General News
14 October, 2026
How to easily ‘relove’ old clothes
THE upcoming ‘ReLoved’ weekend is set to provide two days of making, mending, reusing and re-wearing.
The event at the Port Douglas Community Hall on October 17 and 18 is about celebrating creativity, community and giving things a second life. This is also beneficial to the local environment.
The weekend is intended to encourage people who want to learn a new skill, breathe new life into something old, clear out a wardrobe or uncover a second-hand treasure.
Maureen Bourke, the owner of bespoke tailoring and clothing alteration studio Elle & Stuart in Port Douglas, has a passion for re-using and re-wearing clothing items and materials.
Ms Bourke will be showcasing her recent work though the project called ‘disposable paradise’ with 10 on display at ‘ReLoved’.
“The project started here in Port Douglas earlier this year as a creative response to clothing waste and fast fashion,” she said.
“The original seed was planted when Jo from the NicNak Shed rang me because they had a huge surplus of denim and asked if I could do something with it.
“Every piece is created from discarded, donated or unwanted clothing, particularly denim.
“A single piece can use around four pairs of discarded jeans, while some of the larger creations have used up to eight pairs. At one stage I was buying so much denim from the NicNak Shed that I was jokingly ‘banned’ from buying any more when the weather turned cold – the locals needed their jeans.”
Ms Bourke’s idea is to show that clothing we think has reached the end of its life can become something completely unexpected.
“The pieces are designed to be wearable and beautiful, but each one also carries a story about waste, repair, reuse and giving clothing another life. Disposable paradise has since appeared at the Mossman Show, the NicNak fashion parade, Zero Waste Week and the Bushy Creek Makers Fair.”
At the ‘ReLoved’ weekend Ms Bourke will also be doing two short demonstrations showing how she deconstructs old jeans and begins building a new piece directly on a mannequin.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon is also a keen supporter of recycling clothing.
“ReLoved weekend is about bringing our community together to rethink what we throw away and recognise the value in the things we already have,” she said.
‘Sew sustainably’ will give people practical skills to repair and alter clothing, while the community garage sale is a great opportunity to declutter, find a bargain and give unwanted items a second life.”
Running from 9am to 1pm, the event will show how much potential is hiding in old fabrics and textiles.
