Can fashion respond to global environmental challenges? Can clothing not only express style, but also change the way we think about resources, waste and responsibility? These questions are answered by the UP_Art project, a unique initiative that brings together the worlds of art, education, business and ecology.
From the need of change
UP_Art was born out of a need to do things differently. The initiator of the project is REmake it – a brand that for years has been working at the intersection of upcycling and design, giving waste a new life. Partners in the Project are the Academy of Art in Szczecin and Volvo Auto Bruno – a partner that not only provides post-industrial materials (such as upholstery leather, seat belts, advertising walls), but also realistically implements ESG principles in everyday operations.
At the center of this project is the idea of sustainability – and this is not just a slogan but a practice: using what already exists in new, creative ways.
New life materials – purpose and creative process
The goal of UP_Art is to create a fashion collection that combines upcycling with experimental design. Students and lecturers of the Academy of Art in Szczecin, having at their disposal unnecessary and outdated materials, created a collection of clothes, accessories that tell a story of transformation. Thanks to this UP_Art about not only an artistic project, but also educational and social – showing, conscious, local and circular fashion.
In the context of global challenges
According to UN data, the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global CO₂ emissions and is the world’s second-largest consumer of water. Millions of tons of clothing end up in landfills every year. UP_Art becomes a voice against this reality – a manifesto for value-based design.
The project promotes:
– circularity instead of the linear “take-use-dump” model,
– cross-sector partnerships that can lead to real change,
– young creators who show that design is also responsibility.
At the intersection of art and responsibility
The results of the UP_Art project will be presented at Torino Fashion Week 2025, where a collection created from upcycled materials – but also from ideas, collaboration and the courage to think outside the box – will appear alongside brands from around the world. The show will not only be the culmination of the creators’ work, but also a signal to the fashion world that social and environmental responsibility can and should be an integral part of the creative process.
UP_Art is a meeting space: between art and industry, between education and business, between creativity and responsibility. It’s a reminder that change begins with a decision – sometimes as simple as what you put on. It shows that fashion can be a medium for expressing values and ideas that matter to the future of our planet. UP_Art aims to inspire reflection and action for a better world.
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