Inspiring action on sustainable fashion
Our Manifesto
We love our planet and believe we should treat it with respect.
We support garment workers worldwide in their quest for fair wages.
We inspire a more creative, sustainable and individual approach to clothing.
We prove that sustainable clothing is for everyone, without compromising on style.
We are passionate about recycling, upcycling, reuse and reducing waste.
We are a community that has fun sharing new skills and ideas, and we want you to join in!
Stitched Up
Our name refers to the way we feel the fashion industry affects its workers, its shoppers and the planet. Stitched Up.
Fast fashion compels us to buy more and more clothes, which engulf our wardrobes and stifle opportunities for creative expression. Meanwhile many workers in the global fashion industry are trapped in low-wage jobs, prevented from joining trade unions to demand better working conditions.
And the planet?
Textile production creates more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. 20% of global industrial water pollution is caused by the dyeing and treatment of textiles. Each year around half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres shed from plastic-based textiles end up in the ocean.
Despite the high cost of creating new clothes, compared to 15 years ago we wear items half as many times before discarding them. More than half of fast fashion items are disposed of in under 12 months. 300,000 tonnes of this goes to landfill in the UK annually, costing our economy approximately £82 million.
We want to build an alternative fashion industry with your help.
By keeping clothes in use for longer, by swapping, upcycling and repairing them, you can make big reductions in GHG emissions. By developing the skills to craft your own wardrobe, you’ll find new routes for creative self-expression. And benefit your mental health and wellbeing – making things soothes the soul.
We’re here to help you reduce your reliance on the fast fashion industry and reclaim ownership of your personal style
What is Stitched Up?
Stitched Up is a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society inspiring communities across Greater Manchester to take action on sustainable fashion.
We currently run a sustainable clothing hub in Stretford Mall – a space for crafters, makers and tinkerers, providing an alternative to the chain stores and empty shops of your average British high street. From here you can access our public programme of sewing, mending and upcycling workshops, visit our reclaimed textiles shop and fabric sales, as well as get involved in volunteering opportunities and events like talks and film screenings.
We also bring our workshops, events and projects to locations across Greater Manchester, in partnership with charities and groups doing brilliant work to support vulnerable people, young people and more.
Any profits we make are reinvested for the benefit of the community. To date, we’ve used our profit to provide our monthly free repair cafe, subsidised holiday clubs for young people, volunteering and work experience opportunities, as well as activities and talks at community events.
re-use
We take donations of textiles from individuals and businesses to prevent them ending up in landfill. They’re used in our workshops, made available for community re-use in our shop and what’s left is recycled. Our regular Clothes Swaps help to keep clothes in use for longer.
skill up
We teach sewing, clothes making, mending and upcycling skills to people of all ages and abilities. We have a programme of workshops open to the public and also travel to organisations across Greater Manchester working with young people and vulnerable adults.
engage
The fast fashion industry takes a huge toll on people and planet. We host events that help raise awareness of these issues. We also encourage active citizenship, supporting and amplifying campaigns including Fashion Revolution and Labour Behind the Label.
Who are Stitched Up?
Stitched Up was started in 2011 by six young women, with the aim of encouraging individuality, pride and sustainability through fashion and style. Though our team has seen some changes since then, we remain true to the ethos of our founder members – a grassroots collective which grew from our passion for the environment, human-rights, style & creativity.
Bryony
Bryony has a background in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research, specialising in the fashion industry.
Bryony is our Outreach Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator. She was one of the six co-founders of Stitched Up back in 2011.
She has a passion for homemade fancy dress and getting out on her bike and has never been known to say no to a brew!
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte studied History of Art at university, where they developed a lifelong passion for vintage textiles. They have previously worked in vintage fashion, and costume design.
They started working for Stitched Up in 2022, and they are also a freelance sustainable maker and mender. When they aren’t working towards a better future here on Earth, they are fighting for a better future in the fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons.
Katy
Katy studied Social Sciences at university, but her passion went into exploring fashion in her free time. Through designing flamboyant festival wear for herself and her friends she built a slow fashion brand which has blossomed over the last six years.
She joined Stitched Up as Textile Resuse Worker and Workshop Facilitator in 2022 as a way of bringing together her interest in community wellbeing and her talent for textiles. She is still a regular friendly face in the Manchester slow fashion scene and is studying towards a diploma in counselling with hopes to share the healing power of crafts.
Sarah
Sarah studied a BTEC Clothing & Textiles then a degree in Fashion Marketing. She worked in fast fashion for a while, before deciding that there must be another way and coming to volunteer at Stitched Up in 2017.
Sarah has now joined the team as our Bookings Coordinator & Workshop Facilitator.
In the rest of her time she loves walking Truman the dog and working on her handmade wardrobe with Buffy on repeat.
WINONA
Win studied Geography at University with a particular focus on creativity as a means for creating sustainable relationships between people and the environment.
Creativity for Win has always been a source of comfort and expression and in recent years she has been particularly interested in using found and scrap materials. This was something she explored within different volunteer roles before finding Stitched Up as a volunteer in April 2022. Now she hopes to share this passion further in her role as Volunteer and Textile Reuse Project Coordinator. When she’s not making stuff she’s usually playing video and boardgames or dressing up.
Stitched Up HQ
Stitched Up HQ in Chorlton is not currently open for workshops or dropping off textile donations.
Stretford Pop-Up
In October 2020 we opened a pop-up clothing hub in Stretford Mall, where we’ll be running our workshops for the time being. You can also shop our reclaimed textiles and sustainable sewing supplies and drop off donations (address + opening times)
Visit our pop-up at Unit 40, Stretford Mall.
Greater Manchester
We’re not tied to our base. Contact us if you want to find out about the workshops and events we can put on at your school, community centre, gallery or museum.