Re-dressing fast fashion
By Jenna Chan
Lauren Boucher (in the picture) was inspired by Redress to set an annual campaign “Get Redressed Month” in motion.
Photo: Redress.
Last year, Lauren Boucher volunteered in Redress and got interested in the environmental charity to the point that she joined the team. Redress aims to prevent and transform textile waste and reduce Hong Kong's environmental impact.
From advising brand protection to luxury fashion brands in her former advertisement law career, she began to educate corporations and schools about fast fashion directly. Now, she is the Circular Fashion Programme Assistant Manager for Redress.
Fast fashion is the term used for cheap, but unethical clothing rapidly produced by mass-market retailers. Hong Kong is renowned for shopping, as more clothes are inexpensive and available, but are decreasing in quality. "In the last sixteen years, we're buying 60% more than we were fifteen years ago for about half as long worldwide. From a Hong Kong perspective, there is less space to store, which contributes to the amount of waste created," says Boucher.
It wasn't until the same time last year that she planned to launch clothing donation drives, consumer campaigns, and pop-up shops around Hong Kong for "Get Redressed Month" in October of this year.
Redress first started the annual city-wide campaign by finding funds. With the help of the logistics sponsor Li & Fung, clothing drives across 204 locations in Hong Kong are forecasted to collect ten tonnes of clothing waste in total. It significantly minimizes the 370 million tons of textile waste every day in Hong Kong.
Redressed has also organized lesson plans and talks on our water, land, energy and chemical carbon footprint. They have collaborated with international schools like Sha Tin College, Kellett School, and nineteen others, to educate about the destructive reality of the fast fashion industry.
Rather than just raising awareness, Lauren supports the creative thinking of students to think about using waste as a resource. "50-70% of donations go to charity, like our Secondhand Pop-Up Shop, to provide an alternative to fast fashion while monetarily supporting our education plans," Boucher says.
This mention prompts Boucher to remember how a group of Year 6 students from The Peak School ran their second-hand pop-up shop from Redressed clothing drive. They experimented with "making a sale, interacting with customers and preparing a shop." Not only did it extend the life of those clothes, but it also taught the group about retail and marketing– valuable skills to get at the primary level.
"Get Redressed Days are impactful to engage kids further."
Steps for you to take action.
Graphic: Jenna Chan
That wasn't the end. After experiencing the Year 6's project, Lauren thought it was vital to collaborate with students of an older demographic, particularly student designers. Renaissance College's Trashion, a sustainable charity eco-fashion show, worked with Redressed for two shows.
When she was younger, Lauren participated in an event similar to Trashion called the "Wearable Arts," creating her outfits out of wasted materials. Coming full circle, she can make students' designs come to life with the donated textiles.
Upon hearing this, Mako Kawada, a Deputy of Trashion, was stoked to collaborate with Redress. She noted that the campaign made sure that the materials are upcycled and always introduced new ideas to students' designs.
To junior creatives starting a similar project, Boucher says, "take all the things you use and consume, and start to think about the resources that went into making them.
"Make the information you give out more engaging and accessible. Talk about fashion industry problems and how we, as consumers, are proud to make changes to it."
Redress boxes at Renaissance College. Photographer: Jenna Chan