ConsciousDress: Upcycling at its finest 

At the Brunel Foundation, our mission is to foster a sustainable mindset and be a catalyst for change towards a healthier planet – both for life on land and in the water. Our initiatives and collaborative ventures aim to inspire and encourage our people to contribute to society and make sustainable choices whenever and wherever they can.

A few years ago, we started to upcycle used materials into useful everyday items as part of our Building New Habits strategy. Now, we are taking upcycling at Brunel to the next level with our unique upcycled evening dress. This ConsciousDress has been designed to be so much more than just an item of clothing: it’s a source of inspiration.

Upcycling at its finest

Our ConsciousDress was designed in collaboration with social enterprise Vanhulley and two fashion academy students. It is made of old Brunel materials, including banners used during the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race. The design is inspired by the ocean – in particular waves, with all of their endless movement, life and energy. All the materials used are authentic and tell a unique story – of resourcefulness, resilience and love for our planet, but also about victories, celebrations, festivities and milestones. In short: it’s a story in which we honour the role of the past (used materials) in shaping the future (new habits).

Brunel has close ties to the Volvo Ocean Race, in which it has participated several times. Besides sailing, however, the race has also inspired sailors, Brunellers and communities worldwide to raise awareness of plastic pollution, climate change and ocean health. This association was the starting point for the Brunel Foundation’s focus on the planet: not just in helping to clear plastic from the ocean, but also by making sure it doesn’t end up there in the first place.

Partnership between Vanhulley and the Brunel Foundation

The Brunel Foundation works together with social enterprise Vanhulley to give old, “unusable” Brunel branded items a new life. This collaboration benefits both parties, aligning with our focal areas while also supporting Vanhulley’s goals.

In the ateliers of Vanhulley, participants craft the most ingenious products from old fabrics and other textile waste. While doing so, they receive vocational training which paves the way to the next step: chasing their own dreams.

Vanhulley’s mission is to improve the employability of people on the periphery of the labour market – in particular women from immigrant communities. The organisation is supporting them to learn new skills and become more financially and socially independent, while making society at large more sustainable.

Connecting Brunellers and unlocking talent

The Brunel Foundation works with Brunellers from all over the world: a great way to connect, create engagement between our regions, and strengthen collaboration. It creates a sense of belonging, unlocks talent – and is quite simply a lot of fun!

To make the dress a success, we worked with Amanda Linger (Global Market & Business Intelligence Consultant, part of the Sales Enablement MBI team), who was our model and muse, Jorik Jol and Paul Haller (Consultants Global team Digital & Innovation), Venetia Fong (Marketing Manager Australasia), and Marc Watson (Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Taylor Hopkinson).

They dared to put themselves to the test and invest their efforts in creating something new and inspiring. After all, unlocking talent isn’t just about individual skills: it’s about creating forms of collaboration in which people thrive together. By connecting their abilities, we have been able to unlock a wealth of creativity and bring the ConsciousDress to life.

ConsciousDress meets new technology

Marrying the Brunel Foundation’s sustainability activities and Brunel’s focus on innovation, Amanda (pictured in the dress) has travelled the world – using the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

These AI-generated images reflect different Brunel Foundation initiatives: We are building a better planet for future professionals by helping to raise environmental awareness and inspire sustainable behaviours. We support the ecosystem by growing the Brunel Foundation Forest. And at the same time, our Trash ‘n’ Trace initiative takes action to reduce waste, and especially plastic waste, before it reaches the oceans.

Brunel connects specialists to pioneering projects. By providing job opportunities for specialists and preparing them for future challenges, Brunel contributes to a more sustainable future.

Together, Brunel, the Brunel Foundation and Brunellers around the world take their social responsibility very seriously. They share a passionate ambition to build a better planet and a better future for professionals.

Our hope is that the ConsciousDress will inspire many more in Brunel and beyond to join our mission! Now it’s over to you: do you dare to make a difference? Let us know what you’re doing to build new habits, reduce waste and create a greener future for our planet, and we’ll share the best examples.