A competition has been launched that aims to get designers to develop innovative ways to make clothes wearable for longer.
The SCAP Extending the Life of Clothes Design Awards (SCAP ELC Awards) is looking for designers to enter with the possibility of winning £5,000 and the opportunity to progress their work and develop it for a commercial market.
SCAP ELC is being launched by WRAP, which is behind the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) and Love Your Clothes, with support from Defra, British Fashion Council, The Knowledge Transfer Network, InnovateUK and ModeConnect.
WRAP research shows that if the active life of clothes were extended by just nine months, it would reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint by 20-30 per cent each and save around £5 billion worth of resources used to supply, launder and dispose of clothing.
The awards aim to challenge designers to address the key reasons for garment failure that leads to items being thrown away.
WRAP director and ELC Awards judge Marcus Gover said: “This is a great opportunity for designers to bring this issue to life. By applying their creativity and innovation to either sourcing or developing lower impact, high quality fibres, and engineering garments that will last longer, they can instigate real change. We need to embrace this new approach to designing clothes.”
All interested applicants need to register by 12 November 2014.
More information is available at www.wrap.org.uk/scap-elc-awards
