For modern clothing and footwear brands being sustainable is no less important than providing consumers with fashionable, trendy and stylish items. Most major footwear and apparel brands, from Nike to H&M to name but a few, are doing their part in building a world of eco-friendly clothing—one of the latest projects related to the theme is Sustainable Fashion Lab to be launched in London by Marks & Spencer in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion.

Photo: A model created by designers Michelle Lowe-Holder, Noel Stewart, and the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, www.social.marksandspencer.com

The new Lab, which launches at the Old Truman Brewery in the heart of East London on April 26 and will be open through May 9, is designed as a pop-up space, which is to bring together “designers, stylists and thought-leaders who will be exploring and debating the future of a more sustainable fashion industry,” writes www.social.marksandspencer.com. Visitors to the new space will experience the spirit of eco-conscious design of the 21th century and also will be able to create their own pieces at workshops led by industry experts and get a deeper insight into the how “the stars of environmentally friendly fashion” are creating new items.

In tune with the  collaboration launched by M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange back in 2008, which helped collect over 10 million clothing items donated to the initiative (this generated £8 million to Oxfam), M&S is asking people to clear their wardrobes and bring unwanted pieces to the Lab. To get into the space, one doesn’t need to pay—their ticket is an out-of-date item of clothing, which will be given a new life (either will become material for creative experiments on site, or will be donated Oxfam to be resold or recycled).