‘Fashion is the part of culture we love to hate.’

Stylist, fashion editor and costume designer Cynthia Lawrence-John will be giving a talk on her practice from 12-1pm.

After a short break for lunch, Cynthia will be joined by Rhys Ellis at 2pm, and together they will deliver a workshop on upcycling worn/old clothes and fabric until 5.30pm. The workshop will explore how existing clothes can be adapted to create new garments, with an aim to take upcycling a step further, creating pieces which tell stories and communicate personal, political and social messages.

Practical information:
For the workshop you will need to bring some old clothes with you (particularly T-shirts) to use as materials. Sewing kits and scissors, etc. will be provided. This event is free for all to attend. There is no obligation for you to attend both parts of the day – you may attend just the talk, just the workshop, or both.

Information about the two practitioners:
Cynthia Lawrence-John styles and designs costumes for fashion stories, music videos and short films. Her work and interest is in telling real stories with meaning through editorials, films and music videos. Cynthia is interested in the ways in which certain designers and artists utilise fashion and garments as a tool of protest and not solely to create an item to clothe the human form.

Rhys Ellis is a sustainable fashion designer who works with daily waste materials and introduces them into fashion.