Waste-free fashion collection lands Amy a place in the semi finals

A biodegradable fashion collection that can be composted has earned a University of Northampton student a place in the semi finals of a sustainability competition.

Fashion student Amy White has grown her own fabric from a mix of green and kombucha tea, sugar and vinegar – and has used the fabric as the basis of her concept designs for a collection of women’s clothing.

Her designs are now in the running for a place in the final of the REDRESS Awards, which encourage young designers to think about designing sustainably and to think about their impact on the environment.

Amy’s designs have landed her a place in the semi finals of the REDRESS Awards.

Amy, who comes from Banstead in Surrey, said: “To me, sustainability should be a must in fashion today. As the industry is such an important part of the economy, as well as being such a heavy environmental polluter, every designer should be working to incorporate some form of sustainability within their work.

“Studying Fashion at university has made me more aware of the waste produced in all aspects of the process, whether it is from the seemingly endless toiling process, to the offcuts of the final fabrics.

“Therefore, this is why I’ve been inspired to actually grow the fabric for my collection from a mix of green tea, sugar, vinegar and kombucha. This makes it 100 per cent bio-degradable and compostable – meaning that there is no waste because, once it is no longer needed, it can be put on the compost with the food waste.”

Amy added: “The concept is built around the Japanese Tea Ceremony and I have compared the process of growing of the fabric to the process of carrying out the ceremony. I’ve also been inspired by other elements of Japanese culture, such as origami, kimonos and geishas – and hopefully this shows through in the designs I’ve submitted for the awards.”

While Amy has made the semi finals of the REDRESS Awards, she is also eligible for the People’s Choice Award category. You can view her entry on the awards website and vote for her by visiting this page and scrolling down to Amy White.

It’s not the first time Amy has produced sustainable clothing. In November she put together an outfit from fabric offcuts that were destined for landfill.