Good Things in Red Hill - Cactus Revival

Words and Images by Richard Cornish

Kate Fenby brings new life to pre-loved clothes. Some call it upcycling. She calls it a ‘revival’ — a revival of clothes that are worn, torn or faded. Or in Aussie slang -  ‘cactus’. Cactus Revival sees Kate using beautiful patches, biodegradable dyes and hand embroidery to save clothes with small, repairable tears or holes from heading to landfill.

Kate is a Mount Martha local who grew up on our beaches and walking our local bushland. She spent her early career working in Landcare and environmental advocacy. Now she has turned her sustainability skills to battle fast fashion.

 “There used to be two fashion seasons,” says Kate. “Now there are 52 micro-seasons, with drops of new clothes every week. There are already enough T-shirts, jeans and dresses on the planet to clothe the next six generations. We have forgotten how to repair clothes and instead buy cheap new items that we throw away.”

 At present Kate’s Cactus Revival focuses on children’s clothing with hand-drawn wombat patches and underwater scenes of turtles and seagrass adorning kids’ clothes. Some pieces are over-sewn with traditional Japanese sashiko hand embroidery.

“Wearing clothes for longer is one of the best things you can do for the environment,” adds Kate.

Cactus Revival is just one of many good things to discover in Red Hill on May 2nd 2026 at Hill & Ridge Community Market