On Sunday, we hosted our ‘ReWear the Revolution: Fast Fashion and Eco Action’ event - the culmination of several months of planning. The idea was sparked when our Community and Events Manager, Zoe Marks, attended a workshop by Leah Thorn at Limmud 2024 and felt so inspired, she decided she had to bring it to the JVS community.
The afternoon began with a clothes swap and mending workshop, facilitated by local artist Miki Shaw. The mending workshop brought together people of all ages and abilities to repair and reimagine their clothes in creative ways - from mending a torn bag and reinforcing a summer dress, to adding fancy patch pockets, repairing seams, and even embroidering a pigeon onto an old T-shirt! There was a real sense of community and shared creativity, with everyone finding their own way to transform something worn into something valued again.
We then enjoyed house-made roasted carrot and butternut squash soup before gathering for a thought-provoking conversation led by Leah Thorn on fast fashion and its impact on the climate.
Leah, an activist, poet, and workshop facilitator, shared her personal journey and the motivations behind her work. She grew up around the ‘Rag Trade’, coming from a Jewish family of tailors. Her grandfather had escaped pogroms in Romania with a portable trade. Her mother was a Holocaust Survivor who mistakenly equated survival with looking good and always obsessed over what Leah wore as she grew up.
Acknowledged her generation’s contribution to fast fashion and ensuing climate crisis, she spoke about her commitment to activism and change. Through discussion, Leah encouraged us to reflect on our own clothing habits and introduced her a:dress campaign of art/activism. Based in Folkestone, Kent but with international reach, the campaign uses message-adorned clothing, Subversive Catwalks, film, and conversation to raise awareness of fast fashion’s devastating contribution to the climate and ecological crisis.
The focus of her campaign is on women and girls as they are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis globally and the main target, and makers, of fast fashion. It also addresses global inequalities, recognising that the countries least responsible for climate change are often those most affected by poverty and lack of resource. Leah shared her award-winning short film, bringing these issues vividly to life. The event concluded with a Subversive Catwalk, where volunteer models showcased striking garments created by a:dress. Among the models were Leah’s great-nieces, adding a powerful intergenerational dimension.
The clothes are a creative collaboration between textile artists, poets, climate activists, fashion designers, and women and girls who love to upcycle and they feature hand- embroidered, painted, burned, and printed messages on charity-sourced clothing.
Why is fast fashion bad for the planet?
Two pairs of jeans take as much water to produce as a person will drink in a lifetime
When clothing made of synthetic fibres like acrylic and Lycra is washed, tiny plastic particles are released and work their way into the seas and oceans
85% of our old clothes end up in a landfill. Synthetic fibres can take up to 40 years to degrade and dyes and chemicals leach into the earth, contaminating water and soil
How are women targeted by fast fashion and climate crisis?
Sexism affects women’s self-esteem and body image, leaving them vulnerable to being sold fast fashion to ‘feel better’
Women make up 80% of garment workers. They are often silenced when they speak up about low pay, unsafe working conditions and sexual harassment
With each drought and flood, it becomes increasingly difficult for women to meet their families’ needs and harder to make a living
Climate crisis creates social instability and this results in an increase in trafficking and sexual violence against women
If you are interested in finding out more about the a:dress campaign, go to instagram @a.dress.fashion or Leah’s website https://www.leahthorn.com/a-dress, where you can watch clips from Subversive Catwalks and see the two award-winning a:dress short films.
If you would like to donate to the a:dress campaign or sponsor one of their exciting projects or be involved in any way contact Leah at adress.activism@gmail.com
Huge thanks to everyone who came along, to Leah and Miki for collaborating with us on this fantastic event, and to all the volunteer models who brought the catwalk to life.
Photos credit: @ianfalconerphotography