Central Saint Martins, the prestigious fashion school that produced Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, has launched a new initiative called 'Makers Camp: The West Africa Project'. The programme aims to shift the mindset of young designers towards sustainability, focusing on fashion's excessive extraction, pollution and waste.
Senior lecturer Berni Yates explained that the project began by examining waste at Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, and later expanded to include knowledge exchange with weavers through the Nubuke Foundation. Comparisons were drawn with Harris Tweed and Scottish crofts, emphasising global thinking but local action.
Three MA students — Luke Hemingway, Oliver Roberts and Paris Ryan — produced a documentary titled 'It’s Still There', exploring British Wool’s infrastructure. Their journey from the Midlands to the Scottish Borders highlights surviving skills in textile production. Hemingway noted that domestic wool diversity should be a source of pride, rather than valuing exotic fibres like Kashmir and Merino.
The students also drew inspiration from Fibreshed, a non-profit organisation founded by Rebecca Burgess in 2011. Fibreshed develops regional fibre systems to support climate-beneficial agriculture and rebuild manufacturing. Deborah Barker of Fibreshed South East England stressed the importance of reconnecting fashion to farming, starting with the compost heap to understand soil health.
Jim Robertson, chair of British Wool and a farmer, argued that reconnecting fashion to British farming and craft traditions is increasingly important. He noted that local fibres like British wool bring transparency and a shorter supply chain, encouraging a shift away from fast, disposable fashion.
