Winning The War On Fashion
- Words by Peppermint
In case you missed it, the War On Waste took out the gong for Most Outstanding Documentary at this year’s Logies. For the full low-down on what presenter Craig Reucassel wore to the awards (CLUE: it ties in nicely with the doco series) here’s Clare Press with the details.
Landfill fashion is rarely out of the press these days. (Yay, the cultural tide is finally turning). In this context, sourcing that wear-once outfit from an op shop feels super modern, don’t you think? Especially if you’re War on Waste’s Craig with a Logies date. For Sunday night’s awards, stylist Alex van Os from Op Shop To Runway, steered Reucassel smartly into a head-to-toe thrifted look sourced entirely from Red Cross shops.
“Craig was so enthusiastic. He loved the idea, and when I showed him all the options he couldn’t believe the amazing quality of clothing and brands you can find,” says Van Os. She dressed Reucassel last year for National Op Shop Week, and knew the Logies was a golden opportunity to get her message out. Van Os is thrift obsessed, and believes passionately in that old adage: second-hand is not second best.
Australians are the second largest consumers of new textiles after north Americans. We buy on average 27 kilograms per capita each year, and throw far too much of it in landfill— about 500,000 of tonnes leather and textiles yearly, according to the last available stats. Van Os says it’s time we slowed down and reconnected with the idea of clothing durability and longevity.
So what exactly did Reucassel wear? “His tie was Lanvin, his shirt and shoes were by Calibre, the jacket was Zara and the pants M.J. Bale.” She reports that she finds “generally, there is less menswear available. I suspect men pass things on less frequently, and they are perhaps more inclined to wear things until they are worn out.”
Are men more likely to buy less and better? She’s not sure, but says, “I often find fantastic preloved men’s shirts. I’m wearing one today actually—it’s vintage.” Reucassel’s outfit was aligned with his waste-crusader values, but it was also on trend. Of late, several high-profile women have used event dressing to make sustainability statements about fashion waste. Cate Blanchett wore her own four-year-old Armani Privé couture gown at the Cannes Film Festival in May, saying: “Particularly in today’s climate, it seems willful and ridiculous that such garments are not cherished and re-worn for a lifetime.”
Last year, for her press tour for The Colossal, Anne Hathaway stepped out in a dramatic black ruffled gown that cost $20 from the Rose Bowl Flea Market. “All of her choices for this tour are sustainable and will be either vintage pieces or archival runway looks,” explained stylist Penny Lovell.
The Duchess of Cambridge said nothing about her repeat Alexander McQueen performance at the wedding of recent royal wedding Harry and Meaghan. But trust Livia Firth, founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, to notice this was the fourth outing for the pale yellow coat dress. Firth took to Instagram calling: ‘Brava!’ and the post received 28,518 likes.
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Top photo: ABC.NET.AU Bottom photo: Stephen Brook twitter.com/viscountbrooky
See more of Alex’s styling in the latest issue of Peppermint, and tune in to ABC’s The War On Waste when it returns to our screens on July 24th.
CLARE PRESS IS THE PRESENTER OF THE WARDROBE CRISIS PODCAST. LISTEN HERE.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
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8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
