Grampians Central West WRRG invites you to explore the ideas of Ethical Fashion through a number of workshops being held during August.

We are dedicated to working with slow clothing industry leaders to engage communities and schools to raise awareness about the ethical and environmental cost of our dominant throwaway textile culture.  We apply a re-style, re-use and repair approach to everything we are doing in this space.

In 2019, we are excited to expand on last year’s events, with more workshops and more presenters, featuring Clare Press as our Keynote Speaker at the launch.

All the workshops and events put on by the Group for the Ethical Fashion Festival are being provided at a heavily discounted cost. The $10 fee for the launch event will go towards supporting the Salvos Winter Coat appeal and other great work they do, with fees from the workshops being used to fund future projects.

We appreciate your support and hope you find a workshops you like and this inspires you to mend, reuse, recycle and love your clothes again!

Come and join us at one of the events below, and look out for more information on our social media pages.

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Ticket Sales for all Fashion Festival events have now ended.

If you wish to attend an event which is not sold out, please contact us via email: info@gcwwrrg.vic.gov.au

Ethical Fashion Festival Launch

Saturday 17th August 2019
1:30-5:30pm

Launch day for the Ballarat Ethical Fashion Festival will be another big event this year.

2pm: Event opens at the McCain Annexe at the Ballarat Art Gallery. Keynote speaker Clare Press, sustainable fashion advocate will open the event.

3pm: Erin Lewis Fitzgerald and her talk on ‘Modern Mending’ – learn some great mending tricks, common mistakes and great ideas from a professional mender and clothing problem solver.

4pm: ‘UpCycled’ Fashion parade.

[4.30pm: Clothes Swap]

5:30pm Event Closes

Bookings are essential for both the Launch and the Clothes Swap.

Entry into the Launch is $10. Entry into the Clothes Swap is free. Bookings must still be made for both.

Book your tickets to the Launch here: https://ballarat-ethical-fashion-launch-2019.eventbrite.com.au

Clothing Exchange Swap Event

We are hosting the fantastic FREE Melbourne Clothing Exchange swap event, so bring out your best threads for a fun, free and fantastic swapping frenzy.

You can bring up to 6 items to swap (incl. bags, hats and accessories as well as clothes.)

1:30pm:  Registration for the Clothes Swap is from 1:30pm at the Old Sherriff’s Office at Fed Uni Ballarat Campus. Registrations close at 2pm sharp to give the volunteers time to set up the space like a fashion boutique, ready for ‘shopping’ in at 4.30pm.

4.30: Time to go ‘shopping.’ If you have signed up to the Swap event and dropped your clothes off, head back over to Old Sherrif’s office to browse the racks and find some goodies!

Ballarat Ethical Fashion 2019 flyer

Ethical Fashion Festival Presenters

Clare Press

We are thrilled to announce that Clare Press will be our Keynote speaker at this year’s Ballarat Ethical Fashion Festival Launch.

She is Vogue Australia’s Sustainability Editor-at-Large, the first position of its kind globally, and the presenter of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast.

A passionate advocate for responsible fashion, she speaks internationally on the fashion industry and ethics, the circular economy, and the sustainability opportunity for business.

Clare’s iTunes chart-topping podcast, Wardrobe Crisis, is in its third series. Each week, she interviews global thought-leaders, academics, creatives and industry insiders.

Clare was formerly features director for Vogue and fashion editor at Marie Claire.  Her popular “Sustainable Style” column appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald for two years. Clare’s byline has run everywhere from Vogue Italia and Harper’s Bazaar to The Australian, and she was The Monthly’s first fashion critic. She has also appeared in the media on The Project, The Feed, Lateline and ABC News.

Author: Clare is the author of two books about sustainability: Wardrobe Crisis, How We Went from Sunday Best to Fast Fashion (Nero, 2016) decodes the changing global fashion system and investigates its effects on people and planet. Rise & Resist, How to Change the World (Melbourne University Press, 2018) explores activism and the new social and climate justice movements.

Website: https://www.clarepress.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrspress

Leanne O’Sullivan

Kimono House, Melbourne

Leanne first went to Japan in the 1980s where she lived and worked for 5 years. It was during this time she became interested in Japanese textiles and, the kimono. ‘..Whilst living in Japan I was constantly inspired by the extreme contrasts around me – everywhere I looked there seemed to be a mix of the traditional and contemporary co-existing beautifully.” This interesting blend of contrast is evident in Leanne’s work of creating pieces that combine new and vintage fabric, traditional and contemporary design.

Leanne now visits Japan each year where she continues to find inspiration. Her time in Australia is divided between her home and studio in Melbourne.  It is here that she works in her business Kimono House, trading in Japanese textiles and designing her range of craft kits.   Leanne also teaches workshops in sewing and traditional Japanese crafts and facilitates exhibitions of her personal collection of Japanese textiles.

Website: https://kimonohouse.com.au/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/kimono.house/

Bethany Jakob

Bethany Alice Fashion Design

Bethany is a local Ballarat designer who studied Fashion at RMIT. She works in Melbourne and Ballarat on new commissions, alterations and the exciting ‘upcycled’ range a label developed in collaboration with Bianca and Andrea from the ‘Hattie and the Wolf’ and ‘Hattie’s Wardrobe Green’ shops here in Ballarat.

