'We need to build a culture of caring for clothes'

A Great British Sewing Bee finalist is encouraging others to "make and mend" their own clothes in an attempt to slow down fast-fashion.

Student Pascha Al-Qassab was 20-years-old when she began filming series 10 of the hit BBC One show in September 2023.

Ms Al-Qassab, now 21 and back at the University of Bristol, is organising sustainable fashion markets in the city’s “thriving” sustainability scene and said she would love to see more opportunities for young people to learn sewing skills at school.

"We could build that culture of caring for our clothes as an important part of looking after the environment," she said.

According to research carried out by the British Heart Foundation, who launched The Big Stitch campaign in 2017, nearly six in 10 people polled revealed they are unable to sew confidently.

Ms Al-Qassab said this problem needs to be addressed if society wants to curb fast-fashion - a term describing the quick turnover of fashion trends and the move towards cheap, mass-produced clothing.

"People are throwing clothes away earlier than ever before," she added.

"I think it's a quarter of Brits that don't know how to sew on a button."

Ms Al-Qassab, who is from Surrey, said the BBC show was her inspiration to start sewing, but added: "I like to joke I started out of stubbornness.

"There was a dress that I really loved the top of, but I wasn't keen on the company that sold it.

"So I bought the dress, made a pattern out of newspaper, sent the dress back and remade it with one of my dad's own shirts."

The final of the show was aired in July and saw Ms Al-Qassab go up against Luke and Ailsa, with Luke taking the title.

Following the show, she is now settling back to normal life and using her needlework skills to repair friends’ clothes and make last-minute dresses for nights out.

Reflecting on the TV series, she said: "I’m a big fan of the show and I couldn’t believe I was in the sewing room itself.

"If you sew or you’re a creative person it’s like Disneyland.”

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