Sustainable Spring
- Words by Kelley Sheenan
Melburnians with a soft spot for style will know that Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is upon us. But with so many events in the schedule, how’s a girl to choose? Well for a start, tonight there is a free millinery workshop for green fashionistas by renowned milliner Melissa Jackson from Kangan Batman College, or you could catch the Lost and Found show from MaterialByProduct. Mark Thursday September 8th as a green letter day in your diary too, as colourful label Neisha is hosting Old Skin, New Skin where she demonstrates how to rework ‘waste’ fabric offcuts and pre-loved items into beautiful, no waste outfits. Best of all, you can buy the completed one-of-a-kind creations on the night. Also, from 6pm-9pm the same evening, the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre is hosting Green Is The New Black, a special cocktail evening and runway show featuring sweet sustainable style along with designs from the Wurundjeri Women’s Bunjil Creations Women’s Business Jewellery Collection. The centre will also host an exhibition of green fashion and run millinery and jewellery workshops during the week so you can whip up something to wear for the evening. You can also learn to how to shop at Salvos from a professional stylist, swap your wardrobe at The Clothing Exchange Spring Frock Swap, and check out local designers at one of the many markets happening around town. For these and many more exciting events to fulfill your sustainable desires, check out the events guide here.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. Which means we are officially entering party season. Work parties, friend-dos, family get-togethers and then we’re straight…
Hang out with us on Instagram
The fabulous Fern! We heart this make from the wonderful Trixie Johnston of @WithLoveTrixie:
"I’m chuffed to have collaborated with @PeppermintMagazine to bring you my version of the #PeppermintFernPleatedPants ✨
Featuring a wide leg fit with pleated front, slash pockets and a nifty centre back invisible zip. I really enjoyed the way this pattern is drafted to fit, which means a lot coming from a mum navigating postpartum curves. It’s tailored yet comfortable and hugs me in all the right places without any additional fit adjustments.
I also want to give a massive shout to the Fern’s sewing partners @Sohmo_Au for sending me a cookie tin of quality sewing goodies that I used throughout the project and @IndyBindyFabrics fabrics who provided the most incredible black cotton Sashiko-ori fabric. This fabric was made on a custom loom that weaves in a traditional sashiko (decorative running stitch pattern) and it’s a texture unlike anything I’ve sewn before.�
Details: �
• Size G – No mods. (I selected the size based off my waist measurements) Note: Size ranges from A-P (!!!)
• Fern Pleated Pants Pattern, SOHMO tools and Fabric were gifted however, Peppermint magazine’s ‘Pay what you can’ model provides such amazing patterns at a sustainable, affordable cost.
• Matching top is a modified version of The Carol Top from @SummerHaus_ (size 10)"
#PeppermintPatterns #IndyBindyFabrics #Sohmo #MeMade
“When people get old, they die. This art form is like a plant. You may think it has died, but nurture it, and it will come back to life. It lives on through generations.”
These words by Gami, an artisan who helped revive the lost tradition of Lambadi embroidery, speaks to the wisdom that Meanjin/Brisbane photographer Melanie Hinds (@WithThePeaches) experienced during her visit to Sittilingi village in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India, in 2023. Melanie went there to document how the once-nomadic Lambadi tribe are reviving their traditional embroidery craftsmanship and transforming their community through the @PorgaiArtisans Association’s artists’ residency.
Her photos became part of the ‘Stitching Stories’ exhibition at the India Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA24) Program hosted in Fremantle: an intimate portrait of the women empowered both economically and socially by the initiative, and their captivating work. Gaelle Beech of @TheAnjelmsProject also helped make this exhibition a reality.
Nothing goes to waste in their craft, says Melanie, with even the smallest fabric scraps transformed into toys for children or woven into ropes for beds. “Through their intricate hand-stitched work, these women are preserving a centuries-old craft.”
Discover the beauty in our ‘Pride of place’ feature in Issue 64, at stockists now.
#PeppermintMagazine #PorgaiArtisans #LambadiEmbroidery #Craft #TraditionalEmbroidery
West End inside and out!
How fabulous is this make from Lisa of @SunnySewsEveryday using the West End Jacket pattern (created in collab with Camille @CamiMadePatterns) for both a shirt AND jacket! 👏🏼
“Now have a Westend shirt to wear with my Westend jacket. I just can’t get enough of this pattern. I went down two sizes and used a brushed cotton from Pound Fabrics.”
Grab this gorgeous gender-neutral pattern from our website now!
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintWestEndJacket #JacketPattern #MeMade
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
At @Life_Instyle, the focus is firmly on curating things that support real life: objects made to be lived with, loved, and returned to day after day. From tactile materials and emotional utility to Australian-made craftsmanship and slower, more considered production, the trends emerging may not be loud, but you can bet they’re lasting.
Ahead of their Sydney showcase this February, we asked Life Instyle’s Exhibition Director Nina Vidale to share her take on the values, ideas and rituals shaping the year to come, and the brands leading the way with care for people, planet and the creative process.
Read more about the top ethical design trends, and why values-led design (be it sustainability, craftsmanship, longevity, Australian-made) are resonating so strongly right now at the link in bio!
✨️ Life Instyle Sydney/Eora Country
📅 14-17 February 2026
📍 ICC, Darling Harbour
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #EthicalShopping #DesignTrends
Has the Peppermint Acacia A-line Skirt made it to your sewing list yet? It`s perfect for summer, and is great layered over tights for the cooler days. Lengthen it, or wear it short – you do you!🪡
Did you know if you buy the digital version of Issue 63, you`ll nab the digital pattern for free? And the printed version comes with the print issue of 63... winning all round.
Made in collaboration with our friends at @WeftAndWarpFabrics, our version of the Acacia A-line Skirt pattern was sewn using the Tollerton 100% cotton 9oz denim. We added contrast top stitching using Gutermann Professional Jeans Thread in Dark Gold 1970 for that classic look.
Head to the link in bio to nab this pattern now – or grab it free with Issue 63!🪡
Images: @KelleySheenan
Model: @LoveStepha
Artwork: @MelanieShmelanie at North Lakes Library
Fabric: Denim from @WeftAndWarpFabrics
#PeppermintAcaciaAlineSkirt #PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintPatterns #MeMade #WeftAndWarpFabrics
