Online Classes

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Craft

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Textiles

Learn the Art of Sustainable Fashion

With DIY craft kit delivered to you

Learn all about natural dyeing, Shibori and zero-waste fashion methods

Charlene O'Brien
(Artist Retail Collective)

4.8 (9)

ClassBento donates with every booking to

6 x 1 hour

1 to 6

$500 - $600 (or 4 payments of $125 - $150 via- Afterpay)

($500 per Class only, no box, $600 per Class and box)

Online Classes

•

Craft

•

Textiles

How it works

Request your preferred time

We'll send a ClassBento Box to you (a craft kit with what you'll need). Shipping is free, and it should arrive within 2-4 business days. We ship nationwide.

Enjoy the online class - after booking, you'll get a link to join the interactive class.

What you'll do

Learn all about sustainable fashion, including natural dyeing and zero-waste methods with Charlene O'Brien in this unique online course!

This course has six increments over six weeks, meeting once a week. The first segment in week one will take you through group discussions and a film that Charlene O'Brien produced on her own personal journey as a sustainable fashion designer and the history of social and environmental impacts in the fashion industry.

We will then explore techniques on the construction of garments that entail natural dyeing and zero-waste methods in production. This will be over the next four weeks where you will construct a fashion item that can be worn by yourself or a gift for a very special person.

You will learn skills in:

Natural dyeing
Hand stitching
Embellishing
Zero-waste fashion production methods

Using your new skills, you will construct your very own piece of sustainable fashion with no impact on the environment. Something to be proud of!

Knowledge required

No prior skills required, just an enthusiasm to learn the magic of creating something from nothing!

What you'll get in your craft kit

You will take home a bunch of new skills and your very own piece of sustainable fashion with no impact on the environment.

What you'll need

A notebook and pen
Fabric remnants
Beads
Buttons
Embroidery threads
Measuring tape
Pins and pincushion

Session repeats

This class series runs over 6 consecutive sessions, at the same time every week.

Your teacher

Charlene O'Brien
(Artist Retail Collective)

4.8 (9)

Textile artist and sustainable fashion designer Charlene O'Brien graduated from the London College of Fashion with a higher tec diploma in clothing production in the mid-1980s.

After migrating to Australia from Zimbabwe, she used recycled denim yarns to produce her popular 'eco denim' clothing range which was showcased at the very first Mercedes Fashion Week in Sydney, 1997. Inspired by the need for sustainability in the fashion industry, Charlene pioneered and established the eco-fashion business Tierra Ecologia, and sold her handmade label eco logika Australia-wide.

The early 2000s took her business to Vietnam where the recycled denim yarn was hand crocheted and knitted into a collection of bags, jumpers and cardigans for men and women supporting a cottage industry over there. It was distributed via mail order and local boutiques until the yarn was sold out. She also created a casual wear hemp collection for men and women. using commercial natural dyes for a high volume of sales. The successful business trading Australia-wide came to a halt due to cheap Chinese imports.

Mid 2000s a new direction took her to create a unique handmade and sustainably sourced naturally dyed couture collection which was showcased and sold out to a Parisian Gallerie at the Paris Ethical Fashion Trade Show over a 5-year period.

A finalist for the IE Award on sustainability in the premium and luxury sectors 2015, Spain and currently a member of the International Executive Board of the Global Sustainable Fashion Week, Budapest 2017. Charlene is internationally recognised for creating handmade, environmentally friendly and upcycled couture under her Charlene Vivienne label.

Recently located to Ravensthorpe, Western Australia where she currently lives and works. Her studio is a converted vintage wood den and is now called The Workshop and is home to her creations and teaches sustainable fashion. Ravensthorpe is a historical mining town that has a biosphere of thousands of wildflowers and is famous for the wildflower show in spring.

Maybe book a workshop around this time when flowers are in their glory. A great time to visit.