British Textile Biennial

For British Textile Biennial 2021 artist Brigid McLeer creates  a memorial to the hundreds of workers who die in factories and sweatshops across the world that supply the global garment industry. Made in collaboration with local embroiderers and inspired by a large-scale lace panel from the Gawthorpe Textile Collection commemorating the Battle of Britain, the work will be a moving testament to the lives lost to feed the West’s seemingly bottomless appetite for fast fashion.

In order to underline the clothing and fashion industry’s role in this system, and to encourage us to consider our own consumer choices, the installed embroidery panel will also include hundreds of labels from everyday clothing.

To make this part of the work we are asking you to send us labels from your clothes. We are looking for the garment label sewn into the back neckline or inner seam of adult or children’s clothes. Usually these labels will include the brand name, the country of manufacture and a warning, often in red writing, ‘KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE’.

We need as many labels as you can send us!

You can post the labels to the British Textile Biennial offices for the attention of, Brigid McLeer, British Textile Biennial, 14 – 16 Lord STreet West, Blackburn, BB2 1JX any time between now and 31st August 2021.

Any questions email: Lydia McCaig, lydia@superslowway.org.uk

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