AWOL Monk: greening fashion up

so... it's rosemount australia fashion week for those who don't know their zimmerman from their alex perry. although fashion is paying lip service to the concept of sustainability & awareness is on the rise of the direct ecological impact the industry has on the environment it's barely more than a brief puff-powdered great auntie cheek peck.

enter kristin & her inimitable team at the clothing exchange who last night ran an awesomely attended clothes swap at opera australia with drinking nemesis - greenups who've been lurking about on the socio-political bar scene for over a year now. green drinking for green thinking.

utter babe jess miller, who hosted the evening is obviously passionate about the cause & possibilities of not just the reinvention of vintage which is the now ubiquitous gentrification of old school op-shopping [bah] but the possibilities of reshaping & utilising existing pieces into entirely new ones. dust off your nana's sewing machine, safety pins, or velcro now... and start wetting your lips.

did you know that the average global footprint for a pair of jeans is 11 000 litres of water? recycling clothes actually has a huge beneficial impact. in the end we come back to reduce, reuse, recycle and clothes swaps help reroute pre-loved items back into the loop.

in typical style i arrived late & neglected to bring my swapping items. to partake one needs to bring items to surrender into the fold which earns tokens or buttons with which to shop for new items. planning some mayhem snapping, hoping for some bitch-slapping boxing day like sales action i kicked back quietly on the side, champagne glass & killer heels teetering in parallel. then something sparkly caught this magpie's eye...

i was ambushed by unshakeable shrug love. this is becoming a recurring punk monk theme. a heavenly place where doilies & shawls meet. but i had no tokens/buttons. dilemma. 

immediately i set out begging the dispirited gentlemen standing on the sideline who woefully derided the inadequacy of the mens' area. their loss was almost my gain. except they'd already given away their buttons. and so the hunt began.

in fifteen minutes i was rewarded by not one but a handful of buttons generously donated by random people who empathised with my plight & really do embrace the concept of sharing is caring. like a slow lingering kiss. no lip service here rosemount! and i made several friends along the way... thanks marty.

better still unlike that other wine sponsored fashion event - the sweet nectar coming out of my flute was actually extremely quaffable. the fab food & flavour fiends love grub  weren't just bringing it with the solids, their sustainable liquids go off too! 

spruiked "the habitat" wine is harvested from sustainable vineyards & comes packaged in "lean green" bottles which reduce weight and carbon impact with recycled paper labels. i know this because i did stay till the 13th hour & help finish the empties. ever the good samaritan. no wonder the photos came out this colour!

here is my happy ending. a pile of pre-loved clothes generously donated from new friends' extra buttons following the sage advice from tina ann taralus one time stylist with louis vuitton who gave us all our battle instructions pre swap:

UNIVERSAL SWAP GUIDELINES:

THREE DON'TS

1. don't swap one fashion disaster for another.

2. don't take an item because it's vintage or a specific label. say no to sass & bide jeans if they're going to cut your ass or legs in half.

3. say no to wrong size or shape. 

THREE DOS

1. remember what suits you. 

2. pay homage to colours which you like and like you back. unrequited love is so miserable. even with clothes.

3. take a risk. break rules and tradition. 

not sure whether i broke the rules or not? i think i suit a sparkly shrug... and i'll make it as risky as possible depending whether i wear anything else with it. perhaps just one more well placed lipstick smeared glass of wine. greenups is all about kiss & tell fashion sustainability after all. 