Getting our TEE-SHIT Together


Did you know in the UK alone an estimated £140 million worth (350,000 tonnes) of used clothing ends up in the bin every year?

This was the message I try to communicate in my latest piece for Hubbub Foundation. Hubbub’s (www.hubbub.org.uk) aim is to communicating environmental issues, focusing on people’s passions such as fashion, food, homes and neighbourhoods. The Tee-Shit Disposable t-shirt dispenser illustrates the madness of low cost clothing, which is often cheaper to buy new than mend or wash. The retail prices of these t-shirts do not reflect their true cost, either in manual labour or environmental impact.

An illustrated image of a man throwing away a dirty tshirt instead of washing it. He is reaching for a new t-shirt from a disposable t-shirt dispenser.

The Tee-Shit is featured in Hubbub’s satirical fashion magazine called FAUX which aims to tackle the unsustainable issues of fashion and the sheer madness of Black Friday. Here is what they have to say about it:

“emulating what the future of fashion might look like – a glimpse onto tomorrow’s dystopian runway. Our aim is to make us question the sustainability of fashion and our obsession with constantly wanting the next ‘big’ thing. And when would be a better time to do this than around the epitome of fast fashion and fashionista pilgrimage – Black Friday”

“FAUX is part of the #BrightFriday campaign, an initiative that aims to brighten up your Black Friday by creating the dream rather than buying it. There’s all sorts going on to rekindle your love for what you’ve already got and have fun without stretching your purse strings.”

To read the Magazine and find out how to get involved in #BrightFriday events please go to: www.hubbub.org.uk/brightfriday

For more information on how products are deliberately designed for obsolescence please take the time to watch Annie Leonard’s animated video; The Story Of Stuff. It is brilliant.

The Making of TEE-SHIT

Painted objects cut out of paper on a wooden cutting board

Cutting out all the foreground objects

A photo of some cut out paper characters on a cutting board

All the foreground pieces cut out.

A Photo of papercut paintings of plants on a yellow background.

The cut out objects ready for gluing to the background

A photo of a papercut watercolour illustration of a man disposing of a t-shirt

The foreground images are stuck on the background

A watercolour illustration of a man in a bathroom

A close up of the wasteful young man