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. 

·        Community building

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

·        Corporate gifts from recycled fabrics ethically made in South Africa

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.