Shrewsbury shop to host sustainable fashion workshop
A Shrewsbury entrepreneur is hosting an event to inspire a more sustainable approach to fashion.
Kate Holbrook and her recycled cashmere brand, Turtle Doves, will join fashion producers from around the world to run a fashion showcase in Shrewsbury in honour of Fashion Revolution Week.
The event, called Fashion Open Studio, is free to attend and will include presentations, openings and workshops, shining a light on innovative emerging designers, established trailblazers and major players in the fashion industry.
Shrewsbury-based eco trailblazers, Daisy Snow from Ian Snow, the Fairtrade online retailer, and Ali Thomas, Manager of Zero Waste Events, will speak at Fashion Open Studio.
The event is part of Fashion Revolution Week, which runs from Monday, April 22 to Sunday, April 28 and falls on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more on April 24, 2013.
Fashion Open Studio hopes to draw attention to the problems of the industry.
Currently, less than one per cent of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new textiles and fibres. Of the total fibre input used for clothing, 87 per cent is put into landfill or incinerated, costing 100 billion dollars.
Over 50 per cent of workers within the fashion industry are not paid the minimum wage in countries such India and the Philippines.
Kate Holbrook, founder of Turtle Doves, said: “Fashion Revolution is an incredible movement born out of a terrible tragedy. We proudly support the working conditions and environmental standards Fashion Revolution are championing and are thrilled to be hosting our own Fashion Open Studio in support.
There is a definite desire for positive environmental change in Shrewsbury amongst businesses and individuals and we hope this event will help empower our community with some new skills they can use to help live more sustainably – as well as being great fun.”
During the practical workshop, attendees will learn how to repair and upcycle knitwear through invisible and decorative mending, and everyone will leave with a set of Turtle Doves gloves and a skill they can use forever.
The event takes place between 11am and 1pm on Saturday, April 27 at Turtle Doves Studio, Unit 6A Lancaster Road, Shrewsbury.
