Throwback to last year’s Slow Fashion Show at Green Weekend
- Diane Jackson
- Jun 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Just in case you’ve missed the news, SO is putting on a Clothes Swap for this year’s Green Weekend, on the 14h June 2025 to be exact. READ MORE HERE! But let’s cast our minds back to Green Weekend 2024 and the amazing Slow Fashion Show put on by Diane Jackson, her friend Stephanie Webb and a bunch of helpers. This blog puts the spotlight on all the makers behind the clothes you saw at the fashion show.
Written by Diane Jackson
A completely new event for Green Week in 2024 was Overton’s very first slow fashion show, a show focused on extending the life of what we wear not only to protect the impact of discarded clothing on the environment but also save money. From preloved treasures to upcycled finds celebrating creativity from our local designers, the show helped demonstrate how we can all rethink fashion and not necessarily lose our sense of style!
The clothes were of course a key part of the show but the people who supplied the clothes are the real heroes! Let's meet them here:
Gracie, a year first fashion student at Farnborough College. For her coursework Gracie created some amazing, very unique pieces that take upcycling to the next level in terms of use of materials, the ethos behind her design inspiration and the designs themselves of course. Truly individual and innovative clothing that kicked off the show in style.
Danielle creates unique, bespoke pieces from items that are already in circulation and combines with a wonderfully colourful selection of scrap fabrics and recycled saris that she has collected over the years to make the most amazing clothing pieces. Each design is created and stitched with love and messages to always be kind to ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.
SJ demonstrates the amazing potential in upcycling, something very different but no less beautiful from "Made by SJP" in Stockbridge. During lockdown SJ made scrub bags out of donated duvet covers for the NHS. She had lots of beautiful fabric left over and this is where her inspiration for the business came from. SJ made a top and a dress from the leftover fabric, her family and friends loved them and so with the help of Instagram she now runs a successful business making made-to-order garments from preloved fabrics.
Henry is 19 just finishing his gap year before going to study Physics with Spanish at Manchester. Henry has always had an interest in sustainability, and really believes that being more sustainable doesn’t have to come at a cost. His interest is in more unique items and styles and he can sew too, enabling him not only to make individual pieces but also repair existing clothing.
Gitte took up crochet again after a long break, and has almost entirely given up fast fashion and is now a preloved, upcycled and especially handmade clothes convert. For Gitte, it's not just about the clothes, it's the satisfaction of making the jumper yourself and knowing that you are not contributing to the mountains of unwanted clothes thrown out every day.
Claire (aka the garden editor) re-discovered sewing with the help of YouTube in her 30s. She runs The Garden Editor, a sustainable horticulture service and is passionate about living well, without costing the earth and without compromising on style. She makes her own clothes using deadstock which is left over fabric from factories, or second hand fabric which she sources from local shops and charities.
Nancy is all about no waste fashion and created many exciting pieces. Nancy has a definite edge to her designs and even though some were originally created as part of her university course a few years ago, were very much coveted by the audience.
So to all the makers - more than mentioned in this article as well - take a bow. Overton loved your work! But also a huge thank you to St Michael’s and in particular to Kat, who had a big role to play as well with the secondhand clothes modelled on the catwalk.
Interested in making your own slow clothes? Send us an email and if we get enough interest, we may run a workshop. Or can you teach villagers to upcycle, mend or make their own clothes and would like to host a workshop? Get in touch!
Photos by Amanda Hepburn @hedgerowdetective
