Westminster’s Sustainability Team and Fashion School’s Conscious Fashion Space hosted Christmas wreath-making workshop

The team utilised this time of year to reflect on consumption patterns during Christmas and reuse existing materials. Participants were asked to bring fabric scraps or clean old clothes which would be cut into strips to create the fabric Christmas wreath, which participants were able to take home.

The workshop was open to students and colleagues and a total of 14 participants attended.

No sewing or making experience was required as they were joined by The Seam, a London-based repair and tailoring company that offers specialist care and repair services for clothing, footwear and accessories. They have several partners including Net-A-Porter, Adidas and Mint Velvet.

The Sustainability Team worked closely with Denise Francis-Brown, who looks after the CFS and the colleagues in the Fashion department, and collected some scrap fabrics left over from teaching to use in the workshop. They collectively aimed to promote use of the CFS, which can be booked for small events of up to 15 people. Located on the Street at Harrow Campus, this space was opened last year for use by students and colleagues as an informal and creative hub for sustainable fashion events.

Dularee Goonetilleke, the Sustainability Coordinator in the Sustainability Team, said: “The fabric-wreath-making workshop was a great way to celebrate reusage and responsible consumption ahead of the festive period. Through activities such as these, we hope to alter behaviours relating to waste amongst our university community.”

Denise Francis-Brown added: “Students and colleagues had a wonderful time at the wreath-making workshop at Harrow in Conscious Fashion Space. All participants made some fabulous wreaths!”

This workshop directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and 17: Partnership for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about Fashion courses at the University of Westminster.