#SecondHandSeptember - Sustainable fashion for the environment
Since Passa Paa’s beginnings, caring for the environment has been one of our core values. From the materials we choose for our products to the way they are sourced, we pay close attention to how to minimise our impact on the planet.
As a production to retail operation we are constantly challenged by improving our environmental footprint. That is why when we heard about the #SecondHandSeptember movement, it struck a chord with us. Last year we started embroidering second hand denim jackets and we realised that this could be a cool way for people to re-invent their clothes, to give their already existing wardrobe a new lease of life and to get out of this rhythm of buying into a new look each season!
#SecondHandSeptember is an initiative started by OXFAM, a major nonprofit group founded in 1942 that unites 20 charitable organisations with the aim of ending poverty in the world.
“ Together, we save, protect and rebuild lives when disaster strikes. We help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.”
With this specific initiative, Oxfam is looking to decrease the environmental burden that comes with fast fashion. According to their statistics, every week the UK sends 13 million items of clothing to the landfills and every year the clothes sent to the landfills are equal to the weight of the empire state building. Want to know how much is that? We checked: 365,000 tons! A number we can’t even wrap our heads around.
The idea of the initiative is to pledge to only buy second hand for a whole month. (Click HERE to accept the pledge too)
But when we started reading more about the impact of fast fashion in the world, we realised that this pledge could be so much more.
For our team it means being aware of what we buy, why we buy it and where does it come from. Everyday, when our team of artisans get together to hand stitch and hand print our jackets or scarves, we are aware that there are so many companies out there that make these items at a much faster pace. This realisation only makes our pieces more valuable. The time and patience in each detail, in each thread that was stitched is something we wish everyone could see and value as much as we do. (Check our blogs about why we choose Hemp and Indigo dye!)
So, choosing slow fashion vs fast fashion, asking and researching where the materials come from and how they were sourced and supporting hand-made are only other things that can be done to minimise the impact of fashion. But our favourite strategy so far is giving those things in our closet that we don’t use much a second chance to shine.
Heather, (one of Passa Paa founders) had the idea to give her denim jacket a little bit more colour and texture. She hand printed the back of her own denim jacket and then added appliqué to it ( READ MORE ABOUT APPLIQUE HERE). Suddenly, this jacket became one of her favourite items, a one of a kind, customised jacket that was noticed by many. A meditative creation that she did in her own home yet linked her to the applique practice of the Passa Paa artisans in Laos. Our team of artisans have also done this to their own clothes at the studio in the last few years. We are now so used to seeing them arrive to our studio with their blouses or t-shirts featuring one of our Passa Paa prints!
We are aware not everyone has a team of artisans close by or materials to hand-print! So we researched some links for anyone who is interested in up-cycling their clothes and giving them a second chance.
There are many things you can do! Here are 100 ideas:
https://thesewingloftblog.com/100-ways-to-upcycle-your-clothing/
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure right? So maybe another idea could be to host a swap party, here is how:
https://www.mommoneymap.com/swap-party-rules-tips-and-other-ideas-you-need-to-know-2019/
When we researched about brands that have a responsible approach to fashion, we came across this video from Patagonia explaining how they use the scraps of their cotton instead of throwing them away. Check it out:
Did you know our Party Flags are also made from scraps. The up-cycled fabrics we use have been hand printed in our Lao studio. We use remnant materials from the off-cuts from our other products as a means to reduce waste in our production process. We also have other products that help reduce the impact on our planet.
We are more committed than ever to protect our environment. We hope this links and information inspired you to do the same. We strongly believe that we can do this together, specially if we start to teach about this issues to the next generations to come. So we leave you with one last link with strategies to teach children about the importance of sustainable fashion.
https://www.mygreenpod.com/articles/sustainable-fashion-for-kids/