Meet the Founder – Amina Sefiani
Amina Sefiani is a designer, stylist, and founder of Waste Will Save Us. With over two decades in the fashion industry — including seven years in high-street Buying & Merchandising and years of creative consultancy, styling, and live presenting — Amina experienced firsthand the environmental and social costs of fast fashion.
This was the catalyst for change.
Since 2008, she’s launched multiple eco-fashion projects, including:
Artizina – A Moroccan-inspired, zero-waste fashion label using end-of-roll fabrics and offcuts which showcased off schedule during fashion week in 2008
BigAlittlez – An upcycled streetwear brand using hand screen-printing and thrifted materials
Her current work, Waste Will Save Us, was born from the evolution of these projects and a deeper mission: to shift fashion from a disposable system into a creative, circular, community-based practice.
The Space – Waste Will Save Us, Margate
Located in Margate, Waste Will Save Us is a retail concept and creative hub for upcycled fashion, ritual, and play. Visitors are invited to bring their own garments and upcycle them in-store using curated trims, fabrics, and techniques such as:
Screenprinting, hand-painting, natural dyeing (using food waste) cyanotype and more
Moroccan tea, vinyl, candles, and incense enhance the immersive sensory experience
THE STORE FEATURES
In-house designed upcycled fashion
Preloved garments
A rotating series of creative workshops
OPENING HOURS
Thursdays Fridays Saturdays 11am–5pm
Or By appointment (07733360862)
The Collection – Upcycled Moroccan Artisanal
Each garment is uniquely hand-designed by Amina in Margate using:
Thrifted, reclaimed, or foraged textiles
End-of-roll fabrics and offcuts
Traditional Moroccan trims and African-inspired prints
Hand techniques including screenprinting, cyanotype, and food-waste dyeing
No two pieces are the same. Waste becomes identity. Trash becomes trim.
Bespoke pieces, private workshops, and design consulting are available.
Designer and Founder Amina Sefiani graduated with a BA in fashion design and Marketing in 2002, then went on to work for over 20years in the fashion Industry. A long standing career in creative roles, including 7 years in the fast paced world of high street Buying & Merchandising, the rest freelancing as a Designer, Stylist, Consultant & presenting at fashion shows, store launches & Live TV.
Experiencing first hand the negative impact of fast fashion on not just the environment but also on the supply chain, was the catalyst which led to an evolving fashion label.
The journey to WasteWillSaveUs has been a long but also a transformative one. Empowered by a clear vision for systematic change, and dedicated to communicating the message that, fashion should not be disposable, and that collectively we as a conscious collective community can make a difference.
Amina launched several eco fashion projects since 2008 including zero waste fashion label Artizina (moroccan inspired using end of roll fabrics and using offcuts for bags and accessories), which showcased off schedule during fashion week in September 2009. In 2015 she launched BigAlittlez, an online shop which featured a collection of hand screenprinted and up cycled streetwear and a lifestyle product range. WasteWillSaveUs has been born through the learnings of these two projects combined with the need for a shared responsibility for change.
Wanting to create a space for people of all ages and background to come and play and unleash their creativity. Amina opened a retail space and workshop hub in Margate.
With a focus on avoiding landfill fashion and using what already exists, the concept features DIY upcycling where people can BYO garments and upcycle in store using fabrics and trims that have been hand printed foraged and selected. Moroccan tea is served, vinyl played and candles or incense burned creating an uplifting and inspiring environment.
The main aim is to connect people to each other and their environment, encouraging rethinking waste by repurposing what we already have, breathing new life into old clothes and materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. The store also features a curated range of preloved garments alongside its own label clothing & accessories.
UPCYCLED MOROCCAN ARTISANAL & STREETWEAR
The WasteWillSaveUs collection is designed in-house and made in Margate by Amina.
Each piece features a unique Moroccan trim and is either hand sewn or up-cycled, using thrifted and foraged items, end of roll fabrics and offcuts combined with hand painted or printed methods, mixed with Moroccan and African inspired prints and fabrics – so no two pieces are the same.
Her handmade prints and dyes also include natural dyeing using food waste, screenprinting & cyanotype and she has used ‘waste - trash’ materials such as old food packaging as unique trims. Wastewillsaveus also offers bespoke orders, design consultancy and workshops.
OPENING HOURS
The shop is open
Saturdays 11-5
Or by Appointment rest of the week.
please call 07733360862
We can do any day and time and can cater to big groups and any occasion.