Cumbria's first sustainable fashion event
ReWear Revolution brought sustainable fashion to centre stage in Cumbria for the first time.
On Saturday 28 February 2026, we partnered with Cumbria Clothing Collective to host the county's first event dedicated to clothing repair, reuse and the circular textiles economy. The event took place at the Rheged Centre in Penrith and brought together schools, community organisations, independent sellers and members of the public for a day focused on changing the way we think about clothing.
The goal was simple. Encourage people to think differently about the clothes they wear. To repair instead of throwing away. To swap, mend and restyle. And to step away from the throwaway culture created by fast fashion.
The turnout was fantastic.
As seen in
Changing the pattern
Yet clothing waste continues to grow. In Cumbria, around 76% of clothing waste is exported to the Global South, where large quantities end up in landfills or polluting rivers and coastlines.
As a charity that works with textiles every day through our shops, we see the impact first hand. Huge volumes of fast fashion pass through our doors and much of it simply cannot be sold. Low-cost, mass produced clothing is often only designed to last a handful of washes before it starts to fall apart.
Events like ReWear Revolution are about changing that pattern by showing people practical ways to make their clothes last longer.
Highlights from the day
Sustainable Fashion Show
Children and young people from seven schools across Cumbria designed and modelled their own outfits, showing the creativity and confidence of the next generation of sustainable designers.
Clothes Swap
Run by Clothes Swap Cumbria, visitors brought clean, good condition clothing and exchanged them for something new to them. The swap proved to be one of the most popular features of the day.
Repair and Mending Workshops
Hands-on workshops helped people learn how to repair and restyle their own clothing. Every session sold out in advance, and requests for more repair workshops were one of the strongest themes in the feedback.
Outdoor Kit Repair
Members of Re-Action Collective demonstrated professional repair techniques for mountain and outdoor equipment, showing how high-quality gear can be maintained rather than replaced.
Films, Talks and Panels
A series of talks and panel discussions explored the environmental impact of the fashion industry and offered practical steps people can take to reduce textile waste.
Sustainable Shopping
Visitors could browse stalls from independent sellers offering preloved, upcycled and recycled clothing and accessories.
The response was overwhelmingly positive
"This was an experience of a lifetime. I never thought I would be modelling an outfit I was involved in making."
Year 6 pupil, Gosforth Primary
Students said the event helped them think about how clothes can be upcycled and repaired to last longer. Seeing work from other schools and Carlisle College was "amazing and very inspiring".
Keswick School
Staff described the event as "a triumph" and said conversations back at school had already begun about how to build on the ideas students had explored during the day.
The Lakes School
Her daughter "absolutely loved learning about recycling clothing and transforming old garments into something new", adding that the workshop helped bring sustainability lessons to life.
Parent, Gosforth
Who was there
Exhibitors
- Lucy & Yak . preloved Re:Yak clothing
- Second Cashmere . recycled cashmere
- Nimira Artisan Bags . handmade handbags
- WoolClip . recycled/remodelled wool garments
- Handpicked Penrith . preloved womenswear
- Well Suited CIC . preloved formalwear
- Wardrobe Wake-Up . personal styling & colour consultations
- IronKeld . outdoor gear repair
Community Organisations
- Another Way
- Futureproof Cumbria
- Cumbria Development Education Centre
- Westmorland and Furness Council . launched the Cumbria Clothing Repair Directory
- PACT . Penrith Action for Community Transition
Key partners
