Dr. Emily L Connally, a Clarendon scholar and St. Anne’s Alumna, has returned to college to make a fashion statement. Connally is the founder of Cherwell Collective, a local not for profit facilitating more sustainable lifestyle choices in Oxfordshire. Starting Monday 11th November Carbon Cost of Fashion will be on display at the porters’ lodge, JCR, and MOLT on campus. This is a bespoke exhibition outlining the environmental impact of clothing, and the power our small choices have to make a big difference.
Image caption: Prior to St. Anne’s, part of the exhibit was hosted by the Witney Ecological Forum and Witney Parishes for two weeks in St. Mary’s the Virgin on Church Green.
Carbon Cost of Fashion is part of a multi-year Waste Innovation Station Hubs (WISH) project led by Cherwell Collective and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. This exhibit explains devastating repercussions of fast fashion through the years but offers hopeful alternatives. People can change their behaviours, and it does make a difference for the planet. The installations cover topics such as water use in denim production, plastics in our clothing materials, the addictive effects of online shopping, and more. Participants are encouraged to touch, feel, and move parts of the exhibition to learn from the experience and find answers to questions. They can also test their knowledge with a fast fashion quiz, or use a handmade selfie booth to make their own commitments.
“While I was at St. Anne’s I was a recipient of the Bursar’s hardship fund which is set up to invest in students and their journey during tough times.” Says Dr. Connally.“ I now use my knowledge of learning and the brain to create better tools to influence decarbonization and behaviour change necessary to build climate resilience. I hope my journey and this exhibit inspires other students to keep going, and remind people that no matter what you study the most important lessons are how to think critically and apply your strengths to new challenges. No task is too large for us to tackle, collectively.”
Cherwell Collective was founded in 2020 with the mission to empower those in the community who, due to social, financial, or medical inequities and exclusions, believe reducing the impact on the climate is beyond their reach. Cherwell Collective aims to reduce waste and facilitate a circular economy to make the most of resources available. The Carbon Cost series of exhibits and campaigns focuses on increasing collective knowledge and climate agency to invite everyone to build a sustainable future for our community together.
The approach to climate agency that makes Cherwell Collective unique is strongly rooted in theory. Connally’s education at St. Anne’s in experimental psychology contributes to a robust evaluation and feedback to update content of outreach. Psychological theory also underlies the principles in how information is provided in exhibits. Rather than rely on large blocks of text, this exhibit utilises simple questions with impactful answers to provide digestible and memorable takeaway messaging . This approach also reduces the opportunity for cognitive bias which plagues climate outreach traditionally.
The core Carbon Cost of Fashion exhibit is made entirely using surplus or waste materials. Mannequins were donated from the local BMW plant and over 300kg of waste materials were repurposed in these installations. Dozens of volunteers supported in sourcing materials and making the pieces alongside Dr. Connally to make her visualisation take shape. The goal is to instil a sense of urgency, hope, and proactiveness in response to fast fashion’s role in the climate crisis. The exhibit is designed to support people to change their behaviours in small, reasonable, sustainable steps as a result of the support we provide.
To learn more about our Fashion mission and Cherwell Collective’s role as the local Sustainable Fashion Week Hub in 2024 please see our recent summary blog.
Part of our exhibition will be viewable in the Danson room of the JCR including the selfie booth with pledges hanging from a discarded supermarket cage. If you do nothing else, consider taking one small step, pledging in our booth, and sharing your inspiration.
- St Anne’s College, 56 Woodstock Rd, OX2 6HS
- Porters Lodge, JCR, and MOLT
- Monday November 11th – Saturday November 23rd