Be responsible, start with your wardrobe
By Pujanee Galappaththi
While keeping safe indoors during these dark times of the Covid-19 virus, Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) has found a way to help you declutter your mind and create a new wardrobe. Working with Dimuthu Sahabandu, Indi Yapa Abeywardena, Charini Suriyage, Sharmila Ruberu, and Amilani Perera, engage in an interactive and collaborative programme that has the potential to impact your future choices as it makes you conscious of your consumption patterns.
Speaking to CFW Founder and Managing Director Ajai Vir Singh, we found out that since 2017, CFW had been working on bringing in responsibility to every aspect of garment and design creation.
And in March 2020, after years of behind-the-scenes work, the “Responsibility in Fashion” programme was launched, where the participating designers took a pledge to take responsibility in creation and with that, CFW announced an evaluation tool – the “Responsible Meter” – to assess and evaluate each garment showcased. This programme epitomises their journey towards circularity and attempts to leave a positive mark on the environment.
And with CFW getting postponed due to the pandemic, “Reinvent Your Wardrobe” is a way to get started on this new route towards responsible fashion. We were told that this programme enriches the worth of each garment as the participating designers give it new life, which will allow you to enjoy the garment and prolong its life.
This is a programme open to everyone and you are simply required to pick five items in your wardrobe that you don't like anymore and would prefer to reinvent. Then, send images of these items to CFW, after which the folks at CFW will pair you up with the participating designers who will upgrade the pieces and give it new life.
The designers involved will contribute to the initiative by offering their skills and upgrading the consumers' garments for a small fee. This way, CFW facilitates a meaningful conversation between the designers and consumers about the importance of making conscious choices and consuming fashion responsibly.
When asked about the objective behind this initiative, Vir Singh said: “The thinking behind it is based on the fact that at any given time, we tend to use only 25% of our wardrobe. 75% of our clothing falls out of favour and holds little to no value to us. Thus, we wanted to take this time to reflect on our consumption choices and prolong the life of our garments. We are using this programme to educate that fashion garments end up in landfills and it is wise to prolong usage and reduce waste. Once we understand how our clothes are made, its impact on the environment, and how we contribute to the negative impacts of our consumption patterns, we can make better choices in the future.”
Reinvent Your Wardrobe is determined to help you take time to declutter and use only the things you love, while keeping our designers active in the sphere of responsibility in fashion and have their creative streams flowing. So run to your wardrobes now and get started!
In order to participate, you are required to follow the following simple steps:
Speaking to CFW Founder and Managing Director Ajai Vir Singh, we found out that since 2017, CFW had been working on bringing in responsibility to every aspect of garment and design creation.
And in March 2020, after years of behind-the-scenes work, the “Responsibility in Fashion” programme was launched, where the participating designers took a pledge to take responsibility in creation and with that, CFW announced an evaluation tool – the “Responsible Meter” – to assess and evaluate each garment showcased. This programme epitomises their journey towards circularity and attempts to leave a positive mark on the environment.
And with CFW getting postponed due to the pandemic, “Reinvent Your Wardrobe” is a way to get started on this new route towards responsible fashion. We were told that this programme enriches the worth of each garment as the participating designers give it new life, which will allow you to enjoy the garment and prolong its life.
This is a programme open to everyone and you are simply required to pick five items in your wardrobe that you don't like anymore and would prefer to reinvent. Then, send images of these items to CFW, after which the folks at CFW will pair you up with the participating designers who will upgrade the pieces and give it new life.
The designers involved will contribute to the initiative by offering their skills and upgrading the consumers' garments for a small fee. This way, CFW facilitates a meaningful conversation between the designers and consumers about the importance of making conscious choices and consuming fashion responsibly.
When asked about the objective behind this initiative, Vir Singh said: “The thinking behind it is based on the fact that at any given time, we tend to use only 25% of our wardrobe. 75% of our clothing falls out of favour and holds little to no value to us. Thus, we wanted to take this time to reflect on our consumption choices and prolong the life of our garments. We are using this programme to educate that fashion garments end up in landfills and it is wise to prolong usage and reduce waste. Once we understand how our clothes are made, its impact on the environment, and how we contribute to the negative impacts of our consumption patterns, we can make better choices in the future.”
Reinvent Your Wardrobe is determined to help you take time to declutter and use only the things you love, while keeping our designers active in the sphere of responsibility in fashion and have their creative streams flowing. So run to your wardrobes now and get started!
In order to participate, you are required to follow the following simple steps:
- Send a direct message to CFW via social media
- Once selected, you will be sent a form to fill out, and with this, you would send pictures of the five garments you have chosen to reinvent with CFW
- Post-quarantine, CFW will be hosting an exclusive event where you will be paired with a designer who will reinvent your garments for a small fee that is agreed upon during the event
- Once the process is complete, CFW will inform you to pick up your upgraded garments, and you can then enjoy wearing it!