Upcycle Life – Rethinking Fashion, Reconnecting with Purpose

What happens when young people from six different countries gather in one city with one goal — to make fashion more sustainable?

You get Upcycle Life — an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange that turned Kaunas, Lithuania into a hub of creativity, collaboration, and climate-conscious action this July.

For 10 days, 50 participants from Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Croatia, and Romania came together to learn about sustainable fashion, challenge the fast fashion system, and discover how small changes can lead to powerful impact.

🌍 Why Upcycle Life?

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world — but young people are rising to change that. Upcycle Life focused on slow fashion, upcycling, and second-hand solutions as tools for climate action. The goal wasn’t just to talk about sustainability — it was to live it.

Participants didn’t just sit in presentations. They got their hands dirty (literally) — repurposing old clothes, designing new ones, creating tote bags from used fabric, and learning how to build a capsule wardrobe that values quality over quantity.

It was practical. It was creative. And it made sustainability fun.

🧵 What We Did

  • DIY workshops on clothing transformation and sewing skills

  • Discussion circles about fast fashion, textile waste, and consumer responsibility

  • Cultural evenings to celebrate and connect across borders

  • City walks exploring green spaces and sustainable shops in Kaunas

  • Group challenges that encouraged teamwork, innovation, and climate leadership

Each moment blended learning with real-life application, offering tools that participants could bring home to their communities.

💬 What Participants Said

Here are a few voices from the experience:

“We learned to turn waste into something beautiful — and realized that sustainability is not a limitation but a form of creativity.”

“This was more than just a youth exchange. It changed how I think about my clothes, my habits, and the impact I have.”

“It felt amazing to connect with others who care about the planet and to feel like we’re part of something bigger.”

🤝 More Than Fashion

What made Upcycle Life special wasn’t just what we learned — it was how we grew. The project helped participants develop:

  • 💡 New skills in sustainability, DIY design, and ethical fashion

  • 🌐 A stronger sense of intercultural awareness and communication

  • 🧠 Problem-solving abilities through hands-on group work

  • 💬 Confidence to speak up about environmental issues in their own communities

By the end of the program, many of us felt not only more informed, but more connected — to each other, and to the values we want to live by.

💚 A Huge Thank You

To the amazing Go Forward LT team, our facilitators, group leaders, and every single participant: thank you for your energy, ideas, kindness, and creativity. You made Upcycle Life not just a project — but a movement.

We leave Kaunas with new friendships, unforgettable memories, and the inspiration to keep making fashion fairer and greener.