Tackling Textiles

Find out more about the Tackling Textiles Skills and Innovation Grant here.

At Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful we want to raise awareness on the growing issue of clothing and textile waste.  Fashion should not cost the earth.

Did you know that *:

• Across the UK, including Northern Ireland, we throw away 1,000,000 tonnes of textile waste each year with 300,000 tonnes ending up in landfill.
• We buy more clothes that any other EU country.
• We have 5 times more clothes than our grandparents.
• “Fast Fashion” has a negative effect on our environment creating carbon emissions, water, chemical and plastic pollution.

We want you to stop putting unwanted clothes in the bin and start thinking about how you can: 

Fashion Forever Festival at 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast

Planning for this year's festival is well underway...

The jam-packed programme of events runs from 11:00am to 4:00pm on the 21st of December and has been designed to introduce sustainable fashion concepts and designers in a festive, fun and accessible way. 

Our Key messages for the event include:

• Fashion Forever: Never put your clothes in the bin. Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Donate, Create. 
• Shop sustainably this Christmas—find second-hand treasures, handmade crafts, and eco-conscious fashion at our pop-up boutique and swap shop.  
• Discover local makers and designers who are committed to sustainability.
• Avoid waste this holiday season with our free gift-wrapping station!

Earlier this year, Fashion Forever went big and held a one-day event at 2 Royal Ave, Belfast City Centre. It was a day to celebrate the wonderful world of Reuse, Repair and Reimagine of our clothes and textiles.

Lots of people joined us for a day of inspirational activities, including a communal sew-along, preloved clothing stalls, workshops demonstrating how to reimagine/repair your clothes and a series of short talks and demonstrations. 

At the festival we were joined by a host of partners and contributors making sustainable textiles accessible and relatable to all. 

Who will be there?

Fashion Forever, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be on hand to welcome everyone to 2 Royal Ave and help visitors get the most out of the day and learn something new!

Tools for Solidarity, Don’t miss the Fashion Show, a celebration of creativity, sustainability, and solidarity, curated by Tools for Solidarity. This show will highlight using second-hand and upcycled materials to create unique, stylish pieces. Watch the runway come alive with models sporting fashion that makes a statement—about style, sustainability, and social justice. Tools for Solidarity supports refugees, migrants, and underrepresented communities, helping them showcase their talents through fashion and design.

Swap Shop with Moya Doogan, Take part in the Swap Shop hosted by sustainable fashion expert Moya Duggan. This is your chance to trade your gently used clothes for something new while supporting a more sustainable fashion future. Moya Duggan, owner of Eadach, is known for promoting slow fashion and circular economy practices, encouraging people to shop second-hand and rethink their relationship with clothes.

Point Angel sells an eclectic range of textile-based products, ranging from apparel, home décor & textile art. Mainly focusing on embroidery as their main specialism it includes traditional methods such as hand embroidery & hand tufting but also digital embroidery, bringing a contemporary aspect. Point Angel’ main goal is to bring happiness into people’s lives with fun & colourful products.

Seven Makes, Handmade sustainable products made in County Down using reusable alternatives to single use products, great gifts and gorgeous bags - many fabrics printed with their own linocut designs. 

Reusable alternatives to single use products such as, facial cleansing pads, sanitary pads, sandwich bags, unpaper towels, scrubbing pads, bread/ produce bags, and tea towels 

As well as sustainable gift ideas like, bamboo wash cloths, wash bags, zipper pouches. lined drawstring bags, slouchy shoulder bags, waterproof-based shoulder bags, scrunchies and hairbands.

Angeline Murphy is a Northern Ireland Designer and Textile Artist. Angeline started sewing in 2005 and has since been showcasing her creations and upcycled designs on her social media channels. She is inspiring and empowering her followers to give sewing a go and inject a second life to their own unworn clothes while reducing the need to buy new. After appearing on BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee Series 4, Angeline wanted to raise awareness of sewing and its benefits for mental health. Through making and mending workshops Angeline continues to spread the word of sewing. 

Angeline will be bringing along her ‘Repair Box’ which is a refurbed Horse Box offering mending services outside 2 Royal Avenue on the day. She will also be providing Christmas Crafts inside 2 Royal Avenue. 

Also joining us will be; St. Vincent de Paul, Oxfam 4 Good Castle Court, and many more. Keep your eyes peeled as we announce even more exhibitors in the coming weeks!

Remember: never put your unwanted clothes in the bin. Reuse, Repair, Reimagine - Fashion Forever

Further information

For inspiration go to our Instagram page @fashionforeverni. 

For advice and top tips, please check out www.loveyourclothes.org.uk.

*Information from the UK Parliament 2019 report – Fixing Fashion, clothing consumption and sustainability

This project is funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful