Warning: this is one big soppy love letter to everyone who attended Sustainable Fashion Week Brighton 2024. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You make my work so meaningful. You make the work of the entire Brighton Fashion Collective so meaningful. I hope you had as good a time as we did!
About Sustainable Fashion Week
Sustainable Fashion Week has been an annual, global campaign for some years now. I got involved in the curating Brighton iteration of Sustainable Fashion Week last year. This year, I got even more hands-on, dedicating almost 1-2 days per week to the event. At times, it was tough, but I love the womxn I work alongside to put the event on. They fill my soul full of joy and passion, they’ve taught me how to sew, and they’ve made me feel like I’m part of the community. And that’s what this is all about really: to give people that sense of belonging. Because deep down, that’s why we buy new clothes. It’s why fast fashion has us in a chokehold. Because we desire attention, approval, and to feel like we fit in.
With Sustainable Fashion Week, everyone fits in. Everyone is welcome.
The People Behind Sustainable Fashion Week Brighton
I’m especially grateful to the event organisers, partners and the volunteers who supported us this year. First, to Brighton Peace & Environment Centre and Sew Fabulous, the core organisations who ran the week. Next, to Lush, Janome, and Small Batch Coffee Roasters, for sponsoring this year’s event. Then, to the hundreds of volunteers who walked our runways, packed our goodie bags, captured content, ticked off the guest lists, and in the case of one very lovely volunteer, helped us lug some very heavy silent disco equipment from the beach to the city centre. And of course, the venues who were generous enough to host our roster of events: Helm, terre à terre, Plus X Innovation, The Beach Hut Cafe, Brighton Dome, Depot.
Sustainable Fashion Brands in Brighton
Finally, I also wanted to thank all the collaborators who are all championing sustainable fashion in their own unique ways here in Brighton. (I hope I’ve noted everyone here, but if you note someone missing from the list, please comment below!)
- Allan Brown
- Anti-Sweatshop Activists Against Apartheid
- Atelier Bricolage
- Becca Freeman
- Beyond Retro
- Bonnie Southwood
- Brighton MET
- ByEmelina
- Cat O’Brien
- Circles Store
- Dani Dawkes
- DOLLY
- EcoOctopus
- Flamingo Rodeo
- Franco Bollo
- Gemma Ogston
- Gladrags
- The Green Co.
- Hayley Franco
- Jayne Eagle
- Jim Sanders
- Julie French
- Kaohinani
- Kerry Lockwood
- KMS Hair
- Leftover Threads
- Linetra
- Lush HairLab
- Lucy Lindley
- Maku
- Malwen
- Marren Hager
- Molly Williams Prentice
- Monika the Label
- The Network of International Women
- Omerzi Fashion Lab
- Outfit at Emmaus
- Patchwork Park
- Pinch
- The Pre-Loved Atelier
- Proper
- Radiant Matter
- Remake
- ReUSed
- Rosie Evans
- RubyMoon
- Salvaged
- Shelter
- Skyla Towner
- The Slow Approach
- Sophia Lorimer
- Sourced by Shelley
- South East England Fibreshed
- Stanley Road Store
- Susie Deadman
- The Sussex Peasant
- Trouser Project
- Wildness Lingerie
- Ziggy Zo
Thank You For Attending!
And finally, to the 2,000+ attendees who came to our events last week, thank you for bringing such enthusiasm to our events. To the launch party guests to helped us turn it out on a Monday night; to the panel talk attendees who listened, learned, and asked us about cat hair cushions and personal style; to the silent disco beach cleaners, who had never gone to a beach clean before but were so hands on and calling for more; to the marketplace shoppers; runway watchers; clothes swappers; textile workshop makers; DIY repairers; and the cinema goers: thank you.
You made the week unforgettable.
As a team, we all celebrated as we danced through the week, and then all crashed out once it was done. This week, we’ve been tying up the loose ends; collating content in our extremely well organised, bulging folders on Google Drive. Lugging leftover clothes rails from place to place, finding hangers, masking tape, and all sorts floating about. If I’m honest, I’m only just starting to feel like a human being again, but I’m happy, so happy! And I’m already excited to do it all again next year.
If you’d like to be the first to hear about future sustainable fashion events in Brighton, follow: @brightonfashioncollective
Thank you all so, so much!