UK Fashion Designer Creates Clothing Out of Recycled Materials
| LAST UPDATE 10/17/2021
Bethany Williams is a London-based clothing designer who creates wardrobe items out of materials that would otherwise be thrown away. She sources her project pieces such as old denim jeans and jackets, waste yarn, and more from recycling facilities in the United Kingdom.
"The first process is cleaning and then we have to unpick the seams. We work with a print studio that [specializes in] colorful prints...and use non-toxic inks that are hand-printed," Williams explained. Then, her miscellaneous items are ready to be shipped off for this special printing process.
When they return, the brightly colored fabric is ready to be stitched back together into new clothing. Bethany's designs are not only bold and eye-catching, but they stand out from mainstream garments in that they are created from recycled materials.
Reports have said that approximately 56 million metric tons of clothing are bought by consumers each year. And if that statistic shocked you, it might cause concern that about 92 million metric tons of textile waste are created in the same amount of time. Having learned this, Williams has committed herself to do what she can to help.
With only a mere 12% of materials used to make clothing recycled, most textile waste ends up in landfills. But, in this case, one woman's trash is another's treasure because this is where Bethany gets all of her materials to create her clothing!
By working this way, Williams helps lessen greenhouse gas emissions and water waste. "Fashion is so wasteful and is very driven by consumerism," she explained. This is in part why the fashion designer has committed to this unique way of doing her job. Because each of her collections is based on the amount of sourced textiles...
Williams puts much thought into each of her pieces and where the proceeds of her work go. She focuses on amplifying the stories of marginalized communities and donates portions of her profits to groups such as The Magpie Project. What an incredible way to give back and bring this sustainable and wearable art to the world!
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