Fashion has been in the spotlight recently because of its perceived disposability. Consumers and companies alike are having to consider the lifecycle of clothes: from the materials used, to the people who make them, to their disposability. Fashion must become more sustainable or it simply will not survive and neither will our earth.

During my lockdown period, I had time to reflect and revisit my wardrobe. I took time to ask myself whether I was being sustainable and playing my part in the strengthening of our environment. This awakened me to the fact that I had so much clutter and inconsequential items in my closet; Instead of throwing them away, I donated half to charity and the other half I decided to resell. I created an account on both Depop and Vestiaire Collective and started to resell my old treasures. Not only is this extremely sustainable and a good way to earn some extra cash, but it was also a fun little lockdown project. I looked at how to brand my items to sell well and what the market was looking for at the time. It was interesting to review trends and try to anticipate what would sell well. I highly encourage everyone to create an account on either one of these websites and go through their wardrobes and resell the clothes that they no longer use. Clothes do not have a life span and they should not be thrown out after one or two wears; it is a dishonour to the craftsmanship that went into making those pieces. Thinking about sustainability and fashion in everyday life inspired me to create a blog and talk openly on this topic.

The book Fashionopolis was a real revelation to me in beginning to understand fast fashion – how it became so prevalent, its impacts on people and the environment alongside the solutions we need to start implementing to make the fashion industry more responsible and ethical. The positive thing is that many brands are committing to drastically reduce their Co2 emissions and working with partners like the Ellen McArthur foundation to rethink production processes and supply chains. Brands are increasingly becoming more aware of their disposability and the damaging effects this has.

Fashionopolis opened my eyes to the fashion world. It taught me facts and statistics that I never knew before. Zara, for example, alone disregards roughly around 840 million garments every year for its 6,000 stores worldwide, often at sub-poverty wages for its workers. Zara alone is so damaging to the environment that the waste thrown into once thriving rivers in China and India have been completely destroyed and now transformed into biologically dead zones replete with cancer causing chemicals. If that does not say something about Zara’s policies and waste, I don’t know what does.  When reading statistics such as these, it really makes you think and question whether or not you really need to buy those extra 3 jumpers from Zara that you will wear once then toss.

Fashionopolis opens with the first chapter based around Melania Trump and her $39 ‘I really don’t care, do you?’ Zara jacket, that caused such an uproar in the media in 2018 (rightly so). Melania wore this jacket during a trip to a migrant child detention centre. This begs the question, was this really the appropriate statement jacket to wear on a trip such as this one? Not only was this seen as hugely ignorant and rude ,but it was also very clear that Melania would only wear this jacket once then throw it away, not being very sustainable; she is not a good role model in any aspects. This just shows that fashion really does speak volumes- it can send a message not just about your personality and taste but about who you are as a person, what you think of the world and what you find important. This really got me thinking about fashion, not just as an artistic statement but also a statement of identity and policy! What do you really believe and are you willing to show it with what you wear?

As I have previously mentioned in my blog post surrounding my work experience with Nina Morris, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit down with her and discuss her views on sustainability and how she brings it into her own brand and embodies it.  Nina is one hundred percent sustainable and she takes great pride in being able to say this; many designers and factory houses these days would not be able to say this. Nina branded her clothes as “sustainable style,” which is highly appropriate. None of Nina’s clothes are mass produced and all of her pieces are authentic and individual, you will not find them anywhere else. All of Nina’s pieces are hand printed and dyed using natural organic dyes and vintage printing stamps. Each item is one of a kind and is meant to be kept for a lifetime; Nina works around the ethos of ‘mothers pass on pieces to daughters’. Nothing is factory made, it is all made with integrity. This gives other fashion designers something to look up to.

When people ask me where I am from, I find it very hard to answer. I was born and spent a lot of my childhood in Perth, Australia and have also lived in Bali and Singapore. I now live in the United Kingdom, however I do not categorically call it my ‘home’. Because of my transient upbringing, travel has been a fundamental part of my life for as long as I remember. For this reason, the place where I honestly feel most at home is when I am travelling around, visiting the places I grew up in.

Each country I have lived in, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and England, have all been extremely influential in making me the person I am today, providing me with my individual perspective, style and outlook. I have become an extremely open minded person and I believe that one should remain open to ideas, concepts and differences. I believe that the greatest gift one can give someone is the chance to travel and explore the world and provides individuals with a global outlook.

When considering Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and England; They all have very different styles and atmospheres. Australia presents us with an effortless beach chic look. Bali displays a more detailed and at times ceremonial focus. Singapore conveys one with the high-end street style culture, arguably the original ‘hype beasts’. Finally, England demonstrates an old fashioned, presentable ‘posh’ attire with hounds tooth blazers and white crisp shirts. Yes, one may say that I am stereotyping however, this is my condensed outlook on each of these locations collective style.

