Refabric8 Brand Book

Dress worn on summer holiday in 2011 to Tenerife; had the best time met my future husband while wearing it

Abandoned tent from Glastonbury 2017; 100% polyester originally made in China

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

THE HANDBOOK FOR THE FUTURE OF FASHION. This is Chapter Chapter Chapter

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handbook for the Refabric8 brand. sets out our mission and brand concept. is the Refabric8 brand guidelines. shows you how you can get involved.

COME TAKE A LOOK.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 01

The Problem with Fast Fashion

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The Solution: Refabric8

CHAPTER 1: THE FUTURE OF FASHION 10

Our Vision

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The Refabric8 Principles

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How It Works

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The Starter Kit

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The Label

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The Shop

CHAPTER 2: BRAND GUIDELINES 23

Logo

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Typeface

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Colour Palette

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Graphic Devices

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Photography

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Illustration

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Tone of Voice

CHAPTER 3: IT’S UP TO YOU 40

How You Can Get Involved

INTRODUCTI HOW CAN A T-SHIRT COST LESS THAN A FIVER? Have you ever wondered how it cotton, cleaning and spinning it, stitching it together and across sea and land to a shop price of a burger and chips?

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could be that the cost of growing it, weaving it into fabric, cutting transporting it hundred of miles near you - could be less than the

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THE PROBLEM WITH FAST FASHION The high street is full of affordable, on trend clothes.

You’ve probably bought a top, worn it a couple of times, then given it to charity, or thrown it away.

There’s no reason why you would spend time thinking about where your clothes come from, or what happens after you bin them. Fast fashion retailers do a good job of hiding the reality behind the veneer of slick branding and advertising, shiny new shops and Insta posts.

The people making your clothes are half a world away.

You can’t hear them talk about how their water supply is polluted, or how they can’t afford to eat.

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.

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RANA PLAZA, BANGLADESH 2013 In 2013, the Rana Plaza garment workshop collapsed, killing 1,138 people. This avoidable tragedy was caused by poor building standards, compounded by pressure from clothing companies to complete orders on time. Some companies have made promises to make changes in their supply chain and environmental practices since then. However, we are still buying fast fashion.

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THE BAD NEWS. Fast fashion - the insatiable demand for the latest affordable, but throwaway, trends - is bad news.

The social impact means that workers, mainly in Asian countries, work long hours, often far beyond legal limits, for poverty wages and in poor conditions.

The environmental impact includes global CO2 emissions total more than international flights and sea shipping combined. In the UK alone we are filling landfill with a million tonnes of textiles per year.

The way we consume clothing is currently unsustainable, and is damaging our planet.

THE WAY WE CONSUME CLOTHING IS UNSUSTAINABLE. THE GOOD NEWS. There is something you can do about it.

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THE SOLUTION: REFABRIC8 We think there’s more to fabric than meets the eye.

We love the stories behind the clothes.

Every piece of fabric ever produced and worn has a story to tell. These stories are worth capturing and passing on.

Remember the dress you wore to your sister’s wedding?

The top you had on when you scored that blinding goal?

Second-hand doesn’t mean second rate.

Worn clothes have lived a little.

WE GIVE SECOND HAND FABRIC A SECOND LIFE Refabric8 reclaims second hand fabrics and reforms them into new garments, giving them a second life. But that’s not all.

We capture the stories behind every piece of fabric, and bring them to you in each new unique item of clothing.

Together can break the damaging model of fast fashion and write the next chapter - a sustainable future.

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THE FUTURE OF FASHION

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CHAPTER 1

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

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OUR VISION. We believe in creating a new, sustainable system for the future by reusing the tonnes of unwanted or unrecyclable fabric sent to landfill each year.

YOU CAN PLAY A PART IN BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE PLANET Our mission is to raise awareness, build a Refabric8 family in your community and empower you to make a difference.

We want everyone to become collectors and makers of clothes stories. We believe second-hand clothing is treasure, not trash.

Our team of designers believe that upcycled fashion doesn’t have to mean dowdy or ‘drama teacher.’ It’s possible to both look good, and feel good knowing that you are part of the solution, not the problem.

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THE REFABRIC8 PRINCIPLES

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RECYCLE.

FAIR PAY.

