What are you wearing?

Photo credit: Zoe Mellick

By Zoe Mellick

Yes I’ve been there. Lusting over the latest dress that just walked into my line of vision, indulging my imagination into a world where I would be incomplete without it. But this happens on a daily basis.

There are many words that describe fashion – from trend to style and words akin – but sustainability is rarely mentioned. But we can’t deny that fashion is a huge and wasteful industry that we are all involved in one way or another. When a new season breaks we all want to upgrade our wardrobe or become transfixed with the ‘new stuff’ (leaving last season’s clothes to the side of course). But three Brisbane ladies have set out to challenge that wardrobe mentality.

Edda Hamar, Kirsten Stallard and Kobi Lagana have created Undress Brisbane – an annual rooftop runway event kicking off the shift towards a sustainable fashion scene in Brisbane. Sustainable fashion is a complex issue and not one that a designer can solve alone. The Undress Brisbane team believes it’s a social responsibility to inform and educate the locals of Brisbane with a fun runway show, cocktails, goodie bags and well, everyone will be there. 

The goal of Undress Brisbane is to tap into the unsympathetic reality of consumerism and tune guests into the necessity of sustainable fashion. Marketing manager Kirsten Stallard says the break in this unsustainable chain can and will only come from consumer demand, and more importantly, consumer awareness. “For every person in Australia there is 30-40 kilograms of clothing that goes into land fill every year. On top of that, there are only 22 million people in Australia, yet we import an outstanding one billion items in clothing every year. Australians are huge fashion consumers and we need to slow down that consumption.”

The educational fashion event will be presented in three bite-size segments including vintage, and emerging and existing designers of eco-friendly apparel. So get your second-hand socks ready to be blown off, and most importantly, get thinking about what you’re wearing! 

What: Undress Brisbane 

When: Saturday 15th October 

Where: Wilson Parking Rooftop in Fortitude Valley

Cost: Free in advance (book here) or $10 on the door