5 minute read
Poetry In Motion
Words by Bec Doyle | December 21 2020
The LA Based, British Fashion Designer Julia Clancey, is predominantly known for her fabulous collection of Luxury Kaftans and Turbans, with her designs worn by some of the biggest names in Fashion including Dita Von Teese, Megan Fox and Sienna Miller. Now the designer is committed to creating her fabulous designs sustainably, debuting her first completely Vegan and Sustainable collection right here with M. Citizen Magazine.
Advertisement
Obiani wears the Hemp Edith turban & hemp Tassel Queen Mask.
PHOTOGRAPHY Albert Sanchez & Pedro Zalba @SanchezZalba ARTWORK Lisa Donohoe & Brynn Gelbard @londubhstudio MAKEUP by Lilly Keys at A-Frame Agency @lilly_Keys. HAIR Gregg Lennon Jr. @gregglennonjr
A vegan/vegetarian for most of her life Clancey hasn’t eaten meat for over 40 years. “It just seemed right to me, given my beliefs, that this is what I should be doing.” She admits some naivety when it came to fabrics that had long been a part of her collections, including silk.
But sourcing sustainable fabrics came with its own set of challenges for Clancey and she soon realized the massive void in sustainable fabrics available here in the US, and what WAS available was ridiculously overpriced. While on her sourcing mission, Clancey visited a sustainable fair in London, “The Future Fabrics Expo”, which seemed to have an incredible selection, “They had some great fabrics, but the problem was there was hardly anyone there from the companies I had interest in,” she says. Hitting yet another obstacle, she did however make contact with a company out of the Netherlands that made a great sustainable velour, but found the communication difficult when trying to secure the fabric due to export difficulties. The next issue she faced was how to dye the materials. Torn between natural and chemical dyes, realizing the natural route might not actually be better, Clancey explains “The process on how the dye is extracted is an issue and new developments with dyeing using less water, it’s just lots of learning. If you’re a small independent brand like me, there’s just so much you need to learn, and I guess it’s still quite early, so in a few years it’s going to be a lot easier for people.” It really is a full time job. Clancey investigated alternative options for things like plastic beading, considering glass, only to realize glass is not classed assustainable as it is not biodegradable. She adds "Not everything needs to go in the garden and be broken down, if something is made really, really well - I design things to be handed down for generations." Clancey describes her new Sustainable capsule collection "Poetry in Motion” as very romantic, and reveals some of the designs are a throwback to her earliest collections.
she says. From its inception she knew she wanted her sustainable collection to be “a little bit more exciting.” On hearing that the Winter issue of M. Citizen was going to have a focus on mental health, Clancey was inspired by different states of emotion, leading her to base the collection around the Pierrot Doll. “The people that I wanted to bring into the shoot also inspired me,” she adds. Clancey successfully avoided the dull preconceptions of ‘vegan’ and ‘sustainable’ with this stunning collection. Beautiful shapes and textures are created through her meticulous search for the best in sustainable fabrics. She adds pops of color with naturally dyed organic cotton tassels, and also features unisex designs, “I have so many guys that wear my stuff, I wanted to do something that kind of flowed between the two.” Clancey reveals she is constantly asked when she is going to create a menswear collection, to which she amusingly admits would be “as camp as Christmas.”
Clancey has been operating at zero was for a few years now. While visiting the factory where her fabrics were being cut she noticed a long line of cut-off fabric ‘waste’ that was headed for the trash. She initially used this excess fabric to make scarves until it eventually became the fabric for her signature turbans. “That’s how that side of the business developed, from waste, and making it into something” she says, a principal she has applied to all her excess materials, down to the tiniest of sequins left on the design room floor. “Im a proper little hoarder. I think it started when I was little, I would always go crazy if my mom didn’t recycle,” she says. Clancey collects all the unused materials and volunteers with “Art Of Elysium”, donating fabric scraps to set up crafting stations for the kids, remarking how amazed and impressed she is by their innovative creations.
Packaging, Clancey explains, is another monster in itself, and has always been a real challenge, with Department stores like Matches and Harrods demanding very strict guidelines when sending goods. To adhere to guidelines Clancey began making her eye masks packaging out of recycled plastic but admits;
Clancey’s dedication to minimizing her carbon footprint is admirable, even adding “PLEASE RECYCLE” boldly on all of her packaging as a reminder to her customers. Clancy’s turban boxes are also made from recycled materials , and even better she notes that these boxes often become a keepsake for the customer. “My swing tags are made from recycled card, but then the ribbon is not sustainable. So it’s all those little details of things, which take time.”
India wears Hand pleated Cupro Madam Fan kaftan, & Full moon collar
“I think one thing we need right now, and I’d love to see, is a platform where we can all help and advise each other. The one thing I find a little bit disheartening with some of the big luxury brands or even some of the high street brands, as much as they’re doing all this incredible development, there’s no access for people like myself or other young designers or established designers, whoever, to learn from that or have access.” Clancey is very passionate in her belief that for the growth and development of sustainable materials and practices, information should be shared, to become more accessible and affordable. She recalls contacting a well known brand for information regarding a new sustainably developed faux fur they were using and getting nowhere.
Obiani wears Abundance hand pleated cocktail dress in Viscose