In relation to fashion, I believe that fashion itself has become increasingly global in its outlook and influence- it is a reflection of our globalised world. As I have mentioned I travelled extensively and I have been fortunate enough to connect with many different cultures.

I deeply appreciate the many ways that humans find to express themselves via what they wear. Spending part of my childhood growing up in Indonesia I discovered a new world, covered in decadence and beauty. The simplest things amazed me, such as how there are so many different types of textiles and weaving techniques. The motifs that they use are filled with meaning, with different types of pattern from different islands. The women’s ceremonial gold dress is one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I have seen, they are all hand stitched with pure gold thread carefully placed alongside magnificent flowers and patterns. When I was younger, I would look up to these women as if they were some sort of mythological goddesses; they held such a power through their clothing. I believe that this a demonstration that shows you that fashion itself is a type of communication – there can be messages woven in the threads. A way of speaking without words. This is an example of one of the reasons why I truly believe what we wear can hold such power.

The first thing you cannot help but to notice when you walk into Nina’s show room is her gorgeous smile and her beautiful collection of clothing, precisely hung up on gold delicate racks. Nina Morris is a designer who can proudly say her clothing line is one hundred percent sustainable, her clothes are pieces you will keep for a life time. Each piece of her collection is delicately handmade, Nina ensures that there is zero waste is her production process. Alongside sustainability, Nina also accepts and welcomes the ever changing world we live in. She understands that as technology develops, designers and craftsmen need to follow. Nina said to me that, “there is a new medium where modern technology can correspond with artisan craftsmanship, creating a new paradigm for fashion and consumerism”. Nina believes in her consumers being educated and ‘buying smart’; buying clothes that will be able to be passed down generation and generation.

Upon asking Nina what her inspiration is for her vibrant clothes she replied with “travel”, “travel is my number one inspiration”. In Nina’s life she has lived in New York, LA, Mexico and Costa Rica. Nina especially said that Mexico was one of her biggest inspirations, she described it as a “feast for her senses”. Through her pieces it is clear that Nina is drawn to colour. She takes inspiration from everywhere she goes, “you just need to look around, be curious and excited about the world around us”. 

Nina holds the same values as myself when it comes to clothes, the clothes  you wear need to make you feel good as well as making you look good. Nina has always been a sustainable designer, she has never mass produced and there is very little waste. All of the clothes are made in London which enables Nina to control the quality and quantity, she works closely with the fabric teams and the seamstresses. Having a close relationship with the people Nina works with is very important to her. At school Nina studies textiles and fashion, Nina herself does all the hand printing and dying for her eye catching prints.

Diving deeper into sustainability I asked Nina more about her thoughts on sustainability, she expressed that in this day and age designers must be sustainable or they simply will not last. The waste of clothes is killing out planet. While I was shadowing Nina she recommended me one of her favourite books, “Fashionopolis”. I have truly enjoyed reading it and it has taught me some very interesting things about the fashion world. There is a lot of corruption and greed that surrounds fashion and the production of clothes these days. That is why being able to sit down and talk to Nina was such a pleasure and a lovely experience.

A

xx 

‘What should I wear?’, this is one of the most fundamental questions we asks ourselves, everyday at least if not more. What we wear represents who we are, our personality and it is a projection of how we want the world and others to view us. In the ever changing world that we live in, one thing that remains constant is fashion and the desire to keep up-to-date with the latest trends and looks. The concept of fashion has been around longer than us all; what truely amazes me is that we are able to look back into the classical Roman and Greek ages and still see influences on the clothing that we wear today. The past is the root of our future.

For example some of my favourite staple items in my wardrobe are my gold coin necklaces that I wear daily, my long white dresses and my ancient greek sandals – all of which has taken an inlfunces around the Greek and Roman styles. Some may disregard fashion and what they wear however, I believe the clothes that we wear hold a great influence . They embody who we are and how we want to be identified.

During my Lockdown period I was at home with my family, my mother made a house rule; every evening for Supper we would all sit down together and we had to dress up as if we were going out. For my family lockdown was a very strange time as we are all very accustomed to be travelling and going out for the majority the time. By creating this simple rule myself and my family were able to adapt to the new reality of not being able to go out.

Being completely honest this is something that saved me during those longs months, it became embeded into our routine and it was a time of day i looked forwad to. Some may say it sounds shallow or materialistic but the power of putting on a lovely dress, some lipgloss and nice shoes is marvelous, it would comeplty change my mood. What we wear holds great power, not only the power to change the way we feel about ourselves but also the way we make others feel. There is a large element of self respect when we choose what to wear. My mother has always said to me that “Dressing well is a privlege and also good manners, it is about presenting your best self to the world and to yourself”. These are the wise words that i have learnt to live by when deciding what i should wear everyday. Personally i think that the key is to get dressed with intention and respect, not only for oursleves, but also others around us.

A

xx