EARTH-FRIENDLY FASHION
Fashion and the Environment: What We're Doing
A few of us started looking at ways to encourage action on climate change, and we quickly realised the fashion industry has a big impact on the planet. It's actually one of the most environmentally damaging industries, with cotton farming alone using huge amounts of water – even contributing to the drying up of the Aral Sea.
We formed a small group and watched Stacey Dooley’s documentary Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, which really opened our eyes. In March 2025, we hosted a screening and discussion at Encounter Church, and it was a great success. Winchcombe School also got involved by running a similar event for their Year 9 students.
To help encourage more sustainable choices, we launched a pop-up clothes shop in November and December 2024. It was really well received, so we followed it up with a Spring/Summer sale in April and May 2025. This time we added girls' clothes and prom dresses (ages 15+), and once again Winchcombe School joined in.
In September, we supported Second Hand September with a low-key campaign, putting flyers in shop windows around town to raise awareness of sustainable fashion.
Our next pop-up shop opens on Saturday 8th November 2025, running across four weekends – look out for posters going up soon!
