From Wardrobe to Workshop: Creating with What We Already Have…

Fast fashion is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Globally, millions of tonnes of textiles end up in landfill each year, while new garments are produced at an ever-increasing pace. The fashion industry contributes significantly to climate change, waste, and social inequalities across global supply chains. At the same time, many of us have wardrobes filled with clothes we rarely wear — items that could be given a second life through imagination and creativity.

But how do we move from awareness of these challenges to practical, fun, and empowering action? How can young people begin to shape a different kind of fashion future — one that values creativity, resourcefulness, and sustainability?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science in Northern Ireland 2025, we invite you to join us for an exciting, hands-on workshop that explores exactly that.

Friday, 24 October 2025, 1–3pm
Birley Building, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1ED

A Creative Response to Fashion’s Sustainability Challenge

Our workshop, “From Wardrobe to Workshop: Creating with What We Already Have”, offers a fun, two-hour opportunity to reimagine fashion using the resources you already own. Instead of buying new materials, participants will explore ways of transforming unused textiles from their wardrobes into fresh, stylish pieces.

The idea is simple but powerful: by making something new from what we already have, we begin to see fashion differently — not just as consumer products to be bought and discarded, but as a space of creativity, identity, and sustainable practice.

What to Expect

This session will be led by the RiSC+ Team:

• Eva Toal and Dr Kunning Ding from Queen’s University Belfast
• Professor Alison Gault from Ulster University

Together with current university students, the team will guide participants through simple, practical upcycling techniques. The workshop is designed to be accessible and welcoming — no fashion or design experience required. All you need is curiosity, an open mind, and perhaps a piece of fabric or an item of clothing you’d like to rework. (If you don’t bring anything, we’ll have plenty of materials on hand.)

Over the two hours, you’ll have the chance to:

• Transform old textiles into something fresh, stylish, and meaningful
• Boost your confidence by bringing your own creative ideas to life
• Learn insider tips from students currently studying fashion and design, hearing about their journeys into creative education
• Ask questions about university life, creative careers, and pathways into fashion, design, or sustainability
• Connect with a community of like-minded young makers who care about style and the planet

The atmosphere will be relaxed, supportive, and hands-on. You’ll leave not only with something you’ve made yourself, but also with new knowledge and inspiration about what sustainable fashion can mean in practice.

Why This Matters

Fashion is often presented as something distant — shaped by global brands, driven by supply chains we rarely see. Yet our everyday choices are deeply connected to wider social and environmental issues. By learning how to extend the life of textiles, experiment with upcycling, and imagine new uses for old clothes, we begin to take part in reshaping fashion’s future.

This workshop is part of a wider RiSC+ project that explores supply chains and sustainability across industries, with a special focus on fashion. By engaging younger audiences directly in making, discussion, and playful experimentation, the project hopes to create pathways into deeper conversations about circular design and the role of creativity in tackling global challenges.

Who Should Come?

This event is aimed at young people aged 14–19 who are interested in creative subjects, especially those considering future study in fashion, design, or sustainability-related fields. That could mean secondary school students, A-level students, or young people involved in youth and community art programmes.

It’s also for anyone curious about how creativity and sustainability can come together to spark change. You don’t need to see yourself as “artistic” or “fashionable” — just come ready to explore, experiment, and learn.

Join Us

Don’t miss this chance to take part in a fun, inspiring, and meaningful workshop. Whether you come with an old shirt, a scrap of fabric, or just an open imagination, you’ll leave with new skills, new ideas, and perhaps even a new perspective on the clothes you wear every day.

Tickets are free, but places are limited. Register now to secure your spot and join us in making sustainable fashion personal, practical, and creative.