The studio Urban Fibers investigates and implements new paradigms for the production of sustainable and regenerative textiles. In collaboration with regional producers, they have been remanufacturing local cotton from discarded t-shirts, a valuable raw material, to produce upcycled yarns. Designed for the use in locally existing textile infrastructure of digital weaving, knitting and braiding machines, these yarns can replace virgin cotton up to 100%. The results are vibrant and sophisticated textiles that can be recycled again.
Every week, 15 million second-hand garments from the global North arrive in Accra (Ghana) to be sold at Kantamanto, a vital hub for circularity, reuse and repair. Despite the local efforts to bring these clothes back to life, 40% of them remain unsellable and are directly landfilled, polluting the waterways and the complete coastal line of Accra. To top an already unjust situation, in January 2025 a devastating fire destroyed Kantamanto and left more than 8.000 market workers without a livelihood. Urban Fibers is hosting an event on March 1st to fundraise for Kantamanto and to bring attention to the problem of waste colonialism.
Last year Urban Fibers spent two months working in Accra, Ghana, processing market discards from the global north to make upcycled products. They worked with a young Ghanaian team of designers who are making a living by using the imported waste as their material and diverting it from the landfill. Back in Berlin, Urban Fibers wants to share the story of your clothes with you. Let’s give voice to the people processing our waste behind the scenes of the fast fashion industry, one of the most polluting on earth. But also to illustrate how we are all intertwined in our fight for a more just and safer future.
At our fundraising event on 1st March, there will be a discussion with Circular Berlin about the wasteful textile industry. We will also connect live with The Or Foundation, the charity behind the fire relief fund, that has been supporting the community of Kantamanto and providing remediation efforts since 2011. They will update us about the state of rebuild and about the current challenges of the workers. There will also be Urban Fibers’ goodies on sale, interactive activities, food and drinks and a clothing exchange corner. We will end the event with live guitar music and a DJ set to keep our spirits high.
All proceeds from the event will go directly to the fire relief fund of the Or Foundation.
Fundraising event for the workers at Kantamanto in Accra, Ghana
Date: Saturday, 1st of March
Time: 16:00-23:00 h
Location: C*Space Berlin – Langhansstrasse 86, 13086 Berlin
Entrance to the event is free, donations for the fundraising will be collected at the door
Accessibility: The space is unfortunately not accessible on wheelchair
For any accessibility requests please contact hello@urbanfibers.org
