Beth Leedham
“One pair of jeans uses 10,000 litres of water in the production process: that is the same amount one human drinks over 13 years. The amount of water and energy used is causing extreme environmental, social and humanitarian damage.”
“This sense of slow is one way in which we can contribute to promoting a better, more ethical environment”
Beth Leedham
Textile Artist
BA Hons ‘Textiles’
Edinburgh College of Art
Statement
| “My final collection celebrates reclaimed denim – this passion for sustainability came from early research and seeing the detrimental effects of fabric waste and off-cuts within the Textiles industry. I strive to make a positive difference in the world – creating solutions to big problems and responding to challenges, to ensure future generations have a greener, and more sustainable future. I aim to be sustainable through all the work I create – meaning that I am using and celebrating resources that I already have – contributing towards the circular economy. A lot of my inspiration comes from colour and textures found in the beautiful everyday – mostly the small and mundane, yet beautiful moments. My final collection, was inspired by everyday moments during the challenging times in which we found ourselves in during COVID-19. Denim: it’s functional, beautiful and durable. It has so much potential. One pair of jeans however uses 10,000 litres of water in the production process: that is the same amount one human drinks over 13 years. The amount of water and energy used is causing extreme environmental, social and humanitarian damage. Introducing R3: re-store, re-purpose, re-imagine. A textiles collection that cares about the end of life of denim, using cradle to cradle systems and adopting circular economy beliefs to tum reclaimed denim that once was trash into treasured, usable and purposeful pieces – through the power of textile techniques such as digital print and patchwork. This collection promotes slowing down: re-using what we already have, reducing landfill, and promoting how we can be more sustainable. This was made possible through local and national collaborations, including partnering with Hiut Denim and Simprint.” |
Materials and Techniques
| Reclaimed Denim and Printmaking |
News
“Throughout my work and final collection, I have a strong ethos to stay sustainable – creating solutions to big problems and responding to challenges, to ensure future generations have a greener, and more sustainable future. For my final collection in particular, my material has been 100% reclaimed denim – this is a mixture of post consumerist (from charity shops, family and friends) waste and production (factory off-cuts) waste. I have been fortunate enough to work with Hiut Denim, a leading jean brand – to use their off-cuts to re-store them into new and valuable pieces.”
Effects during and post pandemic
| “Throughout lockdown, I felt a sense of ‘slowing down’ my everyday life, so that I can learn to find joy in, and celebrate the everyday small, mundane yet beautiful moments. I gathered inspiration through imagery and colour stories of the beautiful everyday. Colour and texture was then extracted from these photographs to feature throughout my collection. If COVID-19 has taught me anything, it is to value the small moments in the everyday – and find joy in them – the act of slowing down really is beautiful. This sense of slow is one way in which we can contribute to promoting a better, more ethical environment.” |
