I’ve seen quite a bit in the media about fast fashion; sales volumes generated by the fashion & manufacturing sectors, poor quality products designed with a very short life-span to encourage more purchasing, huge quantities of clothing going into land fill, and buyers with a never-ending appetite for the latest trends. Trends which are, of course, an invention by the vendors to keep their businesses going.

My project Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose is a small response to this. This work is an installation of 4 collagraph prints wound onto antique thread/ribbon spools. They’re displayed in this manner in the hope the viewer will grasp the connection between the printed images and texts, the physicality relating to the production of clothing, and the wastage mountains we find ourselves faced with.

Plate 1: Wash and Wear and Wear

The plate displays full washing lines, encouraging us to consider the lifespan of our clothing; washing & wearing repeatedly instead of washing, wearing and frequently replacing.

Plate 2: Reduce Waste

This plate aims to show a glut of purchased clothing, indicated on the right of the plate, (which will of course print in reverse), many of which are similar, if not the same. As the viewer’s eye travels across the image the items increase in size but reduce in number. This portrays a reduction in purchases where each item becomes more valued.

Plate 3: Make, Mend, Restyle

This plate reminds us that repairing, restyling and modifying our clothes is always an option. It just takes a bit of effort.

Plate 4: Make Better Choices

This print speaks for itself.