Fashion Fights Waste

 In January 2024, MasterPeace Clubs from the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, and North Macedonia and representatives from Ukraine launched the educational project NO LABEL Its goal was to promote a sustainable lifestyle and conscious consumerism among young people, using fashion- an essential element of their identity- as an example. The results exceeded all expectations…
 

 

NO LABEL

The NO LABEL educational project (KA220-SCH, Project Number: 2021-1-NL01-KA220-SCH-000034265), implemented under the Erasmus+ program, co-financed by the European Union, is a natural continuation and expansion of previous initiatives that introduced young people to Doughnut Economics and artivism.

The previous project, "ACT! as a Doughnut", introduced young people to Doughnut Economics and scaled it to the local, neighbours' "problems to solve". Through social projects, participants examined local realities and sought solutions to the issues they considered significant from their own perspective.

Other projects, such as "Take Into Account Me", focused on youth civic engagement.

All of these initiatives were based on Doughnut Economics, and thanks to our collaboration with the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, we were able to develop our educational materials (non-formal education) and use their methodologies and workshops.

Artivism is a method we propose to young participants in all our projects. Activism through ART allows for the development of individual talents and the application of unique, creative solutions. Many young people often miss out on opportunities for artistic creation because art subjects are typically the first to be cut from school curricula due to budget constraints or the need to prioritize other subjects. They greatly appreciate the opportunity for creative expression in our projects.

NO LABEL scales Doughnut Economics and Artivism down to one small yet significant aspect of culture and everyday life for young people: FASHION.

That is why we chose to collaborate with partners involved in fashion in various ways.

• Krakow School of Art and Fashion Design (especially the Art and Fashion Design department - SAPU) was an obvious choice, especially since an important part of Krakow Fashion Week each year is the No Waste Show, a fashion show where first and second-year students present their designs made from reused materials.
• Cloths to Give Away is a crowdfunding platform that combines the recovery of used clothing (anyone can send in their clothes) with supporting charitable causes (for every kilogram of donated clothing, donates 0,5 PLN to a selected charity fundraiser).
• EcoCenter Turning Point is an educational centre that employs modern techniques and teaching methods, including escape rooms, to introduce children and young people to important topics such as ecology, the circular economy, and environmental protection, all through the lens of fashion.
• School Complex No. 3 in Zabrze, a long-time partner who educates, among others, students training to become fashion industry technicians.

Why Fashion? 

Fashion is an essential part of identity for all of us. Depending on our needs, it can serve as a tool for expressing our individuality and uniqueness, helping us blend in with a crowd, or conforming to a group. In different places and eras, fashion has been both a tool of liberation and a tool of oppression (for example, the mandatory wearing of the hijab versus women removing it in public as a form of protest in Iran).
For young people, fashion is as natural as breathing. They instinctively know what’s "trendy" and what’s "uncool." Staying up to date is crucial for fitting into the group they want to belong to.

But that’s not the only reason we focused on fashion.

According to Our World in Data, the fashion industry ranks sixth in the world in annual greenhouse gas emissions (some statistics even place it in fifth place). It is estimated to be responsible for 8 - 10% of global CO₂ emissions.

The primary cause of this is the rise of fast fashion, which dominates today’s retail landscape. It drives mass production of low-quality clothing and accessories, mainly in developing countries where environmental and labour protection regulations are weak or easily circumvented. This industry relies on poorly paid workers, including children, who are forced to work in unsafe conditions.

Additionally, fashion production has an enormous water footprint - it is responsible for 20% of the world’s freshwater pollution. The industry consumes around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually and releases massive amounts of microplastics into the water system through laundering.

Fast fashion isn’t just about overproduction - it’s also about constantly changing trends and the low cost of new items. People buy clothes in vast quantities, only to discard them just as quickly. An estimated 85% of textiles end up in landfills - many of them never even worn!

Where do these clothes end up?

In domestic landfills. In ports and illegal dumpsites in West African countries like Ghana. In Chile’s Atacama Desert, textile waste forms dunes of discarded fashion.

Is there a better example to discuss ecology, circular economy, consumerism, and conscious consumption?

The Project

The task was simple:

• Develop non-formal educational materials on Doughnut Economics and artivism. Using the extensive resources available on the DEAL website, including Hello Doughnut and Dimensions of the Doughnut, we created the "Doughnut Basics" manual. This unique guide to the Doughnut model has helped our project participants understand its interconnected components. 
• Gather interested young people and invite them to workshops.
• Select the most engaged participants - the Movers & Shakers - who would take over the initiative and promote the project’s goals among their peers.

The mission of the Movers & Shakers included organizing and leading discussion panels to share their knowledge and explore ways to apply it. Inspired by artivism workshops, they created slogans printed on hoodies, which were produced by WoMan Force, a sustainable fashion brand based in Germany.

They also became part of the No Waste Show during Krakow Fashion Week.

M&S 2025

According to the plan, Movers & Shakers were to travel to Kraków to meet their peers from partner countries, participate in workshops, discuss the project, and attend the No Waste Show organized by Krakowskie Szkoły Artystyczne.

MasterPeace Poland, the organizer of the M&S Meeting in Kraków, focused on art and activism.

The Krakow Artistic Schools invited our activists to participate in an upcycling workshop, where they redesigned and renewed used clothing and accessories. Led by Ms. Magdalena Kęskiewicz, a lecturer at the school, the workshops were a great success. Regardless of their skills and experience, the participants displayed remarkable creativity and enthusiasm. Using the used clothes and various accessories, they transformed them into small masterpieces. Some participants took their creations home, while those left behind quickly found new owners. During a panel discussion about our impressions of the meeting in Poland, Ms. Magda mentioned that photography students were particularly interested in the creations, expressing how much they liked them.

Upcycling workshop in KAS served as a summary of the NO LABEL initiative for participants. After learning about the darker aspects of the fashion industry, as well as ways to promote change and encourage conscious consumerism, we aimed to show them how to create sustainable fashion on their own.

No Waste Show

The young activists didn’t want to be just spectators at this event. Some decided to take matters into their own hands and become part of the show!

Talented participants designed and created their own no-waste outfits, using second-hand clothing, accessories, and textiles. Our wonderful partner, SAPU, agreed to feature the 10 best designs on the runway!

For our young activists, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They were treated like professional fashion designers, invited backstage to meet the models, and even assisted in preparing them for the show. As they later admitted, they never expected such an opportunity- and it was unforgettable.

What’s Next?

The NO LABEL project is now past its halfway point. Upcoming events include more discussion panels and final hackathons, all organized by our Movers & Shakers.

One thing is already clear: Young people are aware that our world is burning, and they are willing to help put out the fire- but they need support.

They need: educators to show them the tools and possibilities; activists, politicians, and businesses to listen to them; and support from their peers, teachers, adults, and decision-makers.

They want to take responsibility for themselves, their surroundings, and their communities.

We just need to listen to them.