Repairfect partners with other craft heroes at Reffen and in Maribo

A few words of introduction...

Repairfect is a project born from the Global Shapers Copenhagen Hub - an initiative started by the World Economic Forum in 2011 bringing together inspiring young people under the age of 30 to work together to address local, regional and global challenges. With more than 9,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 431 city-based hubs in 148 countries.

The goal of Repairfect is to promote better use of clothing and textiles through extending their life, rather than tossing them out. We aim to be a one-stop-shop for anything related to clothing repair - video tutorials, information on equipment and tailors available in the area, and also knowledge sharing and hands-on workshops. Recently, there’s been a lot going on! Let us share two exciting events we have been part of: Creative Circle, which we co-hosted with Mellow Designs, and Maribo Craft Days where we proudly are a partner organization. 

Once upon a time at Reffen

Back in July, on a warm sunny Sunday, a special event took place at Reffen - Copenhagen Street Food. The “Creative Circle” featured ten unique projects, connected by a common denominator - the circular economy. In their daily operations, each of the participants work with different elements and ideas related to circularity in one way or another. Their solutions span from using surplus food to feed the community or brew beer, extend the life of clothes and textiles through swapshops, repairs or redesign, and make biodegradable plastics out of plants. Common to them all are that they are experts in their field, are passionate about teaching and spreading the awareness, and are countering the linear economy hands-on.   At the event all of these inspiring start-ups and individuals not only showcased their work, but invited visitors to learn and experiment with circular initiatives. 

Need for a network of circularity enthusiasts and practitioners

When organizing the event, it became clear to us that we had touched a nerve. Both the participants at the event and the ones who unfortunately could not attend, strongly expressed their enthusiasm and gratefulness for the invitation to join forces with other start-ups and initiatives within the circular economy. There is a huge, untapped potential for collaboration between circularity practitioners, and we believe finding a forum for this is crucial to leverage the many ideas, initiatives and solutions out there. 

And the value is there - during the plenary discussions at Creative Circle, many mentioned the potential for interdisciplinary projects, innovating new solutions, collaborations on hosting events, exchanging knowledge and supporting each other through challenges. Lukasz Marczuk, the co-founder and CEO of Mellow Designs said it well:

“Small organizations, and small projects of course face many challenges, but we are also blessed - because we can collaborate with each other. This is a great strength also of the projects we have here today; we are not limited to internal regulations or hierarchy that big organizations have - it’s easier to have great interdisciplinary projects going on, and see things happening thanks to the structures that we have”.

The critical mass of start-ups working with ideas of circularity and sustainability is clearly there - and we saw and experienced an (amazing) fraction of it during the Creative Circle. The community is growing, and has so much potential to learn from each other, and inspire one another. Most of the organizations share the same challenges - funding struggles, expanding customer base, lobbying, networking. Joining forces and sharing experiences can only help to overcome them - and also to make friends and have some fun along the way, which is vital to continue having the strength and motivation to keep going, when the project seems uphill. 

Bringing circularity down to earth

An equally important aspect of events like Creative Circle - apart from creating a community among the participating organizations - is the unique ability and opportunity to bring circular economy to the public through a very practical, hands-on experience. Circular economy is too often seen as a theoretical concept, something researched at universities and discussed by politicians; and best-case-scenarios implemented as part of corporate strategies. And while there is a grain of truth to it, circular economy can’t be limited just to theory, or shrugged off as too complex or difficult to be viable for implementation on a small scale.

At Creative Circle, the participating organization proved that circular economy is for everyone - it can easily serve as a practical approach to everyday activities like cooking or shopping, or to our hobbies like brewing beer or building furniture. With just a bit of finesse and effort, we can all be circular champions!

“It takes the small ones to push and dream bigger”

The Creative Circle event was a huge success, if we may say so ourselves. The display of skills, passion and creativity was beyond inspiring, and the energy levels were through the roof! Part of it was fueled of course by the smooth beats and good vibes provided by Reffen. But the true stars were of course the participating start-ups and individuals, who work tirelessly every day for a transition to a more sustainable world. Meet our heroes:

Mellow Designs

Creative Circle co-host. Mellow Designs specializes in pop-up structure systems for festivals and events created by repurposing unused materials (e.g. wooden pallets) - helping to save money and reduce waste at the same time. Mellow Designs offer both custom-made and catalogue solutions, as well as consulting services on sustainability analysis, life-cycle assessment, and architecture and construction. At the event, their Mellow-pods were used not only as space for visitors to relax, but also as a podcast booth and a pop-up restaurant!

