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Out of Garbage
Waste to Dress, Fashion Project, Sri Lanka, March 2020
Millions of tons of plastic wind up in the sea each year and cannot be recycled in the usual way. Enormous rubbish patches have appeared in the oceans all over the world. “Out of Garbage” focuses on utilising ocean plastic for fanciful fashion purposes, thereby bringing a subject to the catwalk that makes us conscious of the fact that every individual can contribute with his or her lifestyle, habits and attitudes to combat the insanity of our throw-away culture. Out of plastic and back to nature.
The project is being carried out in collaboration with the one world foundation in Ahungalla in Sri Lanka. Plastic bags, cups, straws, fast-food packaging, nets, aluminium cans, bottles and stoppers that have washed up on the beaches as well as leaves that have fallen from trees in the tropical rainforests and gardens replace conventional clothing materials. The theme of the project is the transience and immutability of materials as well as the need to return to a sustainable packaging and textile industry that protects resources.
Along with some 40 women who were trained in the tailoring workshop of the one world foundation school, Bettina Reichl (fashion and packaging designer) and Irma Denk (founder of Slow Fashion and Feldenkrais Practicioner) produce styles in a 1-month workshop that will be presented in a final fashion show. A blog documents the creation of the designs as an online diary from the time when the materials are gathered right up to the staging of the show itself.
Since 1995, the one world foundation has funded free educational programmes in Sri Lanka, from preschool through to professional training for more than 1100 pupils and students. The diverse and state-certified schooling offers are crucial in helping children, especially those from poor and socially deprived families, improve their employment chances. One of the focal areas for the one world foundation is the deliberate advancement and training of girls and women. The further-education courses in the Women’s Cooperation, which includes the project “Waste to Dress”, gives young mothers genuine opportunities to return to work.
https://vpz.at/en/stories/vegetable-market/
https://owf.at/
www.pellmell.at
www.irmadenk.com
www.slowfashion.at
Photo credits: Fashion / Stephan Friesinger, Packaging / Bettina Reichl