Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
6 minutes ago
: EIT IDEAschool Fashion Lecturer, Christina Rhodes with examples of sashiko stich work and upcycled garments previously destined for landfill
An EIT lecturer’s passion for sustainability is ensuring clothing is repurposed rather than dumped.
Millions of tonnes of clothing are produced, worn and discarded around the world each year, with New Zealand sending a staggering estimated107,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill.
EIT IDEAschool Fashion Lecturer, Christina Rhodes, believes people need to start seeing their old clothing in a new light and is encouraging a culture of mending and upcycling through education, something she teaches throughout EIT’s Certificate of Fashion Level 4, right up to a Bachelor of Creative Practice (fashion) Level 7.
“How we change people’s attitudes, that’s my passion. I want people to look and see what can be done with textiles, and instead of throwing something away, thinking how it can be cut up and used for something else.”
– IDEAschool Fashion Lecturer, Christina Rhodes
As part of Hastings District Council’s month of the Great Textile Rescue happening during October, EIT hosted two workshops, teaching basic mending and sewing skills.
“The beauty of the workshops is they were designed specifically for beginners, you didn’t need to be an expert seamstress to pick up the skills,” explains Christina.
Held over two weeks at EIT Hawke’s Bay Taradale Campus, the first workshop focused on the hands-on Japanese sashiko stitching technique, traditionally used to repair, reinforce and extend the life of garments.
Students brought along items of clothing in need of a little TLC, learning mending techniques, decorative stitching and fabric patches. Tina was excited to see sewing novices embrace the challenge and gain knowledge to extend the lifetime of their clothing.
“The workshops gave people a taste of what’s possible and how to explore further with other creators and workshops online and across social media to further their sashiko knowledge.”
The second workshop focused on giving an old pair of jeans destined for landfill a new purpose and lease of life.
Students transformed their unwanted denim into a practical and stylish bag, picking up simple sewing and creative reuse skills along the way. The ability to turn what would traditionally be trash into transformed treasure is something Tina hopes every student took away with them.
Hastings District Council Waste Minimisation Specialist Jordy Wiggins sees huge potential in changing people’s perceptions around when an item of clothing has had its day.
“The Great Textile Rescue is about showing people there are lots of practical ways to keep clothing and textiles in use for longer, says Jordy. Learning simple skills to repair, reuse or repurpose what we already have can extend the life of our clothes and help keep valuable materials out of landfill.”
The fully booked workshops were a huge success, and so popular, EIT Hawke’s Bay’s, Taradale campus, would like to run more in the future. Attendees headed home with practical repair skills, a renewed appreciation for creative textile reuse and a fresh attitude to waste, ready to breathe life into old clothing and turn pieces past their use-by date into something useful.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/10/19/waste-not-want-not-clothing-gets-a-new-lease-on-life-with-eit-workshops-eit-hawkes-bay-and-tairawhiti/