Making Zero Waste: Collaborative Design Workshops
Lagos, Nigeria
Accra, Ghana
April 2024

Making Zero Waste (MZW) is a collaborative project that was launched in 2023 as a cross-cultural exchange between Designers Consociate, Worn, and Zero Waste Design Collective. These organisations, based in Lagos, Glasgow and London respectively, came together to develop a series of in-person workshops in Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana in April 2024. These workshops were dedicated to advancing the practice of zero waste fashion design within the local African context by offering circular solutions in design and garment making.

As a collective, MZW is committed to eliminating waste in the design process by inspiring tailors, upcyclers, brands and designers to re-think their waste strategies and re-imagine waste as an opportunity, as they continue to design products for a better future. The intent was for participants to gain knowledge about the theories, context and construction of zero waste pattern cutting and design. Throughout the workshops, MZW also explored how zero waste design can draw inspiration from the rich tapestry of African fashion and textile traditions and histories, while complimenting today’s contemporary fashion.

MZW began with a few online conversations and developed into a global knowledge exchange, challenging negative fashion cultures and celebrating global experiences of designing, making and wearing clothes.

^{With special thanks to the amazing sponsors and partners of MZW for the opportunity to bring this incredible, game changing workshop to life including: Creative Scotland, Join Roundabout, Designers Consociate, Zero Waste Design Collective, Worn Workshop, The Or Foundation, Lagos X Paris, Decode and the Four Nations Fund. Photography by Daniel Uwaga, and the MZW team.}