1 August-21 November 2010
Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches
Exhibition
Curated by four graduates, Felicia Fenton, Tara Mooney, Emma Rigby and Sharn Sandor from the inaugural MA Fashion and the Environment course at London College of Fashion, Fashion Footprints took a look at the underlying problems facing sustainability in the industry through the themes identified in Dr Kate Fletcher’s seminal book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. The exhibition also explored the possible solutions enabling us, as consumers, to make more informed decisions about the clothes we wear.
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Each of the themes: materials, production, garment use, end of life, consumption habits, locality, speed and connection to the maker were also illustrated by a garment.
The nine garments that were exhibited ranged from pioneering closed loop production pieces, to items that displayed a zero waste premise to ‘hand-me-downs’ and cherished garments that identify with quality and the current speed of fashion consumption. They included loans from Ciel, Saara Lepokorpi, Alabama Chanin, Izzy Lane, Ardalanish, Finisterre, ReMade in Leeds, a vintage kimono, and a jumpsuit by Issey Miyake from private owners.
Articles
Exhibition Tour
Each of the themes was explored in pairs of texts and images printed onto bamboo banners which could be rolled up, enabling touring. The tour included the Create centre, Bristol January-March 2011, Fibrefest, Bicton August 2011 and the Environment and Sustainabity Institute, University of Exeter in Falmouth.
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- Exhibition at Create. Photo Clive Adams
- Exhibition at Bicton. Photo Clive Adams
- Exhibition at Environment and Sustainabilty Institute. Photo Clive Adams
Activities
A ‘hands-on’ area for visitors called the Three Ways Weaving Station was co-designed with the curators. It included handling objects, textile samples made of different types of materials, a giant weaving loom and giant ‘knitting jenny’. Felting was also demonstrated.
An Engage Watch this Space funded project engaged secondary school textile teachers with the social and environmental issues within fashion and textiles for incorporation into the Key Stage 3 textiles curriculum.
During this programme, over a thousand children and young people participated in workshops through visits with families, school and youth groups, as well as seven secondary school work experience placements coordinated.
- 31 July: Introduction by Kate Fletcher
- 1 August: The Big Wash, a playful public event exploring the lost art of washing wool. Photos Chris Lewis.
- 8 August/29 August: Demonstrations by makers
- Summer weekends: Outdoor stage Makers and Musicians. Refashioning workshop on the outdoor stage. Photo Chris Lewis
- 14 August: Art in the Park goes Slow Fashion
- 15 August: Eco-fashion Show in the Forest featuring dancer/models from Totnes School of Dance. Photos Chris Lewis.
- 19 August: Natural dyeing workshop with Jane Deane. Photos Chris Lewis
- September-December: Fashion Footprints Road Show. CCANW took workshops focused on fashion sustainability to local environmental group events
- 24 September: Forum Wool Culture 2. Bovey Tracey
- 22 October: Dinner to Dye for workshop. Photos Chris Lewis
- 22 October: Documentary films on natural dyeing introduced by Jenny Balfour-Paul
- 26 October: Workshop on felting with Tian Kalouli
- 4 November: Ethical Fashion Insights conference. Somerset College of Arts and Technology, Taunton. Photos Chris Lewis.
27 November-27 February 2011
Material Actions
Exhibition
Chosen from a UK-wide open submission, Material Actions showed work by 13 makers which questioned how textiles are used to affect and contribute to ethical, social, cultural and environmental change.
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Inspired by ideas explored in Textile Forum South West’s conference Textile Footprint last year, it focuses on the special qualities and active role textiles practice can bring to challenge these debates.
A new publication was published by Plymouth College of Art to coincide with the exhibition with a specially commissioned essay by Dr Kate Fletcher. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Plymouth College of Art and Textile Forum South West.
Activities
- 16 October: Material Actions seminar. Plymouth
- 4 December: Upcycling for Xmas workshop. Photo Clive Adams.
- 14 January: Twilight Networking Event for textile teachers
- 28 January: Art Auction at Gloss gallery, Exeter. Photo Chris Lewis
12-27 March 2011
Fashion Sweet Fashion
Exhibition
Seven secondary schools and sixth form colleges across Devon responded to an ‘open submission’ for the final exhibition of work related to CCANW’s 2010-11 programme on the impact of fashion and textiles on the environment. We were impressed by the exciting range of deconstructed, upcycled and recycled items presented.
During this programme, over 1,000 children and young people participated in workshops through visits with families, school and youth groups. Many more visited the exhibitions as part of their day out at Haldon Forest Park and seven secondary school work experience placements were also coordinated.
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31 March-17 April 2011
MA Art and Environment students
The fifth University of the Trees event began with a day-long workshop on 31 March for the first year’s cohort 2010-11 of 20 students and staff from the new MA Art and Environment course at Falmouth University with Shelley Sacks introducing the UOT framework and sharing aspects of the UOT Connective Practice Approach.
Shelley introducing UOT to students from Falmouth. Photo Clive Adams.
Five of the students stayed at nearby Embercombe and made work in the forest which was then exhibited at CCANW at the end of their stay. The course had an annual average intake of 15 students and was set up by Daro Montag at the time that Dartington College of Arts merged with Falmouth, but was closed by Falmouth after only four years.
Shelley and Johanna delivered UOT sessions on 1 and 2 April for mental health practitioners and school groups.
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April-September 2011