Sustainable Fashion Week & The Power of Repurposing

Thanks to social media, there is a large focus on trends. Fashion trends used to change by the seasons, but now they change by the day. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok constantly have people glued to their phones, influencing what trends are in and what they should buy. Overconsumption has become rampant, resulting in an excessive amount of clothing in our waste streams and landfills. According to Earth.org, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced annually, with fast fashion brands accounting for twice the amount of clothing that is estimated to have been worn only once or twice.

That is a lot of discarded clothing clogging up our landfills.

This is why brands like Musey are finding ways to combat the waste problem by transforming pre-loved items and upcycling them into new items. Partnering with local artists, Musey's goal is to create sustainable fashion that is both environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. One of the ways they do this is through their Sustainable Fashion Week, which is being held from September 26 to October 5th. The event brings awareness to how sustainable fashion can help lower the impact of climate change. The event offers clothing repair and upcycling workshops, as well as community drives and clothing swaps. Musey does amazing work for the community, and we hope to have them visit the library in the near future!

Being sustainable when it comes to your clothing can start with you! Whether it is buying less clothing, repairing and wearing what you already have, or repurposing a garment and transforming it into something new. The library has tons of resources, whether it is looking to build your understanding of how the fashion industry impacts climate change, to how to repair your own items, there is so much information at one's fingertips. There are also so many community events that offer clothing swaps, repair, and more. Here are some of the library's upcoming sustainable events that you can check out:

• Kids Halloween Costume Swap - Saturday, October 4th, 10am to 1pm, Optimist Room.
• Repair Cafe - Saturday, October 18th, 10am to 2pm, Magna Room
• APL Fall Book Sale - Saturday, November 8th, 10am to 4pm
• APL Hobby Swap - Saturday, November 15th, 10am to 1pm

And if someone you miss any of our events and want to learn more about sustainability, upcycling, or clothing alteration, check out this resource list!