Fashion Forward

Fashion Forward

Fashion plays an important part in our creative expression, but clothing that also sustains our planet’s resources is becoming increasingly essential

Oddli’s unique flair shines through in this eclectic photoshoot modeling the brand’s patchwork shorts

On average, it takes 1800 gallons the two soon bonded over their shared inof water to make a single pair terest in sustainable fashion. What started of jeans. The fashion industry as the two women’s senior capstone projcontributes to our earth’s dried up wa- ect quickly became a real company, and ter sources and pollutes our rivers and Oddli was born. streams—all the while, 85% of all textiles “Our [love for sustainability] came get thrown into the dump each year. from growing up in the natural world and

While fashion to the average person is believing in it so much,” Neff said. a way to unleash creativ- When researchity and communicate a narrative to others about “Our [love for ing the gaps in the fashion industry and our identity, to many sustainability] came brainstorming the designers, having a min imal environmental im - from just growing up type of clothing she wanted to make, Neff pact is becoming equally in the natural world was drawn to deadas important. stock. This material is

Oddli is an LA-based and believing in it so the excess fabric typcompany whose mission is to create beautiful much.” ically thrown away if a clothing company clothing items that are Jensen Neff, does not use it. sustainably manufac- CCO of Oddli Clothing “[We had the] tured. With the forma- challenge of, how can tion of Oddli in 2020, Chief Creative we take this 14 million pounds of material Officer (CCO) Jensen Neff was able to that has been thrown away every day, and combine her love for fashion with her pas- get over the roadblock of it’s non-uniforsion for renewable living. While at Stan- mity,” Neff said. ford University, she met Ellie Chen and Partners Neff and Chen were able to overcome this challenge by deciding that their first clothing line would be patchwork apparel that was made from patches of different fabrics. This way, no deadstock would go to waste and each clothing item would be completely unique.

Neff also found throughout the development of Oddli that sustainability was not as straightforward of a process as simply using recycled materials. She discovered that there is a lack of regulation in the clothing industry, leading to issues such as seamstresses being paid below minimum wage.

“Because the industry is so under regulated, it has had to be me and [Chen] creating the regulation ourselves, even if it costs us more,” Neff said. “The industry doesn’t demand it and people are just getting away with unethical stuff.”

But it is this commitment to sustainability in every step of Oddli’s development that has led to the company’s success. Neff emphasizes that Oddli will continue to grow and bring even more to the world of sustainable fashion in the future.

Text by EMMA JOING and RACHAEL VONDERHAAR Design by EMMA JOING • Photos courtesy of JENSEN NEFF and ANUSHKA SARKAR

“I think that patchwork was a great first step, but we’re excited to expand because there are so many issues in the fashion industry and each of them are opportunities to tackle,” Neff said.

Not only are full-fledged companies like Oddli finding ways to create a more sustainable fashion industry, but students at Paly are also taking big steps in the right direction.

Senior Anusha Sarkar started designing her own clothing when she was younger in a sketch book that was always filled with ideas, many of which she never thought would go beyond the page. Over the years, her passion for fashion only grew stronger.

“Fashion is the expression of emotion, Sarkar said. “[It’s] the harmony between creativity and construction technique.”

In the summer of 2019, Sarkar attended a Fiber Science and Apparel Design course at Cornell University. There, she was inspired to use her creativity in her designs toward helping create a better world through fashion, and through cre- people in the factories are treated,” Sarkating her own clothing line. After studying ar said. “Sustainability is also relevant several vendors, she decided on a sustain- when sourcing materials, where they are able apparel mill in Louisiana, obtained coming from and how that contributes her first bolts of material and got to work. to the world’s carbon footprint. The ul-

Although her brand, Scout, was only timate goal of sustainability and sustainlaunched in the Summer of 2020, Sark- able fashion is to preserve the world we ar hopes to grow her company to raise live in today.” awareness about the It all breaks down treatment of our to the idea that we world. Sarkar aims “The ultimate goal have been living as if to help others feel as though they have of sustainability and we don’t plan on seeing another day on left their mark on the sustainable fashion is our planet. We have world while expressing themselves through a to preserve the world been taking resources without replenishing community that works we live in today.” or giving back to our together for a better tomorrow. Anusha Sarkar, senior environment. So next time you go out to Like Neff, Sarkar buy a brand new pair understands the various layers of what it of jeans, think about what goes into that means to be a renewable fashion source. piece of clothing and consider buying it

“To me, sustainability isn’t just about from a renewable clothing brand to do having a ‘sustainable garment,’ but it also your part in contributing to a more susextends to the workforce and how the tainable future.

Scout’s first clothing line was a collection of sweatshirts; the frost grey sweatshirt is shown here Jensen Neff carefully chooses fabric from bolts of deadstock to use in Oddli’s patchwork line