Upcycled fashion is sew good

Catwalk model shows how stylish upcycled clothing can be

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Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Watch Your Waste Week ended on Saturday 26th November with a night of glamour and sparkle. Greater Manchester residents were treated to free fashion show at Salford University. The clothes on the catwalk were made exclusively of recycled textiles and vintage materials.

The style conscious were treated to a real show, with over 70 outfits displayed. The 1940’s inspired collection showcased on the night was designed by TRAID. TRAID fundraise by collecting the UK’s unwanted textiles.

One Manchester resident said “I took my two daughters to the fashion show, we were shown how to make a beaded bracelet from strips and we bought hair adornments made out of scrap fabric. My teenage daughter was so inspired she could not wait to get home to find one of her dad’s old t -shirts that she can make into a dress!”

The stylish event aimed to encourage everyone to reduce their waste, whilst saving their pennies. Fashion was not the only thing on the menu, residents were treated to interactive displays on how to reduce food waste, a virtual pre-loved living room, to showcase the quality of second hand furniture collected by furniture re-use organisations and one lucky individual Catherine Dunne, a teacher at Salford University won a vintage shopping spree in the free prize draw on the night.

The fashion show was the ultimate ending to a week of free activities across the region. Sew Good Workshops allowed residents the opportunity to learn key sewing skills whilst updating their wardrobe. Old pre-loved items of clothing were transformed into something new. Trousers and tops became skirts, whilst other items were customised by adding a new twist.

Residents enjoyed learning how to make the most of their leftovers at the Love Food Hate Waste Cookery Classes. Classes were delivered by a qualified nutritionist. The classes were well received with participants claiming to change how they cook and buy food, as a result Steven Hall a participant of the Oldham class said “The class was fantastic and it was free! We learnt that tasty food can be made from scraps of food leftover from other meals and that the freezer is your best friend!”

Councillor Chris Gordon, Member of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority who opened the fashion show said “the show was a fantastic end to a great week, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to such a successful night.”

He added “Watch Your Waste Week is all about style, fashion and flair to encourage residents to think re-use. With Greater Manchester generating 1.1 million tonnes of waste last year, we are looking at innovative ways to encourage residents to think about reducing their waste by re-using unwanted items in new ways.”