S/S 2021
sustainable fashion magazine
RAZD
issue i
CONTENTS
SPRING / SUMMER '21 EDITOR'S LETTER 3 AS RETAIL SAILS PLUMMET, ARE MAJOR BRANDS READY TO EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY? 4-5 WASTE, BUT MAKE IT FASHION 6-9 EDITORIAL : WONDERLUST 10 - 17 IN CONVERSATION WITH ... ELISA PALOMINO 18 - 20 TRANSPARENCY REWORKED 22 - 29 IN CONVERSATION WITH ... KATHERINE POGSON 30 - 31 THE ESSENCE OF JOY 32 - 35 LETS TALK ABOUT : HAREM LONDON 36 - 39
Illustration by
CAN SUSTAINABLE FASHION INFLUENCE OUR WELLBEING? 40
Nienke Creemers
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Nienke Creemers
Illustration by
EDITOR'S LETTER
raze /reiz/ (verb) past tense: razed; past participle: razed 1. completely destroy (a building, town, or other settlement).
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hile 2020 may not have given us much to celebrate, there’s one phrase that became more prevalent over the last 12 months: “I can’t wait to go back to normal.” But what is normal now? At first, it may sound quite innocent, and – of course, we all long for comfort during these uneasy times. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world beyond a deadly pandemic? Or to see their friends and loved ones again, celebrating a birthday or pay-raise? Or never hearing the word ‘social distancing’ again? Who wouldn’t want to feel happy and calm and … normal? But the truth is that there is no ‘normal’ to return to, because ‘normal’ wasn’t working – ‘normal’ is what got us here. The boisterous events of 2020 made it abundantly clear that the system built on injustice, ignorance, and exploitation wasn’t working. In order for us to grow, and be better; do better, we must not look back at the mistakes of our past. We must rethink the many aspects of our lives; our values, our attitudes, our compassion, our priorities. What and how we consume. What we stand for and how we voice it. This is precisely what this magazine is all about: voicing the incredible work of sustainability-focused changemakers within fashion. Giving them a space to display their creativity, their honourable passion of sustainability, and their drive to change the system from within, while simultaneously allowing the reader to explore and learn of new initiatives in fashion design. The story of Olivia Weber (page 6), a craftsman dedicated to supplying low-income mothers with necessary skills to find employment is an accurate representation of the direction of this magazine. A selfless act of kindness and compassion; fundamental in the aftermath of the pandemic. Meanwhile, a special editorial and interview with Looped Reworked (page 22) founder and creative director, Beth Arthurs, explores the process of learning about sustainability, and opening a
business in the wake of a pandemic. At the hight of lockdowns throughout the world, the usually-stubborn fashion industry turned to the digital realm for aid with fashion week shows and presentations in September. Designers, fashion houses, and creatives embracing the long-available resources for which Diane Wallinger (page 32) has mastered in a short space of time. Her digital collection is a futuristic euphoria – quite literally. Speaking of her current collection; a journey of emotional and physical wellbeing influenced by material, colour, and meditative state, takes the consumer on a path of exploring the future of fashion. It is a magazine highlighting devotion for a better future of our people and our planet. Interviews with sustainability experts, the great Elisa Palomino (page 18) and Katherine Pogson (page 30), share the innovative and alternative ways of production within the industry – ones that do not generate waste and destruction, but hone in on by-products and change of global perspective. Completing the issue is an article from NHS’ finest psychologist and a dear friend of mine, Eleanor Ciarciaglini, who dives into the psychological influences clothing has on our identity and wellbeing, as well as how it can influence our behaviour – especially when shopping sustainably. I feel privileged to provide a space for all these creative change-makers, designers, and illustrators – to have had the opportunity to speak to them about their work and hopes of the future of the industry. Some may be hopeful, but some consider more work needs to be done – and we are here precisely to do that. Welcome to the first issue of RAZD Magazine.
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as retail sales plummet, are major brands ready to embrace ?
sustainability
In the wake of COVID-19 and it’s increasing economic disruptions, fastfashion giants are beginning to fall one by one into administrations and bankruptcies. Could retailers finally embrace sustainability to recover from the pandemic? WORDS BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA
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e’ve all been told many times over that the fashion industry is the top pollutant of our planet, but what many may not realise is how some companies are establishing sustainable and value-orientated practices to boost their sales, making vast profits right in the middle of a global pandemic. Seeming to have fuelled a new eco-consciousness, consumers have begun to increasingly look for sustainable alternatives in the market. Luxury fashion leaders, like Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, have spoken out about the rigorous nature of the fashion business - pledging to going ‘season-less’ and taking on more responsibility within the industry. Since the stay-at-home orders were enforced in mid-March, consumers increasingly re-evaluated their priorities - particularly when it came to fashion. Encompassed by the trend, which highlighted the troubles facing fast-fashion retailers, more and more shoppers begun demanding sustainable practices and transparency from brands - willing to expose and abandon those who do not oblige.
Retail giants like the Arcadia Group, Debenhams, and Victoria’s Secret, have all entered administration after the first lockdown wave. The announcements plastered on every news outlet in the country - but are we really that surprised? Their business models, like many other fast-fashion brands, prioritise profit over people and planet. During the first wave of the pandemic, they cancelled over £100 million orders from overseas manufacturers - causing much criticism for their behaviour and treatment of the 4
vulnerable manufacturing workers, leaving thousands without income.
