One Year One Outfit

A COMMUNITY BASED CREATION OF STORIES AND FIBRE BASED PIECES THAT WILL EXPLORE AND CELEBRATE OUR LOCAL MATERIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES.

GOALS

The One Year One Outfit (OYOO) project is a great tool for networking and expanding your fibreshed community. It encourages people to participate in realizing the closer connection to their textiles and discovering the resources within their fibreshed. This project builds community and introduces participants to the foundational ideas of fibreshed.

The Pembina Fibreshed has run the OYOO challenge for two years and identified these as key organizing goals:

  • Provide a structure for imaginative, slow fashion to thrive

  • Celebrate the incredible amount of local talent and production in our Fibreshed

  • Connect folks to each other through bi-monthly team meetings where we can share projects, progress, hang-ups, techniques, connections, etc. (this is not a competition).

  • Create and share a body of work reflecting the unique resources of the Fibreshed.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

  • This project will function best with at least two or three people to lead meetings and share logistical planning.

  • Strong facilitation skills are an asset for helping lead the online or in-person meetings with participants.

  • Coordination and facilitation of any workshops or skillshares.

  • Final presentation will require planning and promotions skills.

BUDGET

The Pembina Fibreshed did not require payment to participate in the OYOO challenge for the first two years. As a fibreshed they covered the costs:

  • Zoom hosting for meet ups

  • Small honorarium for speakers/teachers

  • Cost of printing and promotions for the launch at the gallery.

If a fibreshed does not have a big budget this can be a very low-cost project.

Moving into year 3 of the OYOO challenge the Pembina Fibreshed will add a small charge for participants, with the option to waive the fee for those that are lower-income.

example budget

Zoom Meet up call, August 2022

TIMELINE AND ACTION PLAN

There is a lot of flexibility for the OYOO project in the 12-months that it runs, depending on your context and fibreshed. These are some key action items that the Pembina Fibreshed outlined for the project:

  • Define parameters for resources allowed in the project - what exemptions need to be made, ex. zippers and threads. Is there processing available in the fibreshed?

  • Define an “outfit” ex Three pieces of clothing, adornments, or accessories.

  • Choose timeline - consider when resources are available (shearing time?), meeting schedules,  availability of venue for wrap up display and celebration. Set start and closing dates for participant intake.

  • Create resource lists - fibre farms, plant dyes, processors, tool makers, designers within the fibreshed

  • Create online sharing space for participants - example: private Facebook page, Slack channel, Circles, private page on your website (who will moderate?)

  • Invite participants - clearly outline expectations, including documentation of the process. Will they work in teams or as individuals? (What if people do not complete three pieces in the allotted time?) What does the experience offer to participants? How will they be encouraged and inspired throughout the process?

  • Plan workshops, skill sharing sessions, and casual meet-ups (online and in-person) based on available skills and time. (Survey participants about what they can teach and what they want to learn)

TEMPLATES AND OTHER RESOURCES

These are some templates that the Pembina Fibreshed created for the OYOO challenge and you are welcome to use them in your own projects:

  • Intake Form

  • Parameters of Participation

  • Banner Images for email and promotions

  • Press release