It’s 2026, and the need to explain the dire consequences of fast fashion is no longer something we can afford to ignore. The time we live in now requires stronger action to support and protect the environment.
Every year, around 1 billion garments are thrown away in the UK, with an estimated 30 per cent of clothing going unworn. The figure highlights the scale of the UK’s clothing waste problem, with millions of items ending up in landfill despite being wearable. As a result, organisations, communities and activists have spent years trying to tackle the issue and encourage more sustainable choices.
Now, one such women- led community event is helping shape a better future by bringing the conversation around sustainable fashion to Bradford. Bradford, once known as the wool capital of the world, has long been recognised for its rich textile heritage.
The Threads Together fashion show, taking place at Valley Parade on July 9, will showcase upcycled and ethically inspired outfits. The catch is that the event aims to highlight the intersection between clothing and social care. Funds raised through the event will be used to provide period products and support for women and girls across the district.
Rather than focusing solely on style, organisers say the event is designed to encourage people to think differently about what they wear, how long clothes last, and how fashion can become a tool for community action.
The show will feature garments created from repurposed and recycled materials, blending Bradford’s textile traditions with contemporary design while promoting more sustainable alternatives to fast fashion.
Funds raised from ticket sales will support the Yorkshire Women’s Forum’s Period Poverty Project, which provides essential menstrual products and practical support to women and girls experiencing financial hardship.
Although sustainable fashion and period poverty are rarely discussed together, there is a common thread linking the two. Both issues are rooted in questions of accessibility, inequality and the fair distribution of essential resources. They are also connected through the economic realities of the fashion industry, where women make up around 80 per cent of the global workforce. Low wages remain a persistent challenge across the sector, most acutely faced by women. leaving them struggling to afford basic necessities. For some, this can mean being forced to choose between purchasing food or period products. For others, it can mean missing out on education, work opportunities and everyday activities due to a lack of access to essential menstrual products.
It is this overlap between environmental responsibility and social inequality that organisers hope to highlight through the event. By using fashion as a platform, they aim to encourage conversations not only about waste and consumption, but also about the financial pressures faced by women and girls in everyday life.
The women-led Yorkshire Women’s Forum has partnered with Bradford City FC Community Foundation to deliver the event as part of a wider effort to connect sustainability with community wellbeing through the Greener Bantams initiative.
Lizzie Saunderson-Trowell, Chief Executive of Bradford City FC Community Foundation, said the partnership showed how
organisations with different audiences could come together around shared community goals.
She said: “We are proud to be working with, and supporting, the Yorkshire Women’s Forum and the Threads Together event. Through our support for the Greener Bantams initiative and our commitment to sustainability, we are excited to bring people together to celebrate the Yorkshire Women’s Forum, their crucial work and the role community organisations can play in promoting sustainability and social cohesion.”
Yorkshire Women’s Forum Managing Director Tanu Patel said the partnership would help expand support for women and families across Bradford. She said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Bradford City FC Community Foundation. Together, we see a real opportunity to expand our work around health, wellbeing and sustainability, reaching more women and families across Bradford.”
The fashion show will follow a sustainability summit earlier in the day, where community organisations, businesses and local leaders will discuss practical solutions to challenges including waste reduction, water sustainability and healthier communities.
In a city built on textiles, the women behind Threads Together hope clothing can once again become a, but this time by encouraging sustainability while helping tackle period poverty in the local community.
