Budding fashion designers show off their unique creations at the annual Fashion Factory show.
THE JOY OF
UPCYCLING
Passionate sewist and designer Amanda Riley launched The Fashion Factory in 2009 with a single aim in mind – introducing a generation of young fashionistas to upcycling and sewing.
F
Amanda teaches teens how to use classic techniques to create on-trend garments like this flared quilted skirt.
Photos: Amanda Riley/Quadrille
or Amanda Riley, learning to sew with her grandmother was the beginning of something truly special. In equipping herself with the skills to make, to reinvent and be original, Amanda discovered in herself a fervour she was keen to share with others. And yet, from the point of view of her beloved grandma, it was simply a case of passing on a practical skill to a granddaughter who was hungry to learn. “It was 1976 and I was eight years old,” Amanda recalls. “She taught me how to use her manual Singer sewing machine, and then produce a simple domestic dress pattern and make a garment with a lovely piece of floral printed cheesecloth, very fashionable at the time. She helped me with the pinning and cutting and then left me to work though the instructions by myself.” Amanda was more than happy to take on the challenge. “After a few hours I emerged in my new dress feeling elated – I can remember
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