Curtin University’s School of Design and the Built Environment partnered with Good Sammy Enterprises to create a Pop-up Op Shop on their Perth campus to help raise awareness of zero textile waste and fashion sustainability.
According to studies by the Federal Government, 800,000 tonnes of textile waste finds itself in Australian landfills each year.
Good Sammy Op Shops save 6000 tonnes of clothing from landfill every year through thrift and second-hand shopping.
Dr Anne Farren, of Curtin’s School of Fashion Design, reminisced about adding sustainable fashion to the course curriculum over ten years ago, and how the trend is now finally taking off.
We had since the course started sustainability as a core element, so we feel like we’re very much ahead of the trend.
The concept of ‘sustainable fashion’ promotes the upcycling, reusing and recycling of clothing, as well as changing consumer behaviour towards fashion purchases.
We have a group called Fibre Economy who are running workshops around consumer awareness and changing how they might consume; mending, upcycling, recycling, and all those sorts of issues.
The Pop-up Op Shop was open to the Curtin community and general public, offering affordable clothing, as well as hands-on learning experiences and volunteering opportunities for the fashion students.
Good Sammy Enterprises CEO, Melanie Kiely, was delighted to work with Curtin University and its students on this project.
It’s been an amazing opportunity. We are here to develop people with disabilities and so the partnerships with students have been amazing, bringing their talents, working with our people on shop designs, on window designs, on upcycling, on sewing. We’re so excited about the potential for what we can do for people with disabilities with this partnership, as well as the environment.
Good Sammy Op Shops provide meaningful employment opportunities for Western Australians with disability, and the new Good Sammy Academy provides Participants with safe and supportive environments to learn and practice new skills and build confidence.
The Academy programs offer structured learning and work experience opportunities to improve the ‘employABILITY’ of Participants and have been carefully designed to empower them as they journey towards a future full of options and potential.
With each Participant who gains independence from employment pathways provided by Good Sammy’s, there is a cascading effect which benefits their families and the wider community. And by shopping or gifting your donations to Good Sammy, you support the movement for significant social change and help people living with disability on their journey towards employment.
