Brand new east London exhibition, ReGo, to explore fashion activism’s impact on positive social change through a fashion collection made from repurposed knives taken off the streets.
After a super successful launch last week, the long-awaited ReGo exhibition is now open to visitors! Supported by Foundation for Future London and London College of Fashion, ReGo: Our Story in the Making examines how fashion activism can lead to positive social change.
On display in the exhibition are jewellery, bags, dresses and garments created from repurposed metal from knives received from KnifeSafe – an organisation that aims to reduce knife crime by getting knives off the streets. The showcased items have been co-created by young people from East London (Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney and Tower Hamlets) in collaboration with local fashion brands including Michelle-Lowe Holder, FibreLab, The Reclaimery and CQ Studio.
Exploring how fashion activism can be used to shift the prevailing narrative around youth violence, the three-week long exhibition opening 19 May, will showcase the extraordinary pieces created through the ReGo project as well as a short-film and podcasts allowing visitors to fully understand the collaborations, workshops, people, and stories that have formed this unique and important display.
After the exhibition, the new collection will be available to rent exclusively via LOANHOOD, the innovative rental platform offering a sustainable and accessible way to refresh wardrobes and wear unique high-end items that people might not otherwise have had access to. All proceeds raised will go towards supporting on-going educational and employment opportunities for young people in fashion.
“Project ReGo has enabled a multidisciplinary team to come together and work collaboratively to prevent and tackle the systemic issue of youth violence, including young people in local activities and community life in order to redesign their own future. […] Overall, ReGo and this project showcase intend to demonstrate how fashion activism can be used to shape better lives and address social justice, nurturing sustainability and prosperity for all.”
Dr Francesco Mazzarella, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion + ReGo Co-Project Lead
ReGo: Our Story in the Making is open Thursdays – Sundays, 12pm – 6pm, from 19 May – 5 June 2022 at The LabE20 (E20 1JB) and is free to visit. For more information, visit:
Follow Project ReGo on Instagram for updates on this exciting project: @project.rego