Magpies & Peacocks has collected over 195 tons of post consumer textiles and accessories since 2011. 25% of the donated items are used to supply materials to local schools, colleges and extracurricular programs, the balance are repaired, reworked or up-cycled into new collections for sale.
As part of Magpies & Peacocks Arts Education program we teach young designers about sustainable fashion practices and incorporating post consumer textiles into their production process – to decrease the large percentage of textile waste that hits landfill. Houston boasts one of the largest consumer economies in the country, but as a port city, it is also home to many of the nations largest textile recycling plants that process, ship out and sell our post consumer textile waste problem to developing countries. By educating consumers on how to responsibly shop, dispose of their clothing, and the issues surrounding our current system; creating programs for school participation; and encouraging emerging designers to incorporate sustainable practices, we can significantly impact that textile waste statistic.
By collaborating with the community, business partners, schools, artists and designers we find that social enterprise can thrive – opening the door to educating consumers and creatives about our take/make/dispose economy and presenting an environment for sustainable change and responsible innovation.
We aim to be an agent of change in the way people celebrate and appreciate the business and creation of fashion, with a better understanding of our planets resource constraints, ethical practices and a more circular approach to consumption.
Magpies & Peacocks is a Houston based non-profit design house (501c3) dedicated to the collection, curation, and sustainable reuse of post consumer textiles, to disrupt the cycle of waste in the fashion industry. We collaborate with designers and artists to create unique up-cycled products, provide a resource library of reusable material for the creative community, and offer skill building and sustainability education.
2910 McKinney Street, Houston TX 77003
Five Fast Facts you should know about the Fashion Industry:
1. The fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters of the planet after the oil industry.
2. We consume a staggering 80 billion pieces of clothing each year. This is up 400% from two decades ago.
3. We currently only recycle 15% of donated clothing. 85% ends up in landfills or flooding markets in developing countries.
4. One-in-six people work in the global fashion industry. The majority are women earning less than $3 per day, in deplorable conditions. Many are children.
5. It takes 715 gallons of water to make just one t-shirt – that’s about the amount of water an average person drinks over two and a half years.
After Dark 2024: An Inspiring Evening of Sustainability in Fashion, Music, Art, Food & Drink.
14 NOV 2024
There are a variety of ways that you can share your time and talents as a volunteer with Magpies & Peacocks!
At Events: Join us to network and help out at the same time! Our events are typically arts, fashion, environment, philanthropy or community related.
As a Retail or Inventory Helper: We always need help with the logistics of keeping our resource library and retail inventory tidy and would love your help
As a FUNdraiser: Generous funds from our donors keep Magpies & Peacocks and the work we do going and we'd LOVE your help in raising some!
As an Educator: If you would like to share your skill set by hosting a workshop, teaching with us or incorporating us into your class curriculum.
Or maybe you would like to offer professional services as a member of the advisory committee?
Contact us at: volunteer@magpiesandpeacocks.org
Non-profit Design House Magpies & Peacocks puts forth an enormous effort to rally the Houston community behind fashion, art and sustainability.
We are able to accomplish this largely by maintaining a facility in Houston's thriving EaDo District to showcase our products, train the community and share our resources – a collaborative workspace for arts, culture and sustainability.
Our programs are only possible through the generous donations of our supporters and those who believe in the future and sustainability of arts education and fashion.
Check our Press page regularly as we update our Media Kit. For information on current events and special guest designers follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
For further information contact: Ahshia Berry at ahshia@magpiesandpeacocks.org
Block Photo: Robyn Arouty Photography for Magpies & Peacocks. 2023 Media Kit cover photo by Thomas Guerrero for Magpies & Peacocks.
Under our arts education program Magpies & Peacocks provides local design students with mentorship, donated raw materials and creative guidance. Exposing up-and-coming designers to successful local brands and design role models is an important tool to create a more collaborative industry – where educators are receptive to new ideas and thriving businesses have an open door policy. Magpies & Peacocks has at least 20 industry leaders who lend their talent and time to the program.
Images – Fashion Scout/Tony & Guy, Fashion Scout/Freemasons’ Hall. Video by Project-Video, UK