Use only recycled fabrics or sustainably produced materials in the production of our clothing.

Ensure that everyone involved in Refabric8 is paid a fair wage.

RESPONSIBLE.

ASK QUESTIONS.

Be environmentally responsible throughout the Refabric8 supply chain.

Challenge consumers to think about what they buy.

RESPECT.

AWARENESS.

Have a respect for fabric and the stories behind the clothes.

Demand more from the fashion industry and campaign to raise awareness of the issues around fast fashion.

COMMUNITY.

STYLE.

Foster community spirit, and create an environment which is inclusive and diverse where anyone can be part of Refabric8.

Look good while saving the planet!

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HOW IT WORKS. Sign up in store on online at www.refabric8.co.uk and receive your free starter pack.

Tag and bag your clothes and register your clothes stories online.

Bring your clothes to a collection point.

They will then be recorded on our system and you will receive points to your account.

Our designers will work their magic and create fab, unique new designs from the reclaimed fabrics. These will be stitched into new garments.

Every item made comes with its own story.

You can even look up its history on our online database.

New Refabric8 clothing is available to buy online or in store.

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Your Refabric8 starter kit is filled with goodies to help you on your way to becoming a fully fledged fabric upcycler.

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STARTER KIT. WHAT’S INSIDE? Your kit includes everything you need to get started with Refabric8. Once you sign up in store or online, you will receive:

WELCOME PACK You’ll receive a booklet with a guide to using Refabric8 and handy tips on how to make and mend your own clothing. You’ll also get some goodies like a pin badge and a free mini sewing kit.

LABELS Enter your garment details online and a label template will be generated for you to print.

Simply print out on the label paper provided and stick the labels to your garments. Easy!

A SWAG BAG For collecting your unwanted garments

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M

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THE LABEL. The Refabric8 swing tag attached to your new, remade garment includes the stories of your fabrics. Every tag is as unique as the garment it’s on (and the person wearing it!).

MY STORY

WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER

MY STORY

MY STORY

MY STORY

Grey denim Bought in 1992 and worn to a Foo Fighters gig

Tote bag from 2002 bought from NEC Clothes Show

Wool skirt worn on Concorde in 1999 to New York

Every new garment has a unique code which you can look up on our website to find out more about its history.

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THE SHOP. The Refabric8 space is not your average clothing store. It’s combined shop and workshop. Inside is a drop off point for unwanted garments, a retail space for Refabric8 upcycled garments, and a studio area.

This will be ring-fenced for community events such as educational workshops and sewing classes. We want this to be your space!

REFABRIC8

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CHAPTER 2

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BRAND GUIDELINES

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THE LOGO. This is the full Refabric8 logo including the tag-line ‘The Future of Fashion.’ The logo is dynamic and can be broken up into its constituent parts where appropriate. It will usually appear in the horizontal format below, but can also be displayed vertically on portrait items such as tags, bags and other items.

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

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DO’S AND DON’TS. The logo can be reproduced in a variety of colours and with a stroke however both a stroke and an opaque colour should not be combined simultaneously.

To maintain the integrity and consistency of the logo, do not add anything inside the logo space.

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TYPEFACE.

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ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQRS TUVWXYZ 1234567890

DINOSAUR BOOK

ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQRS TUVWXYZ 1234567890

DINOSAUR LIGHT

ABCDEFGHIJ KLMNOPQRS TUVWXYZ 1234567890

DINOSAUR THIN

The primary and headline font is DINosaur and can be used in varying weights according to hierarchies.

This typeface should always appear in capital letters, irrespective of the weight.

Use Book and Light versions and Thin only where a third hierarchy is required.

ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz

CALLING CODE REGULAR Calling code is the typeface used for our body copy. It also is the ‘voice’ of our clothes and appears on our clothing labels to tell the story of our fabric remnants.

AVANT GARDE LT BOOK Where large number characters are needed (over 20PT), we like to use Avant Garde LT Book - with or without a stroke.

The ‘0’ look is inspired by the typefaces used on sewing patterns.

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COLOUR PALETTE. Our colour palette is fresh and bright, reflecting our positive and youthful outlook, and the new lease of life we give our fabrics.

