Upcycling fashion

January 14th 2016

Girls in the Lower Sixth have recently spent their enrichment sessions researching ethical issues that underpin the fashion industry. The girls were set a task to upcycle and create their own piece of clothing that was shown on the catwalk this week and they will also be available to buy in the South Bucks Hospice charity shop in Hazlemere.

Each group researched the ethics behind child labour, working conditions and pay in countries including Turkey, Bangladesh and India. Their aim was to demonstrate the “cradle to cradle” process from the creation of the original garment to its re-invention. The girls also had to decide how much they would sell their item for, how much they would pay their workers and ultimately work out how much profit they would make. This helped the girls understand the processes that retailers go through when pricing and selling their clothes.

For the final part of the project the girls had to present their research, model their newly upcycled garment and explain their finances. The presentations were made to a panel of judges including a representative from TRAID. TRAID is a charity working to stop clothes from being thrown away and reduce the environmental and social impacts that this waste has.

Assistant Head, Mrs Derbyshire, said “The girls did an amazing job researching and learning about the social impacts of making clothes. They are also excited to be able to sell their garments to the public in order to raise money for the South Bucks Hospice.”

As a school we are proud to support the TRAID initiative and there is a TRAID recycling bin in the Pre-Prep carpark for all unwanted clothes to be either ethically disposed of or recycled into new items.

For more information about TRAID visit www.traid.org.uk.