Edinburgh student takes stand against throw-away fashion

Student entrepreneur tackles plastic waste by launching Take2 sustainable swimwear collection that respects the planet.

21-year-old University of Edinburgh student, Cecelia Thornett, has taken a stand against throw-away fashion by designing her own eco-friendly swimwear collection, Take2.

Shocked by the amount of plastic waste found in the world’s oceans, Cecelia was inspired to act. Her range of bikinis, swimsuits and board shorts are ethically made by a UK manufacturer using fabric recycled from plastic waste found in the ocean. Each design is reversible, combining style, practicality and longevity. Take2 was funded by Cecelia’s part-time job as a care worker, and she has teamed up with One Tree Planted, to plant a tree in the Amazon rainforest for every product sold.

Take2 has proved an immediate hit with an environmentally aware audience, with a rapidly growing following on Instagram. Customers are attracted by the idea of doing good for the planet as well as appearing stylish on the beach and around the pool. The reversible design means each item purchased is effectively two outfits in one, providing a choice of looks, whilst also helpfully saving limited suitcase space.

Waste plastic constitutes 80% of marine debris. Cecelia recognised that there is an urgent need to address this situation, which threatens the safety of marine life, contaminates food for human consumption and contributes to climate change. In the UK, you’re never more than 70 miles from the sea, and it made sense to start her campaign to tackle plastic waste by creating an environmentally aware fashion business. Cecelia’s in good company, as Stella McCartney launched her latest sustainable collection recently, using the same Econyl fabric.

“We all love fashion, and we can now buy a new outfit at the click of a button, without even leaving our homes. We don’t like to wear the same thing twice; instead, we wear it once and throw it away” Cecelia says. “I’ve also been shocked by news of terrible conditions in unethical clothing factories worldwide. For this reason, I’ve carefully chosen an ethical manufacturer in the UK for Take2. Sustainable clothing definitely doesn’t have to be second hand or shabby. This is the power of the consumer to vote with their money, together we can force change in the fashion industry.”

Encouraged by the popularity the first collection, Cecelia is working on her 2022 range. The current Take2 collection is available via the website.

https://take2shop.com/