A local alterations specialist and clothes designer is encouraging people to rethink what they do with unwanted clothing as part of Council’s upcoming ReLoved Weekend.
Maureen Bourke, of Port Douglas alterations studio Elle and Stuart, has been showcasing her “Disposable Paradise” denim collection at local fashion events, using old garments to demonstrate how clothing can be repurposed rather than discarded.
“The denim came about because it’s a beautiful fabric to work with but it’s also trying to get the message out that fast fashion isn’t the be all and end all of the world,” she said.
“It’s a problem and we need to understand that a lot of it does end up in landfill.
“The denim is just showing you that what was once loved can be repurposed and become something beautiful too.”
Maureen hopes the upcoming ReLoved Weekend on October 17 and 18 will inspire more people to repair, reuse and reimagine the clothes they already own.
Sew Sustainably on Saturday will feature workshops, hands-on sewing activities, a clothing swap and a fashion garage sale focused on pre-loved clothing.
“We’ve even got a situation where you can bring five pieces of clothing in and swap them for another five pieces of clothing,” Maureen said.
“And then Sunday is the big garage sale so you can actually have a store and sell your pre-loved garments.”
Through her alterations business and community sewing group, Maureen has seen growing interest in sewing and mending skills.
“I think sewing did take a bit of a back step because it wasn’t that trendy,” she said.
“But I’m finding up here that people like to be creative.”
Her passion for sewing began at home.
“My mum always told me that I’d never be sorry that she taught me to sew because clothes are so expensive to buy,” she said.
“As a teenager, I thought, whatever, can I just have something from a shop please?
“But then as time went on, I thought, yeah, it’s really fun.”
For Maureen, the satisfaction comes not only from creating something new, but from extending the life of something old.
“Let’s not throw it out. Let’s mend it, repurpose it or reuse it in some way, shape or form,” she said.
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