BALLARAT Ethical Fashion Festival presents a week of events on how to re-use, re-style, re-purpose and re-wear clothing.<\/p>\n
BEFF which aims to raise awareness about the ethical and environmental cost of our dominant throwaway textile culture.<\/p>\n
Clare Press, Vogue Australia\u2019s Sustainability Editor-at-Large is the Keynote speaker at the festival\u2019s launch at Art Gallery of Ballarat.<\/p>\n
A staggering number of clothes produced are worn and then discarded after only a few wears, said La Vergne Lehmann, Executive Officer, Grampians Central West Waste & Resource Recovery Group, organiser of the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis makes the textile industry a very important issue to focus on with the need to reduce waste across all aspects of our lives,\u201d Ms Lehmann said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our perspective as a waste and recovery organisation, the festival is about reducing the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mending and upcycling classes, op shop style workshops, vintage treasure\u2019s walking tours and more are on offer throughout the week in Ballarat, Maryborough and Creswick.<\/p>\n
Ms Lehmann said the festival will suggest and demonstrate options on how to think differently about what you purchase and what you wear.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf clothing is so cheap that it is easily discarded so quickly, it is also worth considering the garment\u2019s origin and what workers are paid to produce it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ballarat Ethical Fashion Festival runs from Saturday, 17 August to Saturday, 24 August.<\/p>\n
The festival launch is at McCain Annexe, Art Gallery of Ballarat, 40 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat on Saturday, 17 August at 1.30pm.<\/p>\n