On Thursday 14th March I had the honour of attending the Upcycle, Reuse and Replenish Fashion Show at The Turnpike Gallery. Artists Julie McKiernan and Corrie Shelley who are part of the Creating Place II exhibition, undertook a project with adult care providers within the borough and collaborated with local business Love Me Again to highlight the importance of slow fashion in a culture defined by fast fashion.

Karen Day who runs pre-loved clothing boutique in Unit 3 in Spinners Mill and volunteer models showcased a collection of clothing from her store. Her store Love Me Again specialises in offering pre-loved quality women’s, men’s and children’s clothes and accessories. A Leyther herself Karen fell in love with the ethos of the mill while volunteering at Leigh Film Factory. With a background working in mental health charities Karen always loved fashion and always dreamed of opening her own store! In 2022 her dream became reality when she decided to open her store Love Me Again to support sustainable fashion and to encourage people to buy second hand.

Now, what does “sustainable” mean I hear you say? A word we hear alot in everyday life in today’s world especially within our global climate crisis means it is important to try to be sustainable in our everyday lives. Simply put, sustainability means that we take the human and environmental impacts of production into account to support a more just supply chain. Take, for example, the fast fashion industry in which clothing is produced on mass inexpensively without consideration of the environmental impacts. We on average buy 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year which is 400% more on average than we consumed just two days ago.

The event kicked off with sustainability in mind as upon entry into the gallery space guests were treated to snacks from The Replinishery in Leigh. The Replinishery is a shining example of a local businesses whose ethos is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Since opening in 2019 The Replenishery is a zero waste shop selling a wide-range of loose produce such as pasta, rice, pulses, herbs and spaces, household and bodycare and much more. This not only reduces packaging waste but also allows customers to purchase exactly the quantities they need, resulting in a more affordable and sustainable shopping experience. I must say I fell in love with vegan gummies so I will be checking out this gem in Leigh town centre, just off John Street and what is has to offer. We were given cups (yes they were paper!) to pick our snacks and it reminded me of being a child and getting a pick n’ mix off the market something I loved and still do.

At 7pm sharp the show burst into action with a very humorous introduction from Julie and Corrie setting the tone for a engaging and promising evening. As a community event, it was heart-warming to see small-businesses in Leigh come together to shop local and promote local goods. Julie stressed the importance of charity shops locally too as businesses as promoting the ethos of slow fashion.The models graced the gallery floor showing how preloved clothing could be brought to life with love again. The crowd was in good spirits and enjoyed the individuality of all the outfits which were picked by the volunteers. I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect from the show but really enjoyed it and thought it was a good way to support our community of amazing businesses. Despite, all the begrudgery surrounding Leigh I think this serves as a powerful reminder of the positive momentum surrounding Leigh with better days ahead!

If I piped your interest in Love Me Again at Spinners Mill please do check out Karen’s pages below! I will leave Karen’s website and socials below, alongside those of The Replinishery as well. Perhaps if we all took one small step we look forward to a more sustainable and brighter future.

Love Me Again’s Website: https://www.spinnersmill.co.uk/index.php/the-millage/floor-3/love-me-again?fbclid=IwAR2T7Lw4qeNZJUGUXKY8-gUTYke8w62YbjR3Ki6KH05vcyRlpsXuNQtPqZA

Love Me Again’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love_me_again98/Love Me Again Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovemeagain98

Love Me Agains’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovemeagain98

The Replinishery Website: https://www.replenishery.co.uk/

The Replinishery’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereplenishery/

The Replinishery’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/replenishery