PRIMARY PALETTE

CORAL PINK RGB: CMYK: HEX:

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245/174/175 0/42/23/00 # f5aeaf

TEAL RGB: CMYK: HEX:

134/196/200 51/6/24/0 # 86c4c8

MUSTARD RGB: CMYK: HEX:

253/217/48 3/12/86/0 # f5aeaf

SECONDARY PALETTE

RGB: CMYK: HEX:

RGB: CMYK: HEX:

ORANGE

RED

BLUSH

LILAC

241/135/68 0/56/77/0 # f18744

234/88/83 1/77/62/0 # ea5853

209/107/119 15/68/40/3 # d16b77

227/180/213 10/37/0/0 # e3b4d5

GRAPE

BLUE

SPRING

FOREST

189/153/199 30/40/1/0 # bd99c7

66/121/189 77/47/0/0 # 4279bd

183/207/62 37/0/87/0 # b7cf3e

3/142/82 84/18/83/4 # 038e52

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GRAPHIC DEVICES. Our graphic devices are all derived from icons and instructions found on traditional sewing pattern paper or are representative of the equipment used during the tailoring process.

DOTTED LINE Represents a typical line of straight stitching.

ARROW Indicates the direction of the grain of the fabric on a sewing pattern.

PIN Represents a dressmaker’s pin with rounded head.

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PATTERN LINES Shows the outline to be cut out on a pattern.

SCISSORS An essential in any sewing kit.

SEWING MACHINE All our clothes are stitched by professional garment workers on sewing machines.

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PHOTOGRAPHY. Refabric8 uses images and models that reflect inclusivity and diversity; we want to hold up a mirror to the real world.

We capture real stories from real people and the clothes they’ve worn.

We want to show our love of community and how positive change can happen when people get together for the greater good. We value second-hand fabric and want to put it centre stage.

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ILLUSTRATION. Hand-drawn illustrations are used to visualise our garments before they are made up into final pieces.

We also use them to give our media a down to earth, fresh style.

They are combined with photographs to give an ‘augmented reality’ look reflecting the way our modern world and tech amalgamate the virtual and the physical.

PATTERNS. The scissor pattern is made from our graphic device and colour palette combinations.

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WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER

our We love with clothes stories

BUY LESS DO MORE 35

TONE OF VOICE. How we speak is in accordance with our eight principles; with respect and fairness. We don’t judge or dictate, instead we encourage awareness and a deeper understanding of the social and environmental issues we face today. We’re friendly and welcoming, and all our media and advertising needs to reflect a positive outlook. We think there’s a place for anger and protest, but in order to make real change, we have to get people talking, together.

TAG-LINE & SLOGAN. Our tag-line is ‘The Future of Fashion.’ We want people to always associate our brand with how they think about clothing going forward in a world when the current system is unsustainable.

Our slogan is ‘Write the Next Chapter’ which communicates how our customers can be a part of the brand, and looking after the welfare of the planet. It also reinforces the link between clothing and the stories hidden in second-hand clothing.

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CHAPTER 3

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IT’S UP TO YOU

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FIND OUT MORE. There are lots of organisations and charities that are working hard to combat our unsustainable clothing consumption in the UK. A recent government report into clothing sustainability in the UK was produced by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and sets out recommendations for future action. If you want to find out more about fast fashion and sustainability, check out some of the links below.

CRAFTS COUNCIL www.craftscouncil.org.uk The Crafts Council is responsible for advancing craft in the UK.

PARLIAMENT.UK https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/ cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/report-files/195202.htm Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability

FASHION REVOLUTION www.fashionrevolution.org A global movement that believes in a fashion industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.

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IT’S UP TO YOU. Refabric8 as a business is reliant on others to donate their fabric; whether this is businesses or individuals, we couldn’t make our creations and bring you clothes stories without people.

We want to support people to gain awareness of the issues and the skills to join the community of make do and menders, reusers and recyclers. Here we’ve included some of our partners and places where you can find out more alongside our own contact details.

SIGN UP TODAY AND BECOME PART OF REFABRIC8 ©

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

www.refabric8.co.uk @refabric8clothing

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GO AHEAD, GET UPCYCLING!

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THE FUTURE OF FASHION

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©

THE FUTURE OF FASHION

www.refabric8.co.uk @refabric8clothing

Carli Hall Design 2019