Fashion and sustainability – Envirohub Bay of Plenty is on a mission to connect the two topics in people’s minds regardless of whether they like pumping the foot pedal of a sewing machine or not.

Envirohub BOP’s 48-hour Second-hand Fashion Competition is open for registrations for 2024 – so people can sign up to create a ready-to-wear outfit using clothes destined for landfill in two days!

“The idea is to better connect people with the clothing they wear – and get them to understand the impact [of their clothing on the environment],” says Envirohub BOP project co-ordinator Milly McHardie.

“People really don’t know how much of our clothes are ending up in our landfills. In New Zealand about 6000 shipping containers of textile waste is sent to our landfills each year.

“With this competition we’re showing every garment that will be created would otherwise have gone to landfill – but we’re giving it a chance to have a new life. And so upcycling clothing can be done with little effort and in your everyday life. Our goal is to spark a change towards a more eco-conscious fashion scene that puts the planet first!”

Choose

People can register on the Envirohub BOP website by July 5.

The competition begins July 6 and finishes July 8. “How it works is we [Envirohub] get clothing from Turning Point Trust, which gets donated clothes from op shops that they cannot sell.

“The day the competition starts, July 6, participants come to Envirohub BOP to choose clothing – destined for landfill – to use to upcycle for their garment. We’ll take a photo of pieces they’ve chosen – then they have 48 hours to deconstruct it and reconstruct, and upcycle it into something new.”

This year’s competition has two categories – High School students, and Open – and the theme is “My Winter Wardrobe”.

“We want people to design their ideal winter outfit – whether it’s something to wear to stay cosy and warm at home or something they’d wear out for an event,” says Milly.

And you don’t need to be an expert seamstress to enter. “The competition is for people to have a go and get involved,” says Milly.

Fashion show 

The finished product has to be handed to Envirohub BOP on July 8.

The fashion show and awards ceremony is on July 27 at The Cargo Shed, Tauranga City, from 6.30pm. Purchase event tickets at: https://events.humanitix.com/fashion-show-48hr-second-hand-fashion-competition

Entries will be judged by a panel on criteria including wearability, construction, creativity, the competition theme and sustainability.

Milly wants to grow the competition.

“There is cash prizes up for grabs in both categories – the winner in each takes home $250, the runner-up will bag $100.”

And while entrants keep their garments post- show, Milly hopes the wider public will get to see them – and the message they illustrate – in a display afterwards.