Sustainable Textile Symposium 2025 - A reflection

Sustainable Textile Symposium 2025 - A reflection.

by Erin English

The inaugural Sustainable Textile Symposium saw conscious creatives gather to learn about and discuss the specific details of a broad reaching problem - the impact of the textile industry on our planetary and personal health, and our role in changing it.

What could have easily become a preachy bubble of self-righteous back patting was, in fact, an insightful, inclusive discussion that openly acknowledged the challenges and the imperfect nature of cultural change. Micro plastics, greenwashing, local manufacturing, upcycling and personal responsibility were on the agenda and the panellists generously shared their stories of trial and error in the pursuit of a more sustainable future for us all. 

After a moving Welcome to Country by Uncle Lex Dadd, which included his Indigenous knowledge of transforming Stringy Bark to string, we watched slow fashion in action as clever hands created MTNS MADE merchandise and the signature white capitals were screen printed onto each and every piece. It was humbling to see the skill and resources necessary to complete a t-shirt. After all, every single garment produced goes through many human hands.

While we hand stitched our way into Julie Paterson’s community textile project, The Menindee Memorial Loop, the conversation spanned from creativity to pragmaticism and never shied away from the hard and ugly side of textile production and its inherent challenges. There was genuine and authentic participation from the audience, so the room read more like one big conversation, allowing opinions and suggestions from across the community to be heard.

Big problems, such as fast fashion and environmental destruction are hard to talk about and are harder still to solve, but the symposium gave a glimmer of hope to those of us who have been having this conversation for a long time now. The opportunity to come together and hear others’ ideas, struggles and wins gives grassroots organisations the momentum they need to grow.

The Sustainable Textile Symposium, whilst appearing to be niche, was actually about all of us, both as consumers and as solutions to the problems we collectively face. Dangerously, fast fashion, textile waste and hyper-consumerism reflect the status quo, but this unique event gave us all the chance to imagine that we could change that.

This unassuming gathering of curious, creative, yet concerned folk was a balm to the fast paced and often self-centred world of today. Hope is always found in community action, and it was certainly inspired and fostered at the inaugural Sustainable Textile Symposium.

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