The UK’s first and only Sustainable Fashion Week is taking place in Bristol between 16th – 25th September, with a full line-up of events, workshops and stylings set to get participants from across the city, online and beyond to reimagine their wardrobes.
Each event is united under the four driving themes of Regenerate, Rewear, Repurpose and Reconnect, and will bring organisations, community groups, brands and individuals together to make proactive steps towards disrupting the fast-fashion cycle.
Bristol Beacon will also be transformed into the Sustainable Fashion Week Hub between 17th and 18th September, hosting three floors of fashion-focused and environmentally friendly events. From make, mend and alteration workshops to panel talks and clothes swaps, visitors can take proactive steps to supporting sustainable fashion by reimagining their current clothing to keep up with seasonal trends, and learning the ins and outs of the industry.
Events will also include child-friendly make, mend and alteration workshops taking place on 17th-18th September. These includes:
- Children’s introduction to repair with Repair What You Wear team between 1-2pm at Bristol Beacon on Saturday 17th September.
- Children’s Upcycling Workshop with Amy Ward from The Children’s Scrapstore between 10-11am at Bristol Beacon on Sunday 18th September.
There is also a focus on introducing children to sustainable fashion early, and encouraging them to recognise the benefits and creativity of shopping second-hand and making and mending as opposed to shopping new and contributing to the fast fashion cycle.
The Sustainable Fashion Week market will also be taking root in Bristol Beacon, showing visitors exactly how good second-hand can look. Independent vintage brands including Flo-Jo, Origin and Sofo Studio will take over the clothing rails with their best sustainable garments on offer.
Sustainable Fashion Week will be debuting its first catwalk show on 21st September, hosted at the ethereal church venue of The Mount Without. Models will be styled in upcycled clothing designed by City of Bristol College fashion students, and glammed up with ethical makeup from headline sponsor, benecos, to prove that preloved is always in style. The event will inspire attendees to look at their wardrobe in a new light and get creative with the clothes they already own.
On 22nd September, Sustainable Fashion Week and Bristol City Centre BID will host a Re-Fresher Your Style day aimed at getting Bristol’s students and freshers to get to know their new home city. The sustainable student shopping day is being held across Park Street and Queens Road and will see businesses with sustainable offerings open their doors to Bristol’s student community with a variety of student discounts, offers and in-store events.
This will be followed by a free-to-register sustainable student fashion panel discussion and live styling evening at The Vintage Thrift Store, Park Street. Students can hear from industry experts, including Sustainable Fashion Week founder Amelia Twine, on how they can help disrupt the fast fashion industry and participate in the slow fashion movement, alongside a live styling event with complimentary food and drinks from Bristol Folk House and Pizzarova.
Registration for the Re-fresher Your Style event on the 22nd is free but tickets are limited, see the list of businesses, panellists and register online here.
For more information, please see the full Sustainable Fashion Week programme, and head to the Sustainable Fashion Week website.
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