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Lots of brands and companies tell us they’re sustainable, but it can sometimes be a challenge to figure out exactly what that means and to what degree. Here at Reskinned, we value transparency, which is why we want to share with you as much as possible about how we go about being a sustainable business, and commit ourselves to sustainable fashion.
We deal with the fashion industry’s waste in three ways, depending on what stage of life it’s in.
Resale: For the things that are still in good nick and could be worn and loved all over again by someone new.
Reuse: For the things that aren’t worn to bits, but aren’t wearable - think impossible to remove coffee stain down a white shirt or a huge rip on a nearly-new dress.
Recycling: Those things that have been worn and worn and worn, and now they’re shapeless and covered in holes and the fabric can’t be reused for anything useful as it is.
Today we’re going to talk about reuse, and how it might just be the answer to a lot of our fashion industry challenges. It’s the part of the process that gets the least coverage, so we thought it was about time to change that.
We’ll be diving deep into how it plays a vital role in everything we do, and how our partners have taken on the challenge in so many different and creative ways.
From charity organisations to up-and-coming designers, we want to share with you the versatility of reuse, and how it can not only be a sustainable answer to the fashion industry’s tricky waste problem, but also a creative art form, and gift to those who need it most.
Shop pre-loved pieces here and be part of the reuse revolution.
Reuse with Designers - Collaborating in Style
We prioritise reuse over recycling here at Reskinned.
This is because:
- Reuse preserves resources. It extends the life of your clothes without needing any additional resources for production or processing. Recycling typically requires water and energy, so we make sure it’s a last resort for when something can’t be reused.
- Reuse reduces the impact on the environment. Keeping clothes in circulation for longer, the demand for new items is lessened, as well as the environmental impact of producing new fabrics.
- There’s less waste. When clothes are either directly re-worn or repurposed, they avoid landfill altogether. Sometimes with recycling, there will still be a small amount of waste created during the process, which we prefer to avoid.
- The quality remains. During recycling, fibres are put through a lot of strain, and can become weaker and worse quality. In reuse, there’s no need for any of that!
We prioritise rehoming clothes first and foremost, but sometimes the things we get sent are not suitable for someone to wear.
For clothes that won’t be easily rehomed (maybe because they’re a bit less than perfect condition) we give to emerging designers as high-quality feedstock - which means clothes that might otherwise be discarded.
This has given us the opportunity to work with incredible designers like Ahluwalia, ELV Denim, Fanfare and the students of Central Saint Martins, and get to see how their creative minds turn “trash” into treasure.
Get to know our creative partners
We work with some of the best creative and innovative brands to create clothes that breathe new life into the old.
Ahluwalia
Image © Alessandro Raimondo
Known for their innovative use of materials, the brand was originally inspired by designer Priya Ahluwalia’s trips to Lagos, Nigeria and Panipat, India, the world recycling capital of second-hand clothing. She saw how much pre-loved clothing existed in the world and wanted to use it for her brand instead of wasting new resources. And of course, we were happy to provide.
"Being environmentally and socially conscious is something that is very important to us, we want people to engage with the history of each garment, how it was made, where it has come from and, when they’re finished enjoying the piece, to be able to give it a new life."
- Creative Director, Priya Ahluwalia
ELV Denim
Image © ELV Denim
Making denim requires a huge amount of water and energy, so it is vital that we keep it circulating for as long as we can. Especially when jeans get to the point where they aren’t wearable (we’ve all experienced the worn away inner thigh and gnarled hem), finding ways to reuse the fabric is important.
Lucky for us, ELV Denim exist, and they take old denim and breathe new life into it, creating not only sustainable pieces, but also downright chic and elevated pieces out of the old jeans. Apparently they aren’t wizards over there, but we don’t believe it with that sort of mastery!
We power ELV Denim takeback programme where you can send them your old jeans, and they will give them a new life (and you a discount).
Fanfare
Image © Fanfare
Fanfare is the mastermind of founder, Esther Knight, who had worked for 10 years as a fashion buyer and seen first hand the way that fashion businesses drive their financial profits at the expense of the people who make the clothes and our precious planet. She knew she wanted to make a change, and her label was born to do things differently.
We’re very excited to be collaborating with the brand - it’s our latest addition to the Reskinned Reuse family, and their latest range of shirts has been created with fabrics found in our East London warehouse.
Watch their warehouse visit on our instagram here.
Central Saint Martins Students
We were blown away by the skills and creativity of the students of Central Saint Martins when we invited them to pick from our reuse warehouse in East London. We knew we’d see some serious transformations, but we didn’t expect to see such futuristic, multi-coloured and even downright chaotic creations - in the best possible way of course.
You can see their cool creations here.
Why Reuse?
By supplying designers with materials that might otherwise be recycled or sent to landfills, we ensure that fashion remains circular, reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.
A different kind of reuse with our charity partners
As well as working with incredible designers to make clothes out of fashion’s waste,
we also partner with charities like Give Your Best to make sure clothes are going to the people who need them.
Give Your Best
Image © Give Your Best
Give Your Best is an online charity that supports refugees by giving them access to clothes and accessories for all the family, for free. Through their online platform and their pop-up stores, they make sure people that don’t have disposable income have the chance to wear clothes that make them feel great.
We collaborated with them for Earth Day, to provide clothes for their website to go to the people who needed them most. Now we’re collaborating all over again, donating clothes to the cause, because we know how great they make all of our customers feel. This time in-store, for their Highbury-and-Islington pop-up. You’ll be able to shop amazing pre-loved pieces in store, and donate your unwanted clothes too.
You can find out more about Give Your Best and how you can contribute here.
Why does reuse matter?
At Reskinned, embracing reuse means more than just giving clothes a second life.
It’s about fostering a culture of responsibility and circularity in fashion. It’s time to stop looking at old clothes as “waste” and start looking at them as an opportunity for transformation, and something totally new.
Stay tuned for more updates on our collaborations and join us in making a positive impact.
You can take part in our takeback schemes here.
Shop pre-loved pieces here and be part of the reuse revolution.
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