Leadership is an action not a position. This favourite quote is attributed to US television executive Donald H. McGannon who believed in socially responsible leadership through actions – such as dropping cigarette advertising because it was the right thing to do.

I’ve adopted this quote as my own following socially responsible leadership study last year with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and James Cook University, which led to my upcycling social enterprise Textile Beat and this Sew it Again campaign.

On a much bigger scale and operating since 2007, Redress is a Hong-Kong based non-government organisation led by Christina Dean working to promote environmental sustainability in the fashion industry by reducing textile waste, pollution, water and energy consumption. 

Among Redress leadership initiatives are an Ecochic Design Award, an R Cert label which certifies recycled textile clothing and a 2014 campaign Get Redressed with monthly themes – June’s being #DIYfashion.

This fits with my 365-day Sew it Again project in which I’m demonstrating how conscious consumers can use simple sewing techniques to upcycle existing clothing instead of always buying new.

It is rare that quality natural fibre clothing wears out. More likely we grow out of it, fall out of love with it, or bury it under a pile of new acquisitions. There are mountains of waste clothing in the world (see this Redress image) – and we are only limited in reusing it by our willingness to spend time being mindfully creative, our imagination and skills.

I’m a collector of natural fibre clothing and have enough (four wardrobes+box room) to last a lifetime. This stockpile sparked my upcycling campaign yet I’ve barely made a dent in it. And friends keep giving me more stuff – like a pile of teen shirts from friend Sally.

Sew 154 is three green T-shirts reworked – a green one, a green and white striped one, and a pink one with green stripes. The pink one became an upside down skirt. I cut off the collar, cut across the shoulders, cut off the hem, shaped it in a little at the sides then turned it over a strip of elastic to become the waistband of an upside down skirt. From the body of the green T, I cut spiral strips of fabric which were then zigzagged to the bottom front and back of this skirt. The former sleeves of the shirt effectively become side slits (see photo). The remains of the green T (sleeves and bodice) are turned inside out and raw edges sewn together, then turned back outside to become a tied-belt. The pink collar offcut is cut and stitched to the dull white V of the striped shirt together with another offcut, then this feature is finished off with a green/white vintage button.