Relove Fashion competition launched for new school year

Relove Fashion, a competition designed by local authorities in partnership with the Rediscovery Centre, has been launched in time for the new school year.

The competition offers students an opportunity to take a second look at how we dress and how we make a fashion statement without creating more demand on resources

Wicklow County Council led the development of the competition, winning and Excellence in Local Government award for its creation.

In a world of fast fashion we can easily overlook the impact the industry is having on our planet and its resources. Fashion causes damage when we grow the cotton to produce textiles, in the manufacturing of garments and as we ship it round the world to sell in our shops and online.

Fashion does not have to be fast and temporary. Quality garments and textiles can be very durable and a good outfit is one which is timeless but stylish.

The ability to work with textiles, reinventing them and giving them a new lease of life has always been central to the fashion industry. This competition aims to allow students test their design skills using older fabrics or recreating something out of an older outfit.

A new contemporary look is created without the use of new resources. Part of the vision for a circular economy is a transition from disposable fast fashion to an industry that will harness the circular economy, conserving resources while creating jobs and adding value to products.

Relove Fashion is giving students a platform to demonstrate their skill of working with textiles, their creativity in design and their commitment to sustainability. Entrants who can be individual or a team. They must record their design process in a mood board, produce their outfit by early January and are also questioned on their views on sustainability in the textile and fashion industries.

The competition, which is open to all second level students in Wicklow, fits in well with the Home Economics curriculum and also the Art curriculum. In some schools it has been undertaken as a TY project.

Students can register to participate on www.relovefashion.ie. All registered by the 30^th of September will be entered in a free draw to win a sewing machine for their school. The outfit created for the competition must be submitted by the 13^th of January. A teacher’s pack is available providing more information on the competition.