From Trash to Trailblazers: After’s ‘From Waste to Worth’ exhibition flips the script on circular design as part of Melbourne Design Week.

What happens when 65 creatives are given piles of discarded fabric and free rein to transform it? At From Waste to Worth, the result was a compelling rethink of what design and waste can be.

Presented as part of Melbourne Design Week and hosted at the FB IDEAs-supported Circular Design Collective in Fishermans Bend, the exhibition turned textile waste into art, fashion and functional objects. Curated by After, a textile recovery organisation and Innovator in Residence at the Cluster, the exhibition showed that creativity, when paired with reclaimed materials and structural support, can spark new futures.  The initiative welcomed over 240 visitors while it was on display and showcased the work of 65 talented designers.

 The exhibition transformed overlooked textiles - off-cut ticking, discarded curtains, end-of-roll rugs, old t-shirts and more - into stunning pieces of fashion, furniture, and art. Visitors shared how surprised they were to learn the source of these materials, and how inspired they felt to view textile waste through a more creative, circular lens. With its tactile setup and interactive experience, many called it one of the most engaging and unique events at MDW this year.

 As Yesha Patel, founder at After says: “It was incredible to watch people shift their perspective as they walked through the space - suddenly seeing waste as a resource, not a problem.”

There were wearable works made from curtains and bedding, sculptural furniture built from industrial offcuts, and objects crafted with care and conscience.

Highlights included:

• Fifty students from Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School learning to sew, crochet and design practical objects using recycled textiles.

• Collarts fashion students exploring salt crystal embellishments and experimental silhouettes with sustainability at their core.

• Independent designers Carl Broesen and Hung Hin Chan presenting high-end furniture made with circular intent and precision craftsmanship.

• Elizabeth Galore’s hand-stitched pouffe All Eyes On You, created from old t-shirts and a doona, which sold during the show.

No Bull Cause founder Felix Toohey, also an Innovator in Residence, brought the space to life with live screen printing, a documentary, and a retail installation of upcycled streetwear on the Saturday afternoon retail pop up.

“Everyone’s pieces were so imaginative,” he said. “I made some really good connections.”

For FB IDEAs, the exhibition reflected the core purpose of the Circular Design Collective: to give innovators the space, visibility and freedom to test ideas and build momentum. During Design Week, it became a platform—not just for work, but for dialogue and community-building around sustainability and reuse.

From Waste to Worth didn’t just showcase objects. It posed a quiet challenge: what if waste wasn’t waste at all, but material waiting for meaning?

FB IDEAs congratulates After and No Bull Cause, two of our Innovators in Residence at the Circular Design Collective, and all participating designers, students and makers. It’s proof that when creativity meets climate-conscious practice—and is given room to breathe—transformation follows.

Because when we start treating waste as a resource, the future gets a little clearer.