Sustainable fashion is coming to Dalston, as the balconies of the Hackney Community Development (HCD) building above Gillett Square are set to be transformed into a catwalk for eco-friendly clothing.
The fashion show, kicking off in the evening of October 26, is part of an all-day “open house” event featuring local music, art and culture, run by Respace, the non-profit group who developed and helps run the space.
“It’s not got the pretentious art vibe of most fashion shows,” said Shannen Samuel, the show’s main organiser. “It’s a community driven show accessible to all different classes of people to show them they can be sustainable.”
The building itself houses three groups involved in independent, green fashion. “Our guerrilla approach is our little rebellion against the big brands that are the one causing problems with unsustainable fast fashion,” Ms Samuel said.
The apparel industry accounts for 10% of all global carbon emissions, second only to the fossil fuel industry.
The HCD building lay empty for several months before it was redeveloped by Respace four months ago as the Zero London project, a building that houses a variety of sustainable NGOs and community initiatives.
“Consumerism conditions us to think we need so much and if you think in another way, things can be different,” said Ang King, whose group ReLive is participating in the event.
This is set to be the fourth “open house” run from the Zero London project and will exclusively feature reused and recycled clothing restyled using simple and easy alterations.
“We need positive initiatives like this in order to make the most of Gillett Square,” said Dalston Cllr. Peter Snell, who went on to praise the other work done for the community by Respace.
The charity, fresh from winning first place at London’s Sustainable City Awards, seeks to “reuse waste to rebuild communities and reduce inequality,” according to its head Gee Sinha.
“People are beginning to find out they have more choices and them taking part in events like this is empowering for them,” Ms King said. “That’s what our communities really need at the moment, as right now they feel like they’ve lost their leadership.”
Andrew Kersley is a freelance journalist and student at City University. His previous work has been published in The Times and The i Paper.