SFW // FUTURE CITIZEN

SPRING 2025

Inspiring young people to take fashion action - giving them the tools to shift clothing habits, build resilience and design a fair fashion future

WORKSHOPS

〰️

CLOTHES SWAPS

〰️

TALKS

〰️

CATWALKS

〰️

REPAIRS

〰️

MARKETS

〰️

STYLING

〰️

FILM SCREENINGS

〰️

NATURAL DYEING

〰️

ACTIVISM

〰️

SKILLS LEARNING

〰️

WORKSHOPS 〰️ CLOTHES SWAPS 〰️ TALKS 〰️ CATWALKS 〰️ REPAIRS 〰️ MARKETS 〰️ STYLING 〰️ FILM SCREENINGS 〰️ NATURAL DYEING 〰️ ACTIVISM 〰️ SKILLS LEARNING 〰️

 

Credit: Julian Preece Photography

INTRO

For 4 years, we’ve staged Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) each September - uniting UK communities nationally through the power of taking action locally. Led by individuals, brands, organisations and community groups, SFW has grown each year but remains community-led for community benefit.

We’re now extending our programme to include a second annual week of action, in February to again align with conventional fashion weeks across the world.

This week will become ‘SFW // Future Citizen’ (working title) and will bring together places of learning for 11 to 23 year olds. Harnessing the power of education to share knowledge, inspiration and ways to take fashion ACTION for the next generation of citizens and consumers.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The UK is one of the biggest consumers and wasters of fashion in the world. Be part of the solution: fashion action IS climate action.

We all wear clothing. We love it and it’s a necessity, and yet fashion is one of the most polluting, extractive and harmful industries globally. It’s directly contributing to climate change and the breakdown of natural ecosystems.

We believe that collective action at a citizen level is the quickest way to have impact - reducing the demand for fast fashion and increasing positive consumption habits. Joining together to change how we buy, wear, care and dispose of our clothes is a powerful vote for the future we want to see.

Credit: Julian Reece Photography

WHO IS IT FOR & WHAT’S THE ASK?

We’re connecting schools, colleges, universities and other education settings across the country, asking that they host one or a number of activities during our week of action to engage with their students, other local places of learning or their wider community.

Activities can be informative, creative, skills focused... or thought-provoking, emotive, inspiring. They can have specific outcomes, or can simply open up a conversation. Activities can be hosted by the organisation or by the students themselves.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED?

Sign up using a simple form here.

Let us know where you are in the UK and what inspiring ideas you have up your sleeve.

Once you’re on board, in early 2025 we’ll send you an asset pack with marketing materials & activity ‘How To’s, the ‘SFW // Future Citizen’ film short created by students themselves.

We can offer more tailored support if needed, advising you on where to start, what activities you could host and tips to make them great!

Credit: Clothes Cycle

NEED IDEAS?

Host a day of talks and workshops for your students

Arrange a ‘stitch in’ getting students to mend their clothing

Work with students to host a catwalk, showcasing secondhand or upcycled outfits

Coordinate a cross-curriculum project that shares how different industries are connected through the clothing we wear

Join forces with other places of learning in your town/city to host a programme of events that share knowledge and inspiration across different ages or different backgrounds

Or get inspiration from our SFW programmes in the past! Anything goes…