Sustainable Fashion On Show at NSW Parliament

A sustainable fashion exhibition has arrived in Sydney ahead of Australian Fashion Week, showcasing bold, creative solutions to the fashion industry’s sustainability challenges.

Fashioning the Future: Innovating Design Practices for a Sustainable Tomorrow presents creations from fashion students from the University of Technology and TAFE NSW, alongside the Australian designers at the forefront of sustainable fashion industry. 

The free exhibition is presented by the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, a partnership between UTS and TAFE NSW, which brings together industry, researchers, and leading fashion educators to aid the sustainable transition of the Australian fashion industry through education, research and advocacy.

Australia is the biggest consumer of textiles per capita in the world, according to the Australia Institute, with Australians buying an average of 56 new clothing items a year.

More than 200,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill annually, the equivalent of almost four Sydney Harbour Bridges.

“Today, consumers and businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of embracing sustainability in fashion,” said the Centre’s Director Dr Lisa Lake.

“Fashioning the Future is not just an exhibition but a call to action – inviting everyone to rethink, redesign, and reimagine our approach to fashion.”

The future is circular

Uniting visionary students, pioneering designers and cutting-edge technologies, Fashioning the Future explores how fashion can be reimagined in a more sustainable and ethical light.

The exhibition showcases garments made with recycled materials, striking photographs capturing textile recycling in action, and pioneering cradle-to-cradle designs, a “circular economy” approach that aims to repurpose used materials in new products. 

Fashioning the Future is being hosted at NSW Parliament by Member of the Legislative Council, the Hon Dr Sarah Kaine, who said there was an urgent need for New South Wales to reduce its waste.

“Fast fashion is a huge contributor to landfill and to carbon emissions. I hope this exhibition inspires visitors to get creative with reusing and recycling clothes and embracing a sustainable fashion future.”

Fashioning the Future: Innovating Design Practices for a Sustainable Tomorrow runs on weekdays 9am-5pm, from 29 April to 29 May, in the NSW Parliament’s Fountain Court.