Sunset Series – We the Makers

Join us after hours for an evening of celebration, inspiration and reflection. With exclusive access to We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2023 exhibition, film screening of The True Cost, and guided discussion with 2020 Sustainable Fashion Prize finalist Courtney Holm from A.BCH and 2023 finalist Kate VM Sylvester.

Complimentary cocktail on arrival by The Chamber of Gin and grazing platter by Feed Me, Geelong.
Card only paid bar by Black Sheep operating all night.

EXHIBITION

We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2023

We the Makers is the National Wool Museum’s major biennial program dedicated to supporting authentic design, material consciousness and sustainable, ethical practice. Aligned with the Geelong UNESCO City of Design designation, We the Makers champions the future of design and Geelong’s ongoing role in the wool, fibre and textile industries.

The Sustainable Fashion Prize challenges the next generation of fashion designers to create one original outfit that “represents their personal design aesthetic and showcases their commitment to sustainable fashion.” It is the only sustainable fashion prize offered in Australia for emerging designers with less than ten years of industry experience and is open to designers worldwide.

We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize is a significant international competition and $10,000 acquisitive prize that will help establish the career of a talented designer.

FILM SCREENING

THE TRUE COST, Written and Directed by Andrew Morgan (92 mins)

This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them and the impact it’s having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a ground-breaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on an unseen part of our world and asks us each to consider, who pays the price for our clothing?

Filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums, and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth, Vandana Shiva and many more, The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye-opening journey into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.

MEET OUR FACILITATORS

Courtney Holm is a circular fashion designer, thought leader and entrepreneur. Courtney founded experimental circular fashion label A.BCH in 2017 and sustainable trim shop Circular Sourcing in 2019, both operating within West Melbourne. She is currently building a surplus fabric marketplace that will see the re-circulation of unused, surplus and waste textiles within Australia and is due to launch in mid 2023. Courtney’s expertise is in circular design for clothing, as well as circular systems and no-fuss practical approaches to industry, business and personal transformation for sustainable and equitable futures.

From sourcing to developing design frameworks, a radical approach to post-purchase responsibility and fibre to fibre recycling, Courtney is passionate about seeing an entire economic system transformed and reimagined. Courtney works collaboratively within the industry, government and non-government agencies as well as with individuals. As a natural educator, she is passionate about future generations and lectures within the Sustainable Innovation and Fashion degrees within the school of Fashion at RMIT.

Courtney studied and graduated from Fashion and Textile Design with First Class Honours at the University of Technology Sydney in 2012. Courtney is an Australian and U.S. citizen, and currently resides in Melbourne, Australia.

Kate V M Sylvester

A graduate from the Victorian College of Arts, Kate V M Sylvester is a conceptual fashion artist working across installation, sculpture, video and performance. Based in Portarlington, Sylvester has been a finalist for numerous award exhibitions including the Yering Station Sculpture Award Exhibition, Emerging Artist Award 45downstairs and Scenic World Sculpture Show, Blue Mountains. She has exhibited as part of the Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program and was selected by Craft Victoria for their 21st annual graduation show, Fresh!2015.

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