Whilst the surge of shopping sustainably and altering/ reusing clothing you already have is on the rise, users on social media, in particular TikTok, sharing DIY and sewing videos has also grown in popularity.
After doing some research looking for sustainable projects that reach out to a similar audience to our project, I realised social media is the one platform majority of 14-18 year olds are engaged in. An article by Refinery 29 looked into the ‘sewingtiktok’ trend which has apparently accumulated 725 million views. It spoke about how creators are sharing videos of them recreating luxury designer and vintage pieces with a small budget.
The sewing Tiktok went viral in 2020 when the JW Anderson crochet cardigan started trending on Tiktok after an image of Harry Styles wearing it made the rounds. Multiple creators started sharing their attempts at making their own versions using the hashtag harrystylescardigan. The viral trend managed to reach designer Jonathon Anderson himself who showed support and then released the cardigans official pattern for creators to replicate. This is a good example of allowing designer luxury garments to become more accessible to everyone. Whilst it isn’t the same thing doing it by yourself, it does create a more sustainable community when it comes to fashion, not paying into an industry that uses environmentally harmful resources. It also gives consumers the option to use materials of their choice, whether bought new or re-used from previous clothing/accessories.
Furthermore, many creators are gaining massive influence on the platform for their DIY sewing hacks. Maddie White is an example who is a selftaught sewer, her method is to find outfits or aesthetics she can recreate with her own designs and shows the process behind making them on a tight budget. She has taken on some iconic looks such as a glittery butterfly Versace dress worn by Cher and Dua Lipa, a black Cult Gaia flower cut-out top worn by Ariana Grande, and a mini version of the Jean Paul Gaultier white couture gown worn by Bella Hadid at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
This could be a really good avenue for our project to take. ‘Green Miracle’ being a service based platform for younger ages to learn how to be more sustainable when it comes to fashion means we have to think of all the different ways we can reach our audience. I think social media is definitely a good way we can do this, using certain hashtags and trends as inspiration and to create a sense of community.
