Students send climate message with giant Boris Johnson artwork made from clothes

A giant installation of Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing has gone on display in Manchester to send a message about sustainability to the Prime Minister.

The 30 metre-high exhibit was created by Manchester art students with the intention to urge the Government to tackle textile waste, the impact of fast fashion on climate change and the lack of production laws.

The UK fashion industry produces an estimated 206 tonnes of textile waste every year.

The politically rebellious textile exhibition, known as the #wakeupborisblanket, was created by four final year students from Manchester School of Art and Manchester Fashion Institute – Amy Ferrier, George Hood, Joe Taylor and Zoe Ward.

Ms Ferrier told PA: “It’s incredible and I feel like we need to start putting laws in place to help (limit) all of the emissions, all of the usage, just everything that’s going on.

“All the production methods, I feel like they can only really change if we do put policies in place.

It was produced from hundreds of recycled T-shirts donated by sustainable fashion brand Eileen Fischer, and Ms Ferrier explained it was made by cutting open the T-shirts and stitching them all together with a sewing machine, which she said took about a month.

The installation will feature alongside the work of world famous artists such as Banksy, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, LS Lowry, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, when it goes on display at Manchester Art Fair.

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Manchester Art Fair, said: “We always like something big that creates an impact and we also like something that’s timely.

“The whole point of art is that it’s current. It’s a snapshot, a commentary on where the world is now.

“This piece is all about sustainability, it’s about environmental impact and having had Cop26 so recently it feels incredibly relevant and incredibly timely to have that piece now.

“I think they’ve pulled a really powerful piece together about the impact of fast fashion and how we all need to think a little bit more about that environmental impact.”

Manchester Art Fair runs from November 19-21 in Manchester Central.