Ghanem has built up his brand by combining handcrafted couture techniques with recycled and easy-to-wear fabrics. Featured in the opening programme of ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ last week, rookie models, along with presenter/model - Lisa Snowdon, wore Ghanem’s kitsch designs, all of which were entirely created out of plastic bags. The designs not only recycle an everyday product but highlight a prevalent and topical issue of excessive plastic bag use that seems to be escalating out of control.

Presenter Lisa Snowdon with designer Ziad Ghanem

Some facts about the damage that plastic bags can do:

+ It takes at least 400 years for a bag to bio-degrade.

+ On average we use 167 every year- That’s 10bn in the UK.

+ Only 1 in every 200 bags is recycled.

+ 80% of marine waste comes from land based sources, and of that waste 80% is plastic, the majority plastic bags.

+ On average we use a plastic bag for only 12 minutes before disposing of it.

+ Globally, over 1M marine animals and 100,000 turtles die each year from entanglement or ingestion of plastic.

+ Excess packaging is not just bad for the environment but bad for your pocket - excess packaging costs the average family £470 a year.

+ People around the world use enough plastic bags to carpet the entire planet every six months.

On the project Ziad said: “Constructing the one-off dresses entirely out of plastic bags was a challenge especially as some of the bags are very thin and break very easily. I wouldn’t advocate plastic as a trend or an ideal material, quite the opposite, the idea is to make people realize how much damage these bags are causing to our planet. While it’s a strong message I kept the designs fun plus it just goes to show how you can reuse rubbish to create something unique.”

Lisa Snowdon and models in the recycled designs

To watch the Ziad Ghanem / Britain’s Next Top Model – Eco Fashion Shoot click here .

Britain’s Next Top Model is on the LIVING channel every Monday at 9pm. One winning model will lay claim to the most coveted prize in the modelling market; a contract with world renowned agency Models 1, appear on the cover of women’s glossy magazine Company and win a contract with Max Factor.

To view more of Ziad Ghanem’s work go to: http://www.ziadghanem.co.uk

By JoJo Iles

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