Denise Anglesey, an eco fashion designer (Denise H label) is also the owner of eco fashion store Kereku Creative in Wainuiomata Lower Hutt. Denise has teamed up with Jo Bryant, manager or the Koha Shed to change the lifespan of clothing in Wainuiomata by creating, what they call, a circular economy.
The Koha Shed is given donations of clothing from the public that can be reused and any excess to requirement is passed onto others like dress for success, or formal wear is given to the local high school.
The Koha Shed sends any unsold or damaged textiles to Kereku creative where they are up-cycled into new clothing pieces or repurposed through craft workshops – there is no fabric left behind even the offcuts are turned into rags and given to mechanics or kindergartens. Any good quality baby items are washed and passed onto Little Sprouts a volunteer-run charity that gives free boxes with everything a baby needs at birth to families who desperately need them.
“It’s all about being mindful of what we are consuming and change the perception of the stigma of buying secondhand clothing”.
Denise is also behind New Zealand’s only one-day eco fashion event – the Eco Fashion Runway Show – held on the opening night of the Hutt Winter Festival on the 15 August 2019. Entries are now open and close on 30th June.
Featuring designers from around New Zealand, as well as several locally based designers, the Eco Fashion Runway Show promotes materials and production methods that are intentionally sustainable, ethical, and environmentally friendly.
Emerging and established designers can enter their collections in a showcase runway that fits the following eco and ethical criteria: Eco, Ethical, Up-Cycled, Locally Produced and NZ Made. An on-site pop-up shop on the evening will also be available for designers to promote their collections.
The “Up-Cycled Challenge” is designed to encourage personal sewing and give designers a taste of a professional runway show. Home sewers, senior high school students and students studying fashion are welcome to submit a garment from one or more of the competition categories listed on the event website.
By Rebecca Reed
10 June 2019