Wear Not Waste
The fashion industry is one of the world's largest sources of waste and pollution. Every year, millions of garments are produced, worn only a handful of times, and discarded. Most of us know something needs to change, yet the problem feels so overwhelming. But, where to begin?
For me, that question became the beginning of an unexpected journey.
Atacama desert Landfill
In 2024, I joined a Textile Waste Working Group in Hobart. The room brought together people from across Tasmania's textile sector—designers, recyclers, advocates, government, makers and businesses—all passionate about reducing textile waste. As a former designer and sustainability educator, I proposed a name for the group: Wear Not Waste. I designed a logo and imagined it becoming a shared campaign that could inspire people to rethink their relationship with clothing.
But, the group didn't move forward.
At first, I was disappointed. I leant that sometimes ideas don't disappear—they simply find a different path, a more aligned and mindful one.
So I decided to repurpose the name and logo. Since then, Wear Not Waste has continued to evolve through conversations with incredible people who believe, as I do, that fashion can become a force for positive change.
Looking back, moving forward.
Before migrating to Australia, I wrote articles on my blog in Chile about new fashions trends and sustainability (2006). Returning to writing felt like reconnecting with an old part of myself. I reconnected with my love of writing, something I hadn't done in more than a decade. I reached out some contacts in Chile and wrote an article titled Don't Refuse to See It. Refuse to Wear It!
It was a deeply personal piece about the textile dumps in the Atacama Desert, a place I had visited and that holds some of my most treasured memories in nature. Remembering that extraordinary landscape transformed into one of the world's largest dumping grounds for discarded clothing was heartbreaking. The article was published through my collaboration with Anastasia at the Slow Fashion Hub in Perth, who kindly edited the piece and shared it on her blog and in Spanish in Chile by the Fundacion Basura.
Then another unexpected opportunity appeared.
Wear, Not Waste: Prototype 2 - Hobart, 2026
How to pursuit the extraordinary?
In 2025, at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival, I met Briony from Wild Stitch Studio. She later invited me to mentor a group of students exploring sustainable fashion. During one planning session, she asked me a simple question: "Is there a game that teaches young people about sustainable fashion?"
What if I designed one?
That single question became the beginning of something much bigger. What if I could capture the complexity of the current model, transform years of research, lived experience in the fashion industry and sustainability education into something playful, engaging and meaningful?
Using design thinking and co-design principles, I began developing the first Wear Not Waste prototype. My first testers were my own children. Then six teenagers. Then fifteen primary school students. Soon, a 3er group one in Hobart.
Each session teaches me something new. The young people don't just play—they question, challenge and imagine better futures for fashion.
Collaborations are the key!
And somewhere along this journey, another connection emerged. While mentoring a group of young people in climate resilience, they became interested in collaborate and documenting the Wear Not Waste journey as part of their own project: Building Utopia-Documentary.
Looking back, none of these opportunities were planned.
One conversation led to another. One introduction opened another door. One small idea kept finding people who wanted to help it grow.
I don't see this as a coincidence. I see it as synchronicity.
Would you like to be part of the Wear Not Waste journey?
Wear Not Waste It's becoming a synergy built on education, creativity, community and hope.
If you're passionate about sustainable fashion, circular design, education, community engagement or simply believe that fashion can be part of a better future—I would love to connect.
📧 Contact form here
📧 hello@malva.com.au
#wearnotwaste
