Arndale turn plastic bottles into fashion
Published: 22 February, 2011
With the royal wedding fever starting to hot-up, staff at Manchester Arndale have decided to mark the special occasion in unique fashion by producing a recycled royal wedding dress with the help of a local eco-designer.
Manchester-based ecological designer Michelle Brand, has been tasked with producing a somewhat different design from her trademark and internationally renowned up-cycled chandeliers which she produces from the bottom of plastic bottles.
She has also enlisted the help of Manchester Metropolitan University textile specialist Janet Bezzant and local dressmaker Di Faukner to help advise and consult on the dress design and hopes the finished product will look fit for a princess to wear.
Manchester Arndale’s ‘green team’ is now busily collecting hundreds of plastic PET bottles from the 240 retailers within the centre and sorting through them each week so that they can be turned into this fashion creation. Other waste materials being collected include hundreds of white plastic bags and plastic bottle tops, all of which will be up-cycled into a unique piece to celebrate the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
Glen Barkworth, general manager at Manchester Arndale said: “We wanted to celebrate the royal wedding in a way which Mancunian people can relate to and to do something a little bit off the wall. Many retailers and shoppers at Manchester Arndale are already doing their bit by using recycled plastic carriers bags or promoting ‘bags for life’, so this just goes that bit further and brings the ‘green’ concept to life in fashion form.”
This ‘one-off’ gown will be unveiled at a two-day ‘eco-event’ at the inner-city shopping centre on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th April, and will then be on exhibit in the run-up to the royal wedding on Friday 29th April.