She is passionate about the environmental impacts that fashion has on the world and is constantly looking for new solutions within her business and even personal life to help reduce those effects. Through her business she aims to educate others about ways consumers can reduce their impact on the environment through their fashion choices. Whether this is through getting a custom piece made that will get a lot of wear or altering a piece of clothing to avoid throwing it away.

‘There are so many things to do and I am so excited to continue my sustainable journey as well as meeting many amazing people and helping them create pieces that will have them feeling like a million bucks.’

Website: https://www.bethanyalice.com.au/

Insta: @bethanyalice_fashiondesign.

Gaye Naismith

Gaye Abandon School of Upcycling and Sewing

Gaye Naismith (aka Gaye Abandon) runs the ‘ Gaye Abandon School of Upcycling and Sewing’ in Footscray where she runs classes from beginners sewing, overlocker use as well as pattern making and re-creating a favourite wardrobe item. She is a lifelong sewer (machine and hand), a sometimes seamstress, a sewing teacher and a designer maker. She endeavours to resist the lure of new fabrics and to use recycled textiles whenever possible. She can often be found in op shops near and far, on the hunt for interesting fabrics she can turn into something new.

Website: https://schoolofsewingandupcycling.com.au/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/gayeabandon/

Cathy Tobin

Gypsy Weaver, Saori textile artisan

Also known as ‘Gypsy Weaver’ Cathy is a local Maryborough resident who is a Saori textile artisan.  Saori is a method of free-form weaving that prioritises creativity and free expression.   Cathy is passionate about sustainability and sources all her materials and fabric from op shops and other discards and transforms them into wearable art.  Cathy was invited to Alice Springs in June this year to attend the ‘Sustainable Couture Fashion Show’ and to talk about refashioning and recycling textiles.

Come along for a talk and Cathy will share with you this simple free form weaving technique and let you have a go yourself with her wonderful loom.

Facebook: Gypseyweaverstudio

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/gypsyweavercathy/

Ilka White

Visual artist-textile-sculpture

An incredibly experienced visual artist in many mediums, Ilka holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Monash University and an Associate Diploma in Studio Textiles from Melbourne Institute of Textiles (now RMIT).  Ilka White’s practice spans projects in textiles, sculpture and art-in-community. She taught Weaving, and Textile History at RMIT University for many years and now teaches throughout the country.  Direct engagement with the natural world (and the forces at work therein) has been central to Ilka’s making process and an abiding interest in world textile traditions informs her teaching practice.

Ilka’s popular workshops reflect the principles of sustainability alongside a love of the handmade and make contemporary use of traditional making methods. She is a great believer in the ability of beauty and creativity to lift the spirit.

Website: www.ilkawhite.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilkawhite/

Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald

Modern Mending

Professional mender Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald will be talking about her experiences and skills solving mending problems. She has a gift for making old clothes into new art pieces using various techniques of ‘visible mending’, a fun, creative alternative to traditional mending. Erin will share stories and photographs from her mending makeovers, inspiring you to fall back in love with your old clothes and give them another life, and to see stains, holes and rips as opportunities for creative play. Her anticipated book Modern Mending will be available in the first half of 2020 drawing on her experiences as a professional mender and full of info and mending tips.

Erin is always busy teaching her sold out ‘Mending Masterclass’ workshops in Melbourne and working on new mending projects.

Come and hear Erin talk at our launch event on Saturday 17th August.

Website: www.erinlewisfitzgerald.com

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/erinlewisfitzgeraldNew

Ethical Fashion Festival Events

Sunday 18th August 2019

1 – 4pm

Japanese Slow Stitch with Leanne O’Sullivan – Ballarat workshop

Held at: Hattie and the Wolf , 218A Skipton Street Ballarat 3350

The Japanese expression “mottainai” encourages us not to be wasteful.  Join Leanne the owner of Kimono House in Melbourne, who has many years of teaching experience as you learn to hand-stitch recycled cloth in the traditional “boro” style to make your own sustainable fashion accessory.  This three-hour long session gives you a chance to learn some new techniques from an expert, with all materials supplied.

Please bring your own snacks and drinks.

Cost $10.

Monday 19th August 2019

10am – 1pm

Japanese Slow Stitch with Leanne O’Sullivan – Maryborough workshop

Held at: Maryborough Community House, 23 Primrose Street Maryborough 3465

The Japanese expression “mottainai” encourages us not to be wasteful.  Join Leanne the owner of Kimono House in Melbourne.  Her many years of teaching experience you learn to hand-stitch recycled cloth in the traditional “boro” style to make your own sustainable fashion accessory.  This three hour long session gives you a chance to learn some new techniques from an expert, with all materials supplied.

Morning tea will be supplied, and tea and coffee will be available.

Cost $10.

