FAST FASHION On the occasion of European Week for Waste Reduction with the theme of textiles, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco invited 70 students to raise awareness to the ecological issues related to fashion
Five schools in the Principality and Nice were invited to create together with pieces destined to be thrown away — E. Martin/ANP/20 Minutes
- To make young people aware of the consequences of fast fashion on the environment, but also to show that there are other ways of consuming and creating, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco organized an awareness day for 70 students.
- Through challenges, the museum wanted to make them actors during this day by allowing them to acquire technical advice on how to “upcycle” a garment and not throw it away.
- Several brands local and committed fashion companies were also present to show “that it is possible”.
“We are in the process of arranging an old T-shirt, too big and wide, into a dress,” says Clara, in second class at the Lycçois d’Assise-Nicolas Barré to Monaco. Guided by a teacher from the Palmiers vocational school in Nice, she draws a line to “adjust the size” after undoing the sleeves. Along with 70 other students, she is taking part in the “challenge” organized by the oceanographic museum of Monaco in on the occasion of the European week for waste reduction with the theme of textiles.
“This industry generates a huge amount of pollution in the oceans, especially the fast fashion industry which consists of selling clothes. very quickly renew clothes offered at the sale, several times a season, even a month, develops Serge Gobbi, organizer of the event and head of the reception service at the museum. Given that the core target is young people, we wanted to propose an action that affects them by putting them in contact with local actors already in the area. ””
””The conference room of the museum was then transformed into a sewing workshop with scraps of fabric lying around on the tables. side of a pistol; glue, machine glue; sew, scissors and a tape measure. For this “upcycling challenge”, students must make “fleece-themed clothing” to from recycled materials.
Next to a model, 15-year-old Arina examines the rendering of her fur skirt, which she sewed to the waist. the hand. “I buy a lot of clothes and I love fashion, except I don’t know anything about it. I am very happy to be here. because it’s an event that makes us participate unlike conferences where we are passive. There, we act and in addition, we learn techniques that will be useful to us for the next time when. we will want to throw away a garment.”
Maiyan and Stella, countries create their eco-responsible clothing during the challenge organized; by the oceanographic museum of Monaco for the waste reduction week – E. Martin/ANP/20 Minutes
A little further on, Maiyan and Stella, both with a professional baccalaureate in fashion, are working on a top they want with “frilly” reminiscent of “the bear”. “While showing what we can do outside of class, we prove that fashion can be linked to fashion. ecology,” launches the first 18-year-old student. She adds: “At the beginning of my training, I never imagined that when I launched my brand, it would be eco-responsible. But now it’s obvious. And this kind of event, çit will have an impact on all of us, on our future choices, for sure.”
“We all have a responsibility. as a citizen towards global warming”
But this revolution and these realizations are recent in the industry. Faouzia Hammadi, one of the teachers at the vocational school in Nice, develops: “We may have started to hear about ecology twenty-five years ago in fashion but it has gone down the drain. in schools and in classrooms only two or three years ago. Today, these young people are our stylists of tomorrow and they need to understand environmental issues.”
And to inspire them, a dozen local and committed creators were also invited to attend. this awareness. Among them, Inès Bensalah, 24, founder of the Inessa Créations brand, a “luxury ready-to-wear” brand. “We are part of this involved generation that boycotts companies that do not respect the environment and human rights and that transmits our ancestors,” she says. When I started, I was 20, and for me, it just seemed natural that high-end could go with eco-sustainability. We all have a responsibility. as a citizen towards global warming.”
Make these students “consumers”
She sets an example for students that it is possible to “create beautiful fashion with values”. His clothes are designed to from recoveries intended for be thrown away, with organic paint, recycled plastic; but also “apple leather and seaweed”.
Thus, these challenges allow “to explain how to use waste to make clothes, create a brand but also give advice on how to revalue what we already have,” says Julie Morel, CSR and sustainable development manager at the museum. She concludes: “Students are shown that it’s possible and that they can be ‘consumers’ in this area.”