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About Sustainable Couture

An early eco-fashion movement, Sustainable Couture was launched in Alice Springs, Australia, in 2009 by a flourishing group of creative, eco savvy designers and textile artists.

 

Through  its unique approach to recycling, refashioning and reconstructing textiles, Sustainable Couture has focused community attention on sustainability through presenting the  endless possibilities of recycling, upcycling, repurposing and reducing textile waste.

 

The collective energy of the group is refreshed annually with new designers being invited to participate, or the return of past designers - the ebb and flow is managed by a core group of Sustainable Couture designers and makers

2024 Events 

Sustainable Couture Exhibition 2024

Back to Our Roots

Thursday 20 June - Saturday 6 July 2024

June Marriott Gallery

Central Craft

Araluen Cultural Precinct

61 Larapinta Drive

Alice Springs  NT Australia

Exhibition is open from 1000 -1400 Mondays to Saturdays

This innovative exhibition, featuring work by 12 designers

and the story of Sustainable Couture, was opened on

Thursday 20 June by Franca Frederiksen and Philomena Hali,

co-founders of Sustainable Couture.

Click here to see the 2024 Exhibition Gallery

This eclectic collection by 12 Australian designers brings us

back to the location of our first event held at Central Craft

in 2009.

This year, local Alice Springs designers Franca Frederiksen,

Kate Merry, Kristina Kidd, Jen Standish-White and

Marg Johnson are joined by Carmel Ryan and Janie

Andrews (Darwin, NT), Philomena Hali and Natalia Rodrigo

(Perth, WA), Nicky Schonkala (Victoria), Liz Wauchope and

Naina Devi (Adelaide, SA).

 

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GGGG

From Gail Hayes' stunning 1970s and 80s collection - exemplifying Choose well, buy less.

Models Nicola and Kate

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From our co-founders

This year Sustainable Couture returns to its roots - to the location of our first event at Central Craft in the Araluen Cultural Precinct, Alice Springs.

This year's exhibition will be our final bow. Since our launch at Central Craft in 2009, Sustainable Couture has contributed to a rich and innovative art, craft and design community in central Australia, and promoted Alice Springs as a creative community and flourishing centre of recycled fashion. And it has influenced people's thinking about sustainability and how every individual can make a difference, reducing textiles in landfill.

We thank all who have so enthusiastically embraced and supported Sustainable Couture.

We thank you for the good times!

And remember -

Buy less, wear preloved, wear it longer, swap and share clothing and…repair and restore what we have.

Philomena Hali and Franca Frederiksen

Sustainable Couture Founders

Meet our Designers

Designer Franca Frederiksen

Co-instigator of Sustainable Couture and three-time recipient of ‘runner-up’ Wearable Art Awards, Franca is passionate about fashioning stylish garments from recycled and sometimes surprising fabrics.

Designer Philomena Hali

Philomena is recognised nationally and internationally for her diverse work; her pieces are held in private collections, museums and galleries across Australia and overseas.

Desginer Carmel Ryan

A long-time dressmaker and passionate about the environment, Carmel prefers to reuse and repurpose, and loves working with vintage pre-loved or found natural materials that 'come with a story’.

Galleries

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One Stitch at a Time
Online Collection

"Why send perfectly good clothing to landfill?" The Sustainable Couture Designer's deconstruct and reconstruct garments,  embellishing them "One Stitch at a Time"...

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All In The Same Boat

“All in the same Boat” invited everyone to “come on board and sail the oceans of possibility, ride the tide in the shift to a more sustainable and ethical clothing industry”. 

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Worn to be Wild

Clothing has always been a way of expressing oneself: our national or ethnic identity, our class, gender and sexuality.  Clothes are and always have been Worn to be wild.

Photograph by Damien Ryan

"My experience in Alice Springs is that residents really embrace grass roots arts initiatives – not just for the aesthetic aspects but for the ‘bigger picture’ messages that are being promoted.

 

There is a growing demographic which is environmentally and socially conscious and Sustainable Couture events are held in high esteem by these people.

 

But I do think that Sustainable Couture reaches beyond this demographic and this town too – for those people who are straight out lovers of art, textiles and performance."

Alice Springs resident

We thank  our  generous volunteers and enthusiastic audiences

We thank  our  generous and valued sponsors and partners

for giving us the opportunity to develop our creative skills, contribute to a rich, innovative art, craft and design community

and bring attention to the national discussion around our environment and the urgent need to reduce textile waste in landfill. 

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