs on the runway, where a panel of judges awarded prizes for the best outfits. H&S Cafe took charge of the dinner catering, offering a tasty Ramen menu.
Sam Tate, Council’s Group Leader – Sustainable Environment and Waste, emphasised the importance of the day’s events, stating, “Textile waste is a growing issue in our Shire and across Australia. We have recently partnered with Upcycle 4 Better and MIDWASTE, where Council will provide free clothing collection points at our waste facilities to help the community take action. The Great Fashion Stitch-Up highlights the impact of fast fashion and offers fun, sustainable alternatives to disposing of unwanted clothes. It’s been great to see the community rally behind this cause.”
Reflecting on the event’s success, Zenzi Grace expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “The energy and vibes were incredible. I’m motivated to make this an annual event and expand its reach to other areas. What a fantastic way to leave a positive footprint and unite our community.”