South Australia has been a melting pot for talented fashion, design and textile creatives in recent years, with some of the country’s biggest labels starting off right here in our state. Nurturing and refining this talent are the team at Scotch College, with a grass-roots fashion program aimed at breeding a whole new generation of fashion favourites.
sustainability
Sustainability and fast fashion have become familiar terms, and in the world of fashion they have never been so relevant. Environmentally conscious designers globally are pairing back to capsule collections with a focus on quality over quantity, and this trend is the central learning discipline of the Scotch program. “The students discover ways of creating wearable items that are sustainable, while addressing their need to be actively making change in response to the issues surrounding fast fashion,” says head of Textiles Technology Jodi Monro.
multi-purpose wears
One of the big considerations when it comes to reducing consumers’ reliance on fast fashion is multiple-use garments – essentially, creating clothing that is designed and made in a way that enables different looks to be achieved with the snap of a press stud. Year 12 student Tess Bolnar, who has already been accepted into the London College of Fashion in 2021, has made a multi-purpose outfit that consists of four garments in one – it can be worn 20 different ways. “Fashion waste is a large contributor to Australian landfill due to the manufacturing of fast fashion,” says Tess.
choice materials
The use of sustainable materials is also a key focus for students, ensuring garments are eco-friendly and biodegradable. Annika Jones, another year 12 student, chose to make a unique Halloween costume to address the vast volume of throw-away costumes made of plastic. The costume has removable shoulder accessories that can take it from wicked witch to ‘little black dress’ with a few quick alterations. “I decided that there needed to be more sustainable alternatives in the costume world,” says Annika. “The garment is all black and composed of a fitted silk top with witches’ hats on the shoulders and a lyrca booty short with a sheer mesh wide leg pant overlay.”
Coming up with alternatives for chemically dyed materials was an obstacle another year 12 student tackled. Mia Osborn made an organic tie-dye t-shirt using brown onions and blueberries. “I was aware of how much damage chemical dyes can have on the environment – from the making of them, to the disposal of waste products and the degradability of the clothes that have been dyed,” says Mia. The investigative process included experimenting with different food products to see which foods produced the best colours, as well as experimenting with sample fabrics to find ones that would best take the dye.
To find out more about Scotch College Textiles Technology subjects, contact the school on (08) 8274 4333, enquires@scotch.sa.edu.au