FJFW starts the Upcycle Design Competition

Fiji Fashion Week says it is taking its program online until the end of June as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which has delayed the annual runway show from May until November.

The FJFW20 Online Program includes a number of competitions, the first of which is the Upcycle Design Competition.

Upcycled Design is an emerging category of fashion design which utilizes waste to create new outfits - it is a type of recycling.

Fiji Fashion Week says with modern culture responsible for generating large amounts of recyclable waste, by-products and unwanted products, the fashion industry has stepped in to figure out some creative ways to re-use fabric offcuts (a by-product of its own industry) and recycle products like fishing nets and other plastics into wearable garments.

Adidas has released a line of sneakers made entirely from recycled fishing nets, and there are many brands that have bypassed the production of new garments to focus solely on upcycling fabric offcuts and unused garments into new designs, thereby freeing themselves from being a part of the second largest polluting industry in the world.

Fiji Fashion Week says the whole movement towards upcycling has been a part of the discussions around changes to the fashion industry being driven by Fashion Revolution, the global movement for change.

The FJFW x Palmolive Upcycle Design Competition calls on individuals to design an outfit from recyclable materials or repurpose an existing outfit to create a wearable garment.

FJFW Managing Director, Ellen Whippy Knight says you don’t need to be a designer to participate in this competition. She says it is really about taking what you have on hand and repurposing it into a new garment.

Knight says it’s a fun activity - one which will help to shine the spotlight on our creative talent and some of the more serious issues in the industry such as fabric waste.

To enter the FJFW Upcycle Competition, submit a photo of your completed garment (or drop it to the FJFW Office in Suva Point) by Wednesday 13th May, along with a brief story about the inspiration for the garment.

Prizes will be awarded to First, Second and Third places and with First Place receiving a Prize Pack from Palmolive, Movie Passes from Damodar Cinemas, and the opportunity to show the winning garment on the runway at Fiji Fashion Week.