4 minute read
FASHION FIERCE
Disney Andreas
– The Ethical Fashionista
Sustainability has been a growing concern in the fashion industry with global producers of fashion brands facing increasing pressure to be ethical in their business practices and ensure little to no harm comes to people, animals and the planet. Namibian blogger, stylist and avid environmentalist Disney Andreas is passionate about sustainability in fashion and is a walking example of how fashion consumers can make small contributions to save the planet. In this interview, she talks about her ethos on sustainability in fashion and the ways in which she lives by example… How would you describe your style? I live by my own rules when it comes to style. My style is meant for the streets. If you can imagine the street style at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, then you’d probably understand me better. I like a very experimental top boy and minimalist look. Medium-to-largesized T-shirts, loose pants, and boy-like shoes. What does ethical fashion mean to you? Ethical fashion means better wages for the people making your garments. It means that fashion brands need to be transparent to us (the consumers), that they indeed consider environmental laws and regulations, seeing that the fashion industry is the biggest contributing factor to climate change issues. Ethical fashion means that as a consumer, we need to educate ourselves and others on how we can reduce our carbon footprint. It also means that we need to call out brands that are harming our environment and say no to fast fashion. Do you have one tip on style from your mother/elder that is still relevant today? My mother always told me to get timeless and top quality pieces. That way I don’t spend a lot of time or money on meaningless items in my closet. the opportunity to educate people using the Monochrome Magazine platform and conversations around ethical fashion emerged from that. I also believe that ethical fashion is quite an expensive direction to follow, especially for fashion designers in Namibia. From creating or sourcing the fabric to the production of a garment which finally ends up in my closet at the price of a gazillion Namibia dollars? No, I don’t think ethical fashion is feasible in Namibia at this point. Name some of the ways in which you recycle/upcycle pieces in your wardrobe. My wardrobe comprises a lot of hand-me-downs from my mom. I recently worked with Namibian fashion designer Miles Meroro on recreating a blazer from my late uncle. The end product was nothing short of magic. A majestic work of art form the genius that Miles is. Whatever I no longer need or like I hand over to family and friends. How can fashionistas become more conscious of the environment? I would advise that you do some research before you buy anything, about where you are buying it from. Read up on organisations such as the Fashion Revolution which have done such a great job at disseminating cool and understandable information on fair, safer, cleaner, more transparent fashion brands and environmentally conscious consumers in the industry. Disney continues to spread the messages on fashion sustainability, and one of the ways in which she does that is by contributing to strengthening the second-hand clothing industry in Namibia. Her clothing exchange event Swap My Look, which brings together like-minded fashionistas who share ethical principles, is a perfect example. To keep up with Disney’s fashionably responsible life and to join her next Swap My Look event, follow her on Instagram: @disney.andreas. My style is meant for the streets. If you can imagine the street style at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, then you’d probably understand me better.
How feasible is sustainable fashion in Namibia? I believe that people have not grasped what fast fashion and what ethical fashion is. It is a very new concept to almost every fourth person I come into contact with. I have had
Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Concept Engineer, PR Consultant, and fashion writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni.
THTH
