Beirut sends upcycled fabrics down the runway - in pictures

The fashion exhibition and stalls feature 100 re-purposed items

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  A Lebanese model presents an upcycled outfit during the FabricAid exhibition in Beirut. EPA

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  The clothes were redesigned by fashion students and sewed by women refugee tailors. EPA

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  Syrian refugee tailors pose with a Lebanese model during the upcycled fashion exhibition. EPA

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  From right, Syrian refugee tailors Wafica Jarrouse and Jadia Khalaf al Kasem from Home, Mariam Al Hassan from Ghouta and Ghada Bakri Basha from Daraya helped stitch the clothes. EPA

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  One of the looks sent down the makeshift runway. EPA

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  The event had racks of upcycled clothes for visitors to choose from. EPA

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  And choose they did. EPA

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  The looks were at once fun, bold and wearable. EPA

FabricAid, a second-hand clothes collector and distributor based in Lebanon, organised an upcycled fashion exhibition and shopping experience in Beirut on August 16. The event featured more than 100 vintage items that were refashioned by design students and sewed by Sawa for Development and Aid's women refugee tailors.

According to Sass Brown, founding dean of Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, of the 400 billion metres of textiles produced each year, about 60 billion metres ends up on the factory floor. Upcycling, then, is a necessary step to curb the wastefulness that the fashion industry has become notorious for. And, as the images in the gallery above show, the results can be attractive and wearable.

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