Dust to Dust

UK Premiere + Panel

Tuesday 20 May, 18:30
Central Saint Martins, LVMH Lecture Theatre

Japan, 2024
Dir. Kôsai Sekine
89min
Japanese and English
FREE SCREENING

How can haute couture help to solve the ecological harm caused by ready-to-wear's ferocious pace? We are pleased to present the first UK screening of Dust to Dust by director Kôsai Sekine. In it we follow Tokyo-based designer Yuima Nakazato meandering through Nairobi’s Gikomba Market, the world’s largest hub for discarded clothes: 'Knowing that anything I say is going to be completely useless… is kind of a new experience for me. Now I know what it feels like to be truly lost for words,' he says. The documentary trails the development of a new non-woven material made using two 50-kilogram bundles of clothing procured from Kenya. Nakazato’s ethereal garments presented a year later in Paris offer a reimagining of the fashion world at its creative and conscious best.  

Alex Musembi, co-founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) will be in conversation with festival co-curator Dal Chodha, designer Jawara Alleyne & journalist Tamsin Blanchard after the screening.

This premiere is free to attend. Booking essential. 


Alex Musembi

Alex Musembi is the co-founder and general manager of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT), a social impact enterprise that collects used textiles and footwear for reuse and recycling in Africa. He is also the co-founder of Tujikuze Ethical Fashion Initiative. Throughout his engagements, Alex advocates for the establishment of robust textile recycling and production infrastructure in the Global South.

Jawara Alleyne

Jawara Alleyne is a London-based fashion designer and artist from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins menswear in 2020, as well as being a member of Fashion East, Jawara Alleyne’s designs challenge societal perceptions and conceptions of masculinity and sexuality.

Tamsin Blanchard

Tamsin Blanchard is a fashion journalist, author and editor with more than 30 years experience working for British newspapers and magazines, including Tank and the Guardian. Her interest in how the industry is impacting people and the planet has developed throughout her career, and has become integral to her work as a journalist and advocate for a clean, fair and more transparent fashion industry. Between 2017-2023, she was the curator of Fashion Open Studio, the global showcasing and mentoring platform designed to highlight the work of emerging designers working in innovative and regenerative ways. She is Pathway Leader for the BA Fashion Communication: Fashion Journalism pathway at Central Saint Martins.