Sustainable Fashion Futures
Supporting emerging designers and circular design
Working together towards a circular clothing economy
A recent study revealed that every 10 minutes 6000 kilos of textiles and clothing end up in landfill in Australia and much of it is still usable. As supporters of Seamless, Australia’s clothing product stewardship scheme, The Nest is an important grassroots solution to this global crisis. By rescuing textiles, restoring their value, and reconnecting people with the power of making, reuse and repair, our work is essential in supporting a circular economy.
The Nest has always sought opportunities to be involved in tertiary education. Throughout 2024 we were an industry partner for QUT’s Impact Lab, a School of Design unit that brought together first-year students from diverse disciplines such as Interaction, Visual Communication, Industrial and Fashion Design. We supported 2nd year QUT Fashion students with their majority reclaimed Pop-Up Shop project, providing $4,500 in Haberdashery vouchers, and acted as an industry partner in another Design Project unit, engaging 3rd and 4th year Fashion students in a communications brief.
Working together towards a circular clothing economy
A recent study revealed that every 10 minutes 6000 kilos of textiles and clothing end up in landfill in Australia and much of it is still usable. As supporters of Seamless, Australia’s clothing product stewardship scheme, The Nest is an important grassroots solution to this global crisis. By rescuing textiles, restoring their value, and reconnecting people with the power of making, reuse and repair, our work is essential in supporting a circular economy.
The Nest has always sought opportunities to be involved in tertiary education. Throughout 2024 we were an industry partner for QUT’s Impact Lab, a School of Design unit that brought together first-year students from diverse disciplines such as Interaction, Visual Communication, Industrial and Fashion Design. We supported 2nd year QUT Fashion students with their majority reclaimed Pop-Up Shop project, providing $4,500 in Haberdashery vouchers, and acted as an industry partner in another Design Project unit, engaging 3rd and 4th year Fashion students in a communications brief.
Backing the next generation of designers
The Nest has always been passionate about supporting sustainable fashion and in July 2024 we donated $4500 worth of resource vouchers to support 2nd year QUT Fashion students. The students were creating their Pop-Up Shop capsule collection, focused on using reclaimed materials.
After receiving a grant from Community Bank Samford we expanded this support into the Sustainable Fashion Futures initiative. In December 2024 a $1000 resource voucher was awarded to Cassandra Steele as part of our Emerging Designer Bursary for fashion design students in the Moreton Bay region. A further $16,000 worth of resource vouchers and prizes went to QUT 2nd and 3rd year fashion students in August 2025, equating to more than $51,000 worth of retail stock and making a huge difference to student design capacities.
The impact of this initiative is not just financial. While shopping in The Nest Haberdashery, students benefit from advice and support from Nest volunteers who pass on their craft skills and encourage students in their endeavours.
