At the Reading Festival in the UK, an estimated 60.000 tents were left behind, to go to landfills. This source of waste was an inspiration for my project. With tents collected from Dutch Festivals and a passion for creating fashion out of waste, “Festival Couture” was created. How can we create a new product of this abandoned tent with an extra value? The beauty of this waste source is translated into a fashion collection. The collection has design elements inspired by the characteristics of the tents and the use of pleats to transform the material into something new.
Festival waste is one of the biggest problems facing modern music festivals. Each of the large music festivals worldwide, generate huge quantities of solid waste. A large part of this waste is generated by tents and camping gear left behind. In reality only a very small part of these tents goes to charity or are re-used but the majority ends up in a landfill creating a challenge for the environment.
What if we can re-use tent waste in the original form and create new products, this could solve part of the problem. I was attracted about the beauty of the tent waste, the durability of the material, the expression of the fabric lines and the possibilities to re-use original elements in the new creations which provide a connection with the past and create awareness about this global problem.
About the designer Axel Verwee
I like to re-use (waste) material to create fashion with strong expression. During the design process, I am using primarily visual analysis and sculpturing techniques in making new creations. The project “Festival Couture” was an extension of my branding minor in which I explored the possibilities of the material and all aspects of branding this waste material.
For my graduation, I continued with the tent waste because I fell in love with the material and was fascinated with the concept to upcycle the material in something more valuable. In my work one can identify three major elements. The volumes and shapes of the original material, the characteristics of the original product and the re-use of these items like zippers, lugs and fabric lines. The last element originates from my internship at Georgia Hardinge in London where I learned to transform material in new structures by using pleating techniques.
Photo by: Ricardo Dutkowiak https://heyricardo.com
MUA: Anna Kleimenova Model: Elda Miniero