An unlikely collaboration between a rabbi, a former drug dealer and an Indigenous art centre in the heart of Australia's outback is fighting fast fashion — and keeping people warm.

Key points: Thread Together is an Australian charity diverting unwanted brand new clothing to those in need

Thread Together is an Australian charity diverting unwanted brand new clothing to those in need Currently the charity is storing in excess of 300,000 items of clothes that have been saved from landfill

Currently the charity is storing in excess of 300,000 items of clothes that have been saved from landfill Central Australian art centre Tangentyere is in its third blanket drive to help Indigenous people stay warm over winter

Every winter for the past three years, Tangentyere Arts Centre has put out a call for warm clothes and blankets to help Indigenous families living in Aboriginal communities on the outskirts of suburban Alice Springs.

Mid-year, overnight temperatures can easily drop below zero in the Central Australian region.

Tangentyere artist Marlene Rubuntja said that it was particularly difficult for women, children and the sick.

"[My husband] just had a stroke. He goes to respite, along with other sick people in this town. They need warm coats. They can't take blankets," she said.

"He can't come outside. If he comes out, he'll get really sick."

Tangentyere Artists promoting their annual blanket drive. ( Supplied: Tangentyere Artists )

Convicted-drug-dealer-turned-charity-boss committed to reducing fashion waste

Greg Fisher is the CEO of Thread Together, a Sydney-based charity that captures brand new clothes that would otherwise go to landfill.

Former drug dealer Greg Fisher now heads up charity Thread Together. ( Supplied: Greg Fisher )

Manufacturers can donate the clothes to Thread Together to not only get a tax deduction but also save on disposal costs.

According to Mr Fisher, only 30 per cent of all clothes manufactured are ever worn, with the remainder going straight to landfill.

Mr Fisher, a former drug user and convicted dealer, became interested in the plight of Indigenous people after spending a stint of his almost eight-year prison sentence with them in Goulburn Correctional Centre, a high-security facility.

"That's one of the scariest prisons in New South Wales," he said.

"They said to me, on top of that by the way, 'Fisher, there's nowhere to put you other than the Aboriginal yard, so that's where you'll be going'.

"I remember thinking to myself: 'Okay you're a white Jewish gay guy with a whole yard full of pretty dark people. What could possibly go wrong?'"

Turns out the experience was life changing for Mr Fisher and he credits that time as the most fortunate part of his jail experience.

"They were incredibly good to me. They could see that I was a fish out of water and they just … they were really good," he said.

"They embraced me. We got on extremely well.

"I actually credit that with my survival in jail because they told me what the go was, what to do and what not to do. It helped me so much."

From prison system to isolated desert communities

Young community members at Pipalyatjara with Greg Fisher, CEO of Thread Together. ( Supplied: Greg Fisher )

It was not only the friendship of his fellow inmates that resonated, but also the issues of prejudice and discrimination.

"It brought to life so much that I had studied at university and so much about the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody," Mr Fisher said.

"[It taught me] so much about the prejudice that they experience in the legal system and so much about the lack of understanding of their culture with respect to sentencing.

"I was fascinated by it and also appalled by it to think that this was happening."

It was these eye-opening prison experiences that inspired Mr Fisher to give back to remote and isolated Indigenous organisations.

"There was a group in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in the community of Pipalyatjara at the border of Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia and they asked for brand new clothes because they wanted to do a fashion parade," he said.

"I was told because they have an alarmingly high suicide rate, they wanted to have an initiative which saw the young people celebrated."

Young Pipalyatjara residents show off their new clothes ahead of the 2017 fashion show. ( Supplied: Greg Fisher )

Fast forward to 2019 and Mr Fisher heard that the Tangentyere Art Centre was in need of warm clothes and blankets as part of the centre's annual callout.

The charity is donating between $40,000 to $50,000 worth of new clothes that would otherwise be sent to landfill.

"We want to be there for everybody in Australia," Mr Fisher said.

There is so much excess with fast fashion, he said.

"We've just been asked to send a whole bunch of brand new warm clothes; so there'll be jeans, big jackets, hoodies, shoes, socks and plenty of jumpers."

Tikkum Olam: Repairing the world

Enter Rabbi Mendel Kastel, the CEO of Jewish House in Bondi, NSW, as well as a newly appointed commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission.

Recently he was offered almost 100 new blankets, which he will be donating to Tangentyere's blanket drive.

"They're new and they're beautiful blankets," Rabbi Kastel said.

"Some of them are kids' blankets as well.

"Whoever gets them will really enjoy them and hopefully we'll keep them warm."

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, Jewish House CEO and National Mental Health Commissioner. ( Supplied: Jewish House )

Rabbi Kastel said the reason for helping was intrinsically linked to the Jewish tradition of Tikkum Olam, which means 'to help mend the world' or 'help make the world a better place'.

"It doesn't really matter where people are if we can make a difference," he said.

"It's really important to make sure that we support people and help people with basic needs, which will then help their mental health, which will then help their general health and help them live better lives and create a better community."

Tangentyere Art Centre's Grace Robinya thanks those that have donated blankets and warm clothes. ( Supplied: Tangentyere Art Centre )

Ms Rubuntja had a clear message from herself, her family and town camp residents.

"To those companies or organisations that give us blankets, I say thank you," she said.

"To all the people that are in the city. We need blankets and that's good.

"You mob are helping us out."