Repairfect

Creative Circle co-host. A project born from Global Shapers Copenhagen Hub with a vision to help people take care of and keep their beloved clothes for longer - while saving them from ending up in a landfill because of small imperfections. Repairfect platform offers curated tutorials on how to fix common issues with clothes, recommendations on where to find sewing equipment nearby (currently Copenhagen area only), and which trusted tailor to go to for bigger repairs. At Creative Circle, Repairfect moderated two discussions among participating organizations on the topics of circularity and business activism.

Sustainable WAIR

Turning those old jeans or sturdy overalls into new sneakers seems far fetched? Not to the WAIR team. WAIR is a Copenhagen-based startup on a mission to give textile waste a second chance by transforming it into upcycled shoes. For the WAIR team used workwear and denim are never waste, but a valuable material that can be used to make sustainable footwear. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the production of the first collection of sneakers will begin after the summer 2020. During the event, the visitors to the WAIR booth could try to make their own yarn from old t-shirts and see the new collection of footwear. 

Von Linné

Von Linné is a new Danish design company that creates slow luxury decor with handmade, one-of-a-kind Flora Danica 2.0 motifs on discarded textiles. The creations are born from a celebration of waste and weeds - which are normally looked down upon, but simply have so much potential. Creative Circle participants got a chance not only to see the unique designs, but also to try making some plant prints on fabric themselves.

Mellemrummet (part of Globalhagen)

Since its establishment in 2010, café Mellemrummet has been fully run by volunteers. The café hosts everything from documentary screenings and world music concerts to clothes swap shops and political debates. It focuses on selling organic and fair trade products as well as on minimizing the impact on the environment. The café is a social enterprise that donates its profits to support solidarity, human rights and active citizenship. At Creative Circle Mellemrummet volunteers have set up their famous clothes swap shop.

Anto Montiel

Anto is an Argentinian-born Copenhagen-based repair wizard, who helps people save their favorite garments with individual repairs and modifications. She has been sewing since early age, repairing clothes for her family and friends, and making new creations too. At Reffen, she provided on-the-spot repairs for the visitors - also to the newly found items from the swap shop. 

Little Pink Maker

Some people manage to share their knowledge with a contagious passion and enthusiasm. Chan’nel Vestergaard - better known as Little Pink Maker - is definitely one of them! Self-taught in the fields of material engineering, chemical science, coding, 3D printing, and much more, recognized by the prestigious MIT as a Global Biotechnology Fellow, Little Pink shares her passion with others not least through hosting workshops, crafts classes and events at her studio in Copenhagen. This time she brought her equipment and energy to Reffen to give Creative Circle visitors a chance to try to develop bioplastics and learn more about biomaterials.

BRØL

An ale made out beetroot pulp, anyone? How about a pastry-based stout? Or a banana witbier? One man’s waste is another man’s treasure, and these Copenhagen-based beverage innovators prove it to be true. Using surplus ingredients and waste from collaborating bakeries, coffee shops and juice producers, BRØL team creates amazing kombucha and beer flavors. Participants to the Creative Circle had a chance to try them out!

One Bowl

One Bowl has quickly become a staple on Copenhagen food map, as one of the best non-profit, community restaurants. Their concept is a restaurant based on a gift economy, allowing people to "pay what you feel", serving all members of the community regardless of their ability to pay. Much of the food is prepared using surplus ingredients from organizations like Foodsharing Copenhagen. At the event, they have served some amazing snacks from one of Mellow Designs pop-up structures.

PUUF

Have you ever wondered about the sustainability aspects of setting up large-scale meetings and events? Well, PUUF surely did. With focus on circularity and upcycling, this company is probably Denmark’s most sustainable design partner for meetings and events. They provide upcycled furniture and other sustainable solutions for any event, all locally designed and created. For Creative Circle, PUUF provided some of their sustainable event furniture, giving the event guests fantastic spaces to sit down and relax.

Coming up… Repairfect goes to Maribo!

This week, we have been invited as a partner organization to Maribo Craft Days in Lolland. Maribo Craft Days is a five-day celebration of craftwork and artisanship, with workshops, exhibitions and presentations, all in the spirit of sustainability and community. We are excited to contribute with some knowledge about clothing repair, and looking forward to learning more about the local crafts!

Thank you!

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mellow Designs for inviting us to co-host the Creative Circle together back in July. Also huge thank you to all participating organizations, each and every one of you is a circularity hero! And a big shout out to all visitors, who with their curiosity and positivity made this event so very special. 

Lastly, a big thanks to the Maribo Craft Days team for the invitation to partner up - we look forward to seeing you this week!