We have all probably heard the word sustainability, but what does it mean? Sustainability means to live and maintain development without compromising our planet. But in terms of fast fashion, it means to be able to use materials that don’t harm our planet, so our planet can live well, and we can dress well guilt free. In a world full of over consumption, fast fashion and landfills, there is a rising revolution trying to address unsustainable fashion. 

According to Earth.org, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced yearly- companies like Shein, Boohoo , Pretty Little Thing manufacture thousands of cheap clothes and many people are drawn to these But mass consumption has mass consequences, Pollution from the toxicity of dyes and microplastics are released, according to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee in the UK we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe. 

In past years there has been many events held to promote sustainable fashion. However, Manchester is leading the way into the fight for more sustainable fashion with the Good Clothes Show held on November 8-9th 2025. It included stalls with a mix of ethical, preloved luxury, vintage and contemporary brands, live talks from experts in the fashion industry and special guests, a catwalk show hosted by Annaliese Dayes and Brett Staniland and so much more. 

I attended the show on the 8th of November, and it did not disappoint, it was full of energy and creativity. Every stall included different innovative designs showcased through their work. There were also informative workshops to help further educate people about trying to reduce waste in the fashion industry. 

A few stalls stood out to me though, not only because of their work but also because of the people who were working, they were so enthusiastic to share information about their work and did so in such a passionate way. One person I had the chance to talk to was Claire from Three Storey Design, who made eco-friendly sustainable items and accessories by naturally dying silk products using plants and flowers. She uses plants such as an indigo plant to dye the fabric she uses to create designs like scrunchies and eye masks and then also used flowers to print/press flower patterns onto them. We even discussed what other types of plants you can use to dye fabrics, and she said: “you can actually dye fabrics with an avocado and although an avocado is green it actually dyes it a light salmon or pink colour because there is pink pigment along the core of an avocado.” She holds botanical workshops based in Manchester where you can learn to create a piece of art using sustainable materials, Claire also said she thinks that schools should show students different ways to stay sustainable in creative ways to: “better improve their future and also our environment.” 

A second stall that stood out was Soaked, an umbrella company based in Manchester, soaked umbrellas are different because they are made from recycled plastic bottles, they have beautiful and unusual patterns on them. I think we can all agree that it rains a lot in Manchester and it is really easy to buy cheap umbrellas, so we buy them over and over again, but they break just as easily, Soaked umbrellas are trying to reduce the amount of ‘single use’ umbrellas that end up in the piles of the 1 billion umbrellas in landfills each year. Soaked have designed umbrellas that are not only good to look at but also good for our environment, the umbrellas are made with a wind resistant canopy and sustainable materials making them strong and long lasting. 

During the Good Clothes Show there was also a catwalk hosted by Annaliese Dayes on the 8th which showcased designs, by graduate students, pieces from the exhibitors and Joey Bevan. The graduate’s work was definitely a highlight of the show and gave insight to the next generation of the sustainable fashion industry. All the exhibitors work was just other worldly they all showcased so much talent working together to show the best of their work. Joey Bevan however was quite literally fit for royalty as he used fabrics that he repurposed from Buckingham palace.  

Why not give it a go yourself ,If you’re interested you can improve on being more sustainable there are so many ways such as, focusing on consuming less, reuse and recycling old clothes and making them into something new, buying from ethically made and sustainable brands to support the rise of sustainable brands and choosing clothing made from organic materials ,  there are so many thrift stores you can buy second hand items from that are just as good as any brand new clothing or even attend workshops such as Claire’s Botanical Workshop (from three storey design).