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ReFashion Week
Published on 20 January 2021
United States of America
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Annually, NYC’s textile waste is ≈ 200,000T - equivalent to the entire height of the Empire State Building. By keeping 200,000T of textiles out of landfills, energy can be saved and greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 461,388 metric T.
DonateNYC and The Sanitation Foundation set up the ReFashion Week. Both entitites are part of the Department of Sanitation of New York (DSNY). ReFashion Week aims to callenge NY residents to imagine a world in which fashion is made, consumed and shared through reuse. The entire week is dedicated to clothing swaps, styling competitions, mending/upcycling workshops, a Fashion Show and more. It raises awareness on the environmental issues brought by textile waste in the fashion industry. It demonstrates how secondhand clothing can produce runway-caliber looks all the while reducing waste. The entities involved have gently-used pieces that look new, feel current, are budget-friendly, sustainable and fashionable.
To put this idea into action, the founding entities call upon citizens to donate used/unwanted clothing/textiles. Citizens can do so by requesting a home pick-up, using the drop-off bins throughout the city, searching for secondhand shops on the DonateNYC App or browsing the NYC Textile Map for takeback programs and other donation points. Thrift stylists are then selected to create competing looks, for which expert judges will select 1 winning stylist + 1 winning designer during the final Fashion Show.
DonateNYC and The Sanitation Foundation set up the ReFashion Week. Both entitites are part of the Department of Sanitation of New York (DSNY). ReFashion Week aims to callenge NY residents to imagine a world in which fashion is made, consumed and shared through reuse. The entire week is dedicated to clothing swaps, styling competitions, mending/upcycling workshops, a Fashion Show and more. It raises awareness on the environmental issues brought by textile waste in the fashion industry. It demonstrates how secondhand clothing can produce runway-caliber looks all the while reducing waste. The entities involved have gently-used pieces that look new, feel current, are budget-friendly, sustainable and fashionable.
To put this idea into action, the founding entities call upon citizens to donate used/unwanted clothing/textiles. Citizens can do so by requesting a home pick-up, using the drop-off bins throughout the city, searching for secondhand shops on the DonateNYC App or browsing the NYC Textile Map for takeback programs and other donation points. Thrift stylists are then selected to create competing looks, for which expert judges will select 1 winning stylist + 1 winning designer during the final Fashion Show.
Resources needed
4 employes at DSNY plan the opening/closing events, design assets, coordinate and promote events.
The Sanitation Foundation (nonprofit org. of DSNY) has 2 employees supporting public-private partnerships and sponsorship of the week, as well as fundraising.
The Sanitation Foundation (nonprofit org. of DSNY) has 2 employees supporting public-private partnerships and sponsorship of the week, as well as fundraising.
Evidence of success
Last year’s events were such a success and the momentum to reduce textile waste around the City and throughout the fashion industry was encouraging to find ways to execute it despite the challenges.
- Attendance: 4,000 attendees across 20 events
- Press coverage in 13 national + local outlets including CBS, NBC, Fox5
- 500,000+ social media impressions
- Increased participation and donations
- Waste Diverted: 2.5 tons of clothing swapped, mended, or otherwise rescued from landfill
- Attendance: 4,000 attendees across 20 events
- Press coverage in 13 national + local outlets including CBS, NBC, Fox5
- 500,000+ social media impressions
- Increased participation and donations
- Waste Diverted: 2.5 tons of clothing swapped, mended, or otherwise rescued from landfill
Potential for learning or transfer
Firstly, this practice was established by a public authority as DonateNYC is a programme of the Department of Sanitation of New York, which serves to “lead by example”. This practice can be replicated by public administrations across Europe.
The ReFashion Week succeeds in bringing together various actors such as businesses, residents and non-profits to challenge, through re-use and second hand, the waste created by fast fashion industries. It sparks conversations between the three actors to come up with creative and comprensive solutions to reduce textile waste. The partnerships incentivise actors to establish and promote circular and sustainable alternatives.
In addition, this initiative is very current/trendy as it emulates the worldwide popular fashion weeks that take place in big EU cities such as Milan or Paris. It can therefore attract and interest wide-ranging entities, sectors and actors, enthusiastic to contribute to the “hype” of the (sustainable) fashion sector.
The ReFashion Week succeeds in bringing together various actors such as businesses, residents and non-profits to challenge, through re-use and second hand, the waste created by fast fashion industries. It sparks conversations between the three actors to come up with creative and comprensive solutions to reduce textile waste. The partnerships incentivise actors to establish and promote circular and sustainable alternatives.
In addition, this initiative is very current/trendy as it emulates the worldwide popular fashion weeks that take place in big EU cities such as Milan or Paris. It can therefore attract and interest wide-ranging entities, sectors and actors, enthusiastic to contribute to the “hype” of the (sustainable) fashion sector.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
DonateNYC and The Sanitation Foundation
United States of America
Contact
Communications and Advocacy Officer