Charity shop invites young designers to upcycle donated clothing

We’ve written about companies who engage in upcycling to create scarves, bags, teddy bears, and more. Similarly, our latest spotting breathes new life into cast-off clothing, but adds a charitable twist. Launched by the Ted Noffs Foundation, Sydney-based One Noffs offers local aspiring fashion designers the opportunity to rework donated garments into one-of-a-kind designs, which are then sold to fund programs for disadvantaged kids. Participants receive a big bag of pre-loved clothing which they have three weeks to remanufacture, either at home or on One Noffs’ in-store sewing machine. A section of the foundation’s second-hand stores will be dedicated to these one-off designs. Each designer receives 20 percent of the sale price and their bio is added to the item’s swing tag. There’s nothing like one-of-a-kind designs to make consumers feel unique, but add stitch of upcycling, sew in a social cause element and the products become all the more desirable. (Related: T-shirts with a story, and a cause — Salvation Army’s 50/50 project.) Spotted by: Gerard McLennan