#LockdownStash Sewing Upcycling Challenge May 2020

#LockdownStash Sewing Upcycling Challenge May 2020

Stephanie Steele Friday, 1 May 2020

For May 2020 we are running a competition for designers and crafty makers to use up what they have at home by creating a functional item. Functionality is key - most of us don't like making more stuff for the sake of it, and right now potentially there feels a necessity to get through your sewing lists. Instead, soak up the challenge and enjoy the process of experimentation and play, while having a product at the end of it that you'd be excited to talk about and show.⁠

⁠As we're about fashion business, we have the masters of professional upcycling Elvis and Kresse to judge the entries, with prizes from Courier Magazine, us The Sustainable Fashion Collective and independent book publishers W.W. Norton. Who knows, you may be so impressed with what you’ve made, instigating a realisation that you’ve solved a design problem, and it sparks a business or product idea!⁠


⁠To enter:

Create a functional item that you can use on your body e.g. bag, for home e.g. plant pot holder, for work e.g. laptop sleeve or for society e.g. bunting. It could also be something that helps towards your sustainable lifestyle such as a cutlery wrap or food baggy.

Post a picture of the item and/or you with it or in situ on your Instagram feed.
Tag both us and Elvis and Kresse on Instagram so that on June 1st we can start to judge all entries.

It's also suggested that, to show you really would benefit from the prizes, you like us as both Offset Warehouse and The Sustainable Fashion Collective, Elvis and Kresse, Courier Media and either W.W. Norton or Lily Fulop as the book author. However, you can also enter the challenge and NOT enter yourself for prizes. It's entirely up to you.

The aim of this challenge is to get you considering materials, product construction, functionality - what it really means to create something.

Rules:

You must only use what you have at home, otherwise it's not a stash-busting challenge.
Think outside of the box: you can use ANYTHING.

You can enter from anywhere in the world. Only one of the prizes is physical (so hopefully it's not too costly to ship you it)!

If you're already a Professional Member and you win one of the prizes, we can halt your subscription to take advantage of the free months.

The challenge runs May 1st to May 31st.

Prizes:

1st prize: two-month subscription to our platform, an annual print subscription to Courier, a print copy of Lily Fulop's book and a £15 gift voucher for Offset Warehouse

2nd prize: two-month subscription to our platform, an annual print subscription to Courier and a print copy of Lily Fulop's book

3rd prize: two-month subscription to our platform and a £10 gift voucher for Offset Warehouse

All entrants will receive a 20% off voucher code for Offset Warehouse.
All entrants will receive a link to redeem a one-month trial of The Sustainable Fashion Collective at 50% off.

You can also use the code WN703 for 25% off the RRP of Lily's book, plus free shipping for UK and Europe. Head here to redeem.

Inspiration:

Check out our story highlights for photos and videos of what we've been considering and making.

We also have a growing Pinterest board of functional upcycling heaven.


Lily Fulop @mindful_mending
Elvis & Kresse @elvisandkresse
Courier Magazine @couriermedia
W.W. Norton @wwnortonuk
Offset Warehouse @offset_warehouse
The Sustainable Fashion Collective @sustainable_fashion_collective


If you'd like to learn more about Elvis and Kresse, and are already a Professional Member, head to the invterview here where Kresse enlightens us on how the business began, the logistics of reclamation, becoming a B-Corp and communicating their story.