Unpick and Remix is a workshop I designed and delivered for a design lab as part of an interactive 2012 exhibition organized by the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the University of the Arts London. The project was commissioned for the UK fashion retailer Marks and Spencer in collaboration with Oxfam. As part of the exhibition, a Marks and Spencer campaign entitled “Shwopping” sought to encourage consumers to donate an existing garment from their own wardrobe to offset every new purchase, thereby counterbalancing the environmental impact of their consumption. This campaign thus explored an aspect of a possible “alternative fashion system,” with a focus on reclaiming consumer waste. The system that Marks and Spencer devised to take back unwanted or discarded clothing has encouraged the donation of over four million items; as a consequence 1,300 tons of clothing have not ended up in landfills. The program has also generated $3.7 million dollars for Oxfam.

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