VAMFF and the Circular Economy
- Words by Peppermint
Heard of the circular economy and know it’s a Good Thing, but not too sure what it means in reality? Or consider yourself a fully paid-up member of the fan club, but want to know how you can help the broader fashion industry get onboard? In the run up to The Possibility Project’s amazing ‘evening of fashion activism’ at VAMFF with ‘The Future is Unity’, we caught up with The Possibility Project and slumwear108 co-founder, Kim Pearce, to get the lowdown on the ins-and-outs of the sustainable fashion future.
What most excites you about the circular economy in fashion?
It represents a highly natural way to organise the supply chain so that our fashion choices (for both the makers and takers) are restorative and regenerative for people and planet – it invites us to reevaluate the type of impact we want to make with our fashion dollar.
How is it different to the linear fashion economy?
The linear economy is based on a make, take and dispose mindset – whilst it produces material gain for some, the system is deeply wasteful and exploitative. The linear economy feeds our appetite for fast fashion – products are delivered quickly and cheaply, but we’re finally waking up to the waste that it produces. The circular economy is largely about re-evaluating what we waste on earth.
Why did you decide to adopt the circular economy for slumwear108 (which utilises discarded saris and materials in new clothing)?
We wanted to encourage people to reimagine what can be created with what they already have. Nature has a wonderful accounting system, and humans not so much. Our choices have become so wasteful, and we wanted to turn that waste into value. Every decision we make is based on creatively looking at what we already have, and the cornerstone of the circular economy (and slumwear108) is creativity, rather than time and money.
Where do you source the saris that you upcycle into dresses?
When you decide to trust that everything you need already exists, the universe has a way of bringing it to you. We met a wonderful man in Jaipur who helps us source the saris. Upcycling comes from the imagination, not the material!
Are there tips for readers who may want to bring circular consumption into their own lives?
The biggest tip we can give people is to wholeheartedly accept that the smallest individual actions will make a difference. When we value ourselves we naturally value everything around us. Waste is a consequence of disconnection – we’ve forgotten how things are made, by whom and with what, so anything that promotes unity between people and planet promotes circularity. Whether you refuse, reduce, repair, restore, rethink, recycle, do it with a sense of unity.
‘The Future is Unity: the Circular Economy’s in Fashion’ takes place on Thursday 15 March at South Melbourne Market – tickets are available here.
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“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
