Highgate’s pupil-led eco campaign, Fast Fashion-Free February (FFFF) raises awareness of the environmental impact the ‘fast fashion’ industry has on the climate, and promotes sustainably sourced style instead of throwaway clothing.
Initiated by pupils from the Senior School Environment Committee eight years ago, the message has spread to younger pupils in the Junior School’s Eco Council who came up with their own actions for change, including a non-school uniform day with the theme of “wear something old, something borrowed, something green.”
Senior School events included lunch time sessions where pupils could learn how to mend and upcycle clothes with sewing and embroidery techniques, or make their own jewellery in the DTE workshops. Central Hall became a ‘Swap Shop’ for pupils to bring in their unwanted clothing and exchange for other items they’d prefer to wear and Highgate OC, Stephen Laundy who set up his own fashion company gave an insightful online talk about trends in sustainable fashion. Pupils and staff entered a competition to make a piece of clothing with innovative creations ranging from crocheted hats to trousers crafted from a kimono.
Year 7 pupil Maya won the Lower School prize with her design: “I upcycled an old pair of jeans, sewing the stitches carefully (with help) and adding sparkle glamour to make an extremely fashionable denim bag!”
As the world’s second largest polluter after oil and gas, the fashion industry uses vast amounts of land, water, oil, and toxic chemicals in the manufacturing of textiles, which directly contribute to water pollution in addition to carbon emissions and the climate crisis. The nature of ‘fast fashion’ relies on constantly changing trends to drive sales. In turn, the cheap, rapid manufacture of clothes – which are often made of synthetic materials – are quickly disposed of, taking centuries to break down and shedding microplastics as they go.
Find out more about Highgate School’s sustainability strategy here.
