Roughwood primary school has always been very conscious about responsible consumption. So it seemed only natural that, when teamed with social entrepreneur Natasha from Generation Generous, they hit it off immediately and came up with the idea of gathering bags of old clothes to be recycled
The name of this new NEMESIS project? Forever Fashion. It is an attempt to address the issue of disposable, fast fashion and to take a stand against the production of clothes that are meant to be bought and thoughtlessly disposed of in short periods of time. It is a concerted effort and ongoing discussion on how can they make good use of unwanted clothes to prolong their life.
Both the school’s Year 4 classes – 58 students aged 8 and 9 years old – are contributing their ideas and enthusiasm to this project. Six of them are also participating in the co-creation labs with parents, teachers and other members of the community.
So far, the community have decided to hold a clothing exchange to reduce the number of items that are thrown away when the current owner no longer has need of them. There will also be a mini fashion show complete with photographs of staff members flaunting hand-me-downs and second-hand clothing with pride. This is in an effort to challenge the current stigma surrounding the wearing of older or dated clothing. The parents and children will be encouraged to bring in a bag of unwanted items, which will be assorted onto clothes rails for display. They may then refill their bag with whatever they takes their fancy!
The overall aim? That ‘Forever Fashion’ has a legacy that lasts indefinitely and can be repeated regularly with different children taking the lead.
Visit the school webpage on NEMESIS
Visit the cluster webpage for NEMESIS (projects from each of the Willow Tree Academy schools)
Location
Rotherham. South Yorkshire (UK)
Number of students
58 students aged 8 and 9 years old
Members of the co-creation lab
Students’ representatives
Parents
Teachers