When someone hears the word “fashion”, they immediately think of colours, designs, Shapes, personal expression and style, among others. What about ethics, though? Maria was on the stage of TEDxUniversityofPiraeus guiding us through the world of sustainable fashion and helping us switch our perspective concerning crafting and production in the fashion industry. Maria Juliana Byck is an ethical fashion designer, poet, experimental filmmaker, and social practitioner engaging through video, installation, social interventions and place-based collaborations. Her current project, House of Refashion, reconstructs used clothing into new forms. As a place-based practice, the process of refashion designing calls attention to the possibilities of working with materials that already exist to counteract systemic exploitation, waste and pollution embedded in the global textile industry. To resist the overconsumption encouraged by fast fashion by slow downing and enjoying the process of design and engagement with textiles, she hosts a Creative Reuse project in collaboration with Khora Freeshop and Victoria Square Project. Designed to create community through crafting, sharing new and traditional techniques in clothing repair, redesign and alterations, weekly skill shares and a monthly clothing swap bring people together to create rather than consume, fostering togetherness, rather than the expanding void. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

The Zen of Zero Waste Circular Fashion | Maria Juliana Byck | TEDxUniversityofPiraeus