Make Smthng week rejects consumerism promoted by Black Friday

London - With Black Friday only two days away, retailers promotional discounts and sales are at the front and centre of all attention across high street and shopping centres. However, some organizations and brands are taking a stand against Black Friday by promoting other values and offering alternatives to the sale shopping day. Fashion Revolution, the non-profit behind the global movement ‘Who Made Your Clothes’ has teamed up with Greenpeace to launch Make Something week (Make Smthng), an initiative created to encourage consumers to buy less and make more.

Running global from December 2 to December 10, Make Something week follows on from Singles, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The movement aims to encourage consumers to take a stand against over-consumption while enjoying the products they already own by mending, sharing, swapping, transforming repairing or even creating new ones. "Singles Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other shopping days have become major peaks of consumerism. This shopping binge also generates greater volumes of waste than ever. This dangerous trend is harming our planet. We buy without thinking for a minute, but the waste we create will sometimes last for centuries,” said Chiara Campione, Greenpeace Italy global project leader of Make Smthng Week.

"We have been tricked into thinking happiness comes from what we buy, when we know that true happiness comes from what we can create. Making fantastic creations out of things that we already own is much more fun, creative and social than buying stuff.” Numerous events are set to take place around the world to promote this concept in cities including Brighton, Milan, Berlin, and Helsinki. Fashion Revolution will also be hosting a Disco Make at the Mercato Metropolitano on December 5 in London, which will include a series of events focusing on styling and upcycling second-hand clothes.

Alternatively, consumers are encouraged to create their own workshop or event for Make Smthng week, join the movement online and share their experience at makesmthng.org. “Reintroducing creativity, crafts, and emotions in our relationship with clothes is a brilliant way to take action,” added Orsola De Castro, Founder of Fashion Revolution. “After all, our wardrobes are a part of the fashion supply chain, and our choices can have a huge effect in making things better, for people and planet. We are producing over 100 billion garments x year, and wearing just a fraction of that. How much more stuff do we need? Time to care for the things we already own. Long Live My Clothes!"

Photos: © Greenpeace / Wendi Wu