A dose of sustainability

A travelling fashion and photography exhibition highlights "the ills of present-day disposable culture".

The travelling fashion and photography exhibition, Tomorrow Society, aims to be "a dose of sustainable fashion design and photography" and offers an appreciation for the inherent quality of good design.

The exhibit features vintage and up cycled style by 14 independent local fashion designers and 11 photographers from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, including Design Indaba Emerging Creatives The Joinery and Laduma Ngxokolo, and Expo fashion show participants Margot Molyneux and Shana Morland. OKHA creative director Adam Court is also participating.

"The brief was to design a sustainable garment that included up cycled elements. We created the 'Make Peace' dress, which was ethically created in Manenberg, Cape Town by our local Fair Trade women's sewing cooperative. A sustainable dress made from hemp fabric, it explores the messaging of anti violence, peace and unity in the Cape Flats community which is affected by gang violence," according to sister team The Joinery, an organic and ethically mindful fashion enterprise.

The Joinery also created necklaces from old earrings and chains and belt loops from the discarded costume jewellery pieces donated by The Clothing Bank.

Project-led and culture-inspired creative platform Capsule Projects organised Tomorrow Society which kicked off in Durban before hitting Johannesburg and culminating in Cape Town. 

The ethical fashion initiative was founded in 2008 to show that fashion can play a key role in expressing better ways of living and to communicate the idea that beautifully designed clothes can also carry a positive message. It is also a vehicle to celebrate the creatively inspiring people who seek to combine substance, style and sustainability.

Tomorrow Society is collaborative in nature from the collection of old clothes through select Vida e Caffé stores in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban to the sourcing of sustainable fabrics. It harnesses the creative energy of an invited group of fashion designers, photographers, artists, graphic designers and product designers to produce one-of-a-kind up cycled and eco-friendly garments for an exhibition and installation in three cities.

For information and to book for the Cape Town event email rsvp@capsuleprojects.com or call 083 441 9035.

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