Threads of Resistance: Sustainable Fashion Hits Balsall Heath
Local activists, designers and makers across the West Midlands are taking matters into their own hands for Sustainable Fashion Week 2026, 26 September through 4 October, uniting communities across the UK under this year’s theme, Threads of Resistance.
The Old Print Works in Balsall Heath, Bham’s Hub, is hosting a vibrant lineup of skillshares, panel debates, and local showcases. Whether you want to escape the polyester trap, repair your favorite knitwear, or take a stand for eco-fashion, here is a look at what is happening at the hub.
What’s Coming Up Next
Sustainable Fashion Showcase
- Saturday, 3rd October 1 – 5pm
- £5 Standard / £3 Early Bird / £4 Concessions (Students, Seniors, Low Income, & B12 residents)
- Book your tickets here
In partnership with I’d Peel A Pomegranate, bringing together regional designers, makers, and grassroots activists to map out the future of sustainable style in the West Midlands.
What to expect:
- Spotlight on local makers, including featured showcases from Gursimran and Taradhin Clothing.
- A live debate on the realities and possibilities of sustainable fashion within Birmingham.
- Live spoken word performance by poet Sofia Broadmeadow.
- Explore Daily Thread (the hub’s community textile space) and share your own creative ideas for local fashion initiatives.
Sustainable Fashion Socials & Clothes Swap
- Thursday, 3rd December 6 – 8:30pm
- £4 Standard / £3 Concessions (Also available on the door)
- Get tickets here
Keep the momentum going into the winter! Refresh your wardrobe sustainably by trading pre-loved items, meeting fellow local activists, and connecting with the community.
Highlights From SFW Opening Weekend
The Old Print Works kicked off SFW 2026 with a massive weekend of hands-on activism and community dialogue. Here is a recap of what went down:
Sustainable Fashion Skillshare (Saturday, 26 Sept)
Attendees gathered for an afternoon of mending, upcycling, and slow-crafting techniques designed to help everyday clothes last longer:
- Jutta (Daily Thread) showed participants how to turn worn-out t-shirts into yarn, bags, and rugs.
- Textile artist Helen (The Natural Dye Shed) demonstrated printing repair patches using plant pigments and recycled textiles.
- Umamah led a masterclass on mimicking knit stitches to repair holes invisible to the naked eye.
- Jane hosted a drop-in crafting bespoke upcycled medals using sashiko and seed stitching, while Claire guided attendees through subversive embroidery
- From nettle cordage and drop-spindle spinning with Amina (Artisan 7obby) to scrap-yarn weaving with the Birmingham & District Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.
- Block-printing iconic Extinction Rebellion motifs with Louise, plus pre-cut bag sewing with Bernadette in the Daily Thread space.
- A special viewing of The Nettle Dress (2023), documenting artist Allan Brown’s seven-year journey hand-crafting a dress entirely from foraged stinging nettles.
Sustainable Fashion Forum
Sunday brought together researchers, activists, and creatives for a series of short talks addressing the systemic impacts of fast fashion:
- arly Kelleher (A Single Thread CIC) introduced the broader vision for SFW, while Emily (Birmingham Friends of the Earth) discussed the national Planet over Profit campaign and how clothes swaps create spaces for political dialogue.
- David Evans (Climate Citizens) outlined how councils like Bristol are banning fast-fashion billboards and built the case for implementing similar policies in Birmingham.
- Material researcher Zoe and artist Aimee demonstrated practical ways to repurpose discarded items, old dress fabrics into handbags and curtain hoops into statement earrings.
- Tammy Woodrow presented a performance lecture on transforming garments into dissident feminist objects, while the team behind Reloved Brum shared their journey creating a boutique-style charity shop in Grand Central to support Birmingham Hospice.
- Alina and Zain, co-founders of I’d Peel A Pomegranate Magazine, closed out the forum with a deep dive into the environmental and social costs of synthetic fibers.
Get Involved
Join the movement, support local makers, and help build a local fashion ecosystem centered on longevity and creative resistance. Visit The Old Print Works on Saturday, 3 October to take part in the showcase!
What is Daily Thread?
Daily Thread is gathering momentum. Ok, so it’s not quite daily yet as our name suggests, but that’s what we are aiming for, and we are equipped with traditional looms, a knitting machine, domestic and industrial sewing machines, overlockers, fabric, books, and a friendly space (with sofas, and often cake) where you can meet other makers.
For experienced textilers, beginners and everyone in between.
To find out more just drop us a line on**@***********ks.org“> in**@***********ks.org