# data[].attributes.body
Financial:
• Sale of refurbished and refashioned pieces: 20-25% of Atelier cost
• Workshop attendance fees: 20-25% of Atelier cost
• Corporate gifts from recycled materials, scalable though working with ethical CMTs in South Africa: 50-60% of Atelier cost.
• Mutually beneficial partnerships with second-hand shops, craft suppliers etc. would decrease our overheads

Social:
Community building through workshops in a socially starved, post-pandemic society.
Sustainable job creation in South Africa.

Educational:
Through workshops and sales, we share our knowledge of Circular fashion and the need for a more sustainable approach to clothing consumption.

Environmental:
Increasing the lifespan of clothing thus keeping it out of landfills just a bit longer.
Using recycled PET fabrics in corporate gifts removes plastic from the environment.

# data[].attributes.body
Interviewees: 20 in-person and through online questionnaire https://www.siesisabelle.com/blog/antidote-atelier
Demographic: 85% female 15% male. Aged 35-60, median age 39. 40% South African, 40% ex-pats living in the Netherlands, 10% Dutch, 8% Australian, 2% other.

Conclusions:

A few have come across the idea of crafting circles or know of companies that rework second-hand pieces, but none have seen this exact concept before.

Legally the concept is sound although, I would need to investigate the zoning of the spaces in which I would like to present these workshops. Certain residential areas might have a problem with commercial activities without a permit from the municipality.

All agree that Antidote would contribute to a circular economy by extending the use-phase of a garment’s life. I will aim to keep sourcing extra fabrics and trims as sustainable as possible by using virgin materials only where strictly necessary.

Interviewees’ central reservations were around the financial viability and scalability of the workshops. This has led me to develop a more structured financial plan. Other constructive feedback was that gaining traction might be problematic initially as I have recently immigrated and don’t have a network on which to rely. I plan to build the network up organically, relying on word-of-mouth referrals. I believe that this is much more sustainable in the long run.

# data[].attributes.body
·        Workshops where we teach repair and refashion skills as well as educate the participants regarding the importance of circular fashion.

·        Selling refurbished and refashioned pieces to market and fund the atelier

·        Corporate gifts from recycled fabrics ethically made in South Africa

# data[].attributes.body
·        Lifecycle extension

·        Community building

# data[].attributes.body
Circular and community based

# data[].attributes.body
An Atelier that hosts workshops where people can come together to learn how to refashion and repair clothing while learning about the necessity of circular fashion. The atelier would be stocked with a curated collection of second-hand clothing, tools and materials to be used in the creative process.

Refashioned and refurbished pieces of clothing and homeware would be exhibited to serve as inspiration, marketing and a source of revenue.

Corporate gifts that are ethically made in South Africa from recycled or repurposed materials would be our main source of revenue and tool for building brand awareness.

# data[].attributes.body
To teach people to value clothing through workshops where diverse groups can come together, under the guidance of a creative to refashion clothing, refurbish furniture and (re)learn sewing skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Problem - Solution
Devaluing of the true social value of clothing - By physically working on a garment, one starts to appreciate how much skill goes into constructing clothing and learn to value the talents of the person who originally made the clothing
Devaluing of the financial value of clothing - By going to the haberdashery or fabric shop one will see how much raw materials cost, by calculating the value of one’s own time one will start to realise why ethically made clothing is more expensive.
Due to disposable, fast fashion clothing has little emotional value - By spending time repairing or altering a piece one becomes more emotionally invested in it. By doing in in a social environment one creates memories around this piece and its journey.
A disconnect between garment production and consumption - Workshops where people come to repair or refashion their own clothing under the guidance of a creative.
People do not know how to sew or repair their clothing. Huge amount of vintage / second-hand clothing that is not practical or fashionable. Little thought goes into purchasing new clothing - Buying a piece of clothing now becomes a commitment to a much longer relationship. Does one love this piece enough to spend time fixing it when it starts to need repair? Is the fabric of good quality that it will last long before it needs repair? Is this style timeless?

Strengths – co-creation, low capital outlay, a post-vaccine need for social interaction, working from a city that values craft and individuality, extensive ex-pat community consisting of stay-at-home-moms
Weaknesses – pandemic, financial sustainability, structuring a balanced and mutually beneficial partnership between friends, finding an appropriate venue(s)