In the middle of April, Evergreen Brick Works will play host to a circular fashion festival called ReMode, where pre-loved garments will take on new lives and people will learn how to upcycle and repair their favourite pieces while swapping other items from their closet for new ones.
ReMode is an initiative brought to life by Fashion Takes Action, and Nikki Byrne, the director of programs and partnerships, says it’s about three years in the making.
“Our first festival at Evergreen Brick Works was in 2023. We had about 20 vendors, 12 speakers, and an incredible clothing swap. Since then, each year we’ve grown, sometimes in the size of the program, the number of clothing items swapped, and always in the number of people who attend,” she says.
This year, they’re back for the fourth Toronto festival, and Byrne says it’s their biggest yet: more than 40 vendors, a strong line-up of speakers, a partnership with The Good Swap to coordinate the clothing swap and with Evergreen Brick Works as part of their Earth Month programming. They’ll be hosting hands-on workshops that help people put circular fashion ideas into practice.
None of the 40+ vendors at the festival will bring new clothes, either, instead opting to bring clothes that have been repurposed or preloved, and offering repair services. Participants include Dot & Bea, Back Alley Vintage, Happie Thrifter, Stitch & Salvage and Born Yesterday, among others.
The entire idea behind ReMode, Byrne says, is to promote a model in fashion that’s good for our wallets and for the planet. “A circular fashion model is about keeping clothing in use for as long as possible, and designing systems where materials can be reused, repaired, or remade instead of thrown away,” she says. “At its best, circular fashion shifts us from a linear ‘buy-wear-dispose’ cycle to a culture of care, longevity and smarter choices, without losing the creativity and joy people love about fashion.”
She notes that circular models can help communities focus on keeping clothing out of landfills and can reduce the need for new clothing production. “ReMode is really a way to bring those solutions to life; to show that circular fashion isn’t a niche idea, it’s a set of choices and businesses that already exist in our community, and that we can all participate in.”
ReMode’s clothing swap will be a key component of that idea. It costs $10 and allows participants to swap up to 10 pieces for other ones items from the swap. Drop-off begins at 11am, and the swap runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with talks and panels happening from noon to 2 p.m.
ReMode will take place at Evergreen Brick Works on April 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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