Tuesday 20th August 2019

10am – 12pm

45 ways to re-style your clothes with Bethany Jakob

Held at: Salvos Store, cnr of Grey & Beverin Streets Sebastopol 3356

Do you have a wardrobe of clothes that don’t fit, a dress that you love the colour of but doesn’t sit quite right!?  Don’t throw it all away and go shopping, come and learn some easy tips and tricks to bring your old threads back from the dead!

This workshop is a unique opportunity to receive some advice from a fashion designer on how to make your current wardrobe fantastic once again.

Join Bethany as she shows off her own creations and how she can re-fit and re-fashion using items from the group as she discusses why we buy new clothes and what we can do to change that habit.

Note:
Please bring along something that you would like some advice on, or use the store itself to find something.  This is not a sewing class, but an inspirational session, designed to send you home with motivation to have a go yourself!  No sewing experience needed.

Please bring your own snacks or lunch, tea and coffee will be available.

Bookings are essential, and can be made by clicking here: https://bef-45-ways-to-reinvent-your-clothes.eventbrite.com.au

Tuesday 20th August 2019

1 – 3pm

Find Your Op Shop Style with Bianca Flint

Held at: Salvos Store, cnr of Grey & Beverin Streets Sebastopol 3356

Bianca Flint is a professional Op Shopper, Stylist and Sustainable Fashion advocate. Through her business, The Wardrobe Green, Bianca runs workshops and shopping tours that educate and encourage women to shop more sustainably and embrace Preloved Fashion. Bianca is passionate about empowering women to find their own sense of style, be body positive and shop mindfully. Come and listen to Bianca give you tips and tricks to find your style and learn to navigate the treasures that our op shops have to offer. This workshop gets you up and into the op shop at Sebastopol and looking at clothes and accessories in a different light.

Bookings are essential, and can be made by clicking here: https://bef-find-your-op-shop-style.eventbrite.com.au

Wednesday 21st August 2019

11.30am – 12.30pm

Saori Weaving demonstration with Cathy Tobin

Held at: Salvos Store, cnr of Grey & Beverin Streets Sebastopol 3356

Also known as ‘Gypsy Weaver’ Cathy is a local Maryborough resident who is a Saori textile artisan.  Saori is a method of free-form weaving that prioritises creativity and free expression.   Cathy is passionate about sustainability and sources all her materials and fabric from op shops and other discards and transforms them into wearable art.  Cathy was invited to Alice Springs in June this year to attend the ‘Sustainable Couture Fashion Show’ and to talk about refashioning and recycling textiles.

Come along for a talk and demonstration of this weaving technique. Cathy will share with you her skills with weaving and upcycling and let you have a go yourself with her wonderful loom.

Bookings are essential, and can be made by clicking here: https://bef-saori-weaving-talk.eventbrite.com.au

Thursday 22nd August 2019

1 – 4pm

Visible Mending Patching and Hand Sewing Class with Gaye Naismith

Held at: Creswick Neighbourhood Centre 19 Victoria Street Creswick, 3363

Do you have a favourite item of clothing that you’ve worn to an inch of its life but can’t bear to part with because it’s become like a second skin? Don’t despair – with a bit of “visible mending” we can make it strong again and even better looking!  Rather than trying to conceal the wear and tear that is the mark of a much loved piece of clothing, we make a feature of our mending by highlighting and embellishing these signs of age. This class is suitable for both beginners and more experienced sewers.

What is provided:

Pins, darning needles, sashiko thread (a thick strong cotton thread), scissors, a range of patches and some worn and torn fabrics will be provided along with handout notes showing stitches, tips and further references.

What You Need To Bring:

  • Bring garments (particularly denim ones) that have rips or holes that need repairing
  • Some interesting fabric scraps for patches.
  • If you have some embroidery floss or thick thread in your stash bring that too.
  • Any lunch or snacks.  (Tea and coffee will be available.)

Cost: $10

Bookings are essential, and can be made by clicking here: https://bef-visible-mending-hand-sewing-creswick.eventbrite.com.au

Thursday 22nd August 2019

10am – 4pm

Braided Rag Rug making workshop with Ilka White

Held at: Ballarat North Neighbourhood House 6 Crompton Street Ballarat 3350

A great way to recycle old clothes and fabric! This full day workshop is a very special opportunity. Learn to make fantastic rag rugs using an off-loom, spiral-woven braiding technique. We share an inspiring range of colour and design possibilities in this one day workshop. This braiding technique weaves in as we go so there is no stitching up required afterward. Bring your own material to recycle and find out what riches can come from rags.

Cost $10.

Saturday 24th August 2019

Ballarat’s Vintage Treasures – walking tour

Run by ‘Hattie and the Wolf’

A brilliant afternoon of fun and adventures exploring the treasures of Ballarat.

Wander with ‘The Wardrobe Green’s’ Bianca on a fun filled adventure exploring Ballarat’s best Thrift Shops. Discover pre-loved fashion, music, and vintage treasures as you wind your way through Ballarat’s historic streets and lanes.

Cost $55 inc shared lunch, goodie bag and pre-loved fashion presentation.

These tours are run exclusively by Hattie and the Wolf so please book at their external site if you are interested.

http://bit.ly/2NOf7ib