Temporary store closures and mass unemployment caused a decline in sales across the whole sector, leaving major companies struggling to sustain their affairs in the wake of the pandemic. Businesses took a huge loss over the whole year, with Kering alone having a £2.9 billion decline in the first 2020 quarter.
For some brands, this was a wake-up call to reformulate their business plans and go back to basics. Earlier this year, Alessandro Michele devised a plan for Gucci to cut down to only two collections per year, saying, “I hope that the choices we do make will respect the actual timing of fashion and factories, and the people who work there.” By reducing the collection output, Michele wants to increase the sustainability of the fashion we buy, and as an industry leader (with a revenue close to £9 billion), other brands are expected to follow soon. Companies who have embraced sustainable business models earlier in the year have been thriving during the pandemic. Recent statistics show that E.l.f. Cosmetics have generated a 60 per cent surge of new customers - offering high-quality, vegan, cruelty-free, and inclusive beauty at an affordable price point.
“Gen Z consumers are looking to vote [with their wallet] for brands that care about the things that they themselves care about,” says CMO of E.l.f. Cosmetics, Kory Marchisotto. “The strength of our purpose has come up loud and clear from them as one of the features driving our success right now.”
A key player in the race for sustainability has long been held by the high-street brand, H&M, with their Conscious
collection - made of at least 50 per cent sustainably sourced or recycled materials. Despite facing backlash for their fast production cycles, which are the very antithesis of sustainable practice, Georgina Waltier, H&M’s sustainability manager in the UK, justifies the brand’s approach by saying, “we want to use our large size and scale to really drive systemic change across the entire industry”. Waltier explains, “we are investing in new innovations to bring more sustainable materials to scale, so [they] can be affordable.”
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Gen Z consumers are looking to vote [with their wallet]" The brand’s strategic decision to keep on track with all its initiatives gave them a strong advantage at the start of the year. The Swedish retailer reported only a 10% loss in the fourth quarter (approximately 8% less compared to other high-street brands), positioning them well in the fight to recover in the industry market post-pandemic. Their ‘Conscious’ collection and the brand’s sustainability-focused values are their greatest advantage. A survey conducted earlier this year found that 67 per cent of consumers consider the use of sustainable materials as a purchasing factor, while 63 per cent also look at the way the brand promotes sustainability.
The future of retail, fashion, and beauty past the pandemic remains unpredictable, but with the considerable increase of ‘eco' popularity and the rise of the sustainable consumer, maybe it is time for the major retailers and fashion groups to take note and reevaluate their business models to fit with the increasing consumer and society demand - if they want to adapt to the ‘new normal’.
Balancing the short and long term, is critical for sustainable investment, and finding that balance in the midst of COVID-19 is a real challenge. Businesses who have shown greater resilience against the pandemic implications have been those who demonstrated a nature of sustainable approach on a macro and micro level.
Illustration by
Having suited their demands and preferences with the times, it is not enough for fashion and beauty brands to just sell high-quality and stylish products. Consumers look for brands who have values and make an impact on society; whether that’s environmental, social, or inclusive ideals, and they are willing to abandon the brands who do not represent and identify with their values.
Nienke Creemers
A recent study done by MSCI Index found that the COVID-19 pandemic vividly highlighted the intertwined nature of the world’s social and economic systems, showing that sustainable brands with higher environmental, social, and corporate governance (“ESG”) factors provide higher success rates in the long-term. With consumers shopping mindfully and cost-consciously, raising demand for sustainable and value-orientated brands, why aren’t more brands adapting the sustainable model?
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WASTE, BUT
n o i h s a F
MAKE IT
An innovator, an entrepreneur, and a force for change to the capitalistic fashion system - Olivia Weber rolls up her sleeves to make it her mission to constitute an industry to be more inclusive, sustainable, and just for all women. WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA
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ith a motion of gliding scissors through patterned fabrics and the smell of white chalk in the air, six women worked tirelessly by their allocated table spaces, measuring tapes hanging from around their necks - barely noticing my presence. Olivia welcomed me into her humble factory setting, introducing me to the six diligent women who were consumed by their own process of production.
Defining herself as “an inclusive feminist”, Olivia Webber has been a force for change within her neighbourhood in Walthamstow. The founder and creative director of Trashion Factory, provides free upskilling workshops dedicated to supporting women and singlemothers from low-income backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to find employment with their newly learnt sustainable craftsmanship skills in the demanding fashion industry. Before her solo endeavour, Olivia was part of a trio - JOA (Julia, Olivia, Anna). “We started JOA together,” she explains, “[but] then COVID happened, which made us rethink the way we make, where we live, and how close we are to the people we love”. Olivia’s former partners decided to go back to their home countries, to be closer to their family - yet for Olivia, London was her newly-found home and she wasn’t about to give up on her passion of the brand and community engagement. The sentimental service sprung from loosing her late aunt to cancer a few years ago, who was like a second-mother to Olivia.
Unwilling to part with her belongings, she decided to bring them back to life through merging together different items to form new designs, rather than have them stored away in a box at her parent’s house.
The trio graduated from London College of Fashion, where they met and created the brand - winning them the Enterprise Challenge Award in 2019. Their ethos was (and still is) about using unwanted clothing and re-purposing them into personalised bomber jackets, through zero waste and upcycling of materials, whilst involving the local community alongside the process.
Running different workshops throughout the year (lasting 6-10 weeks each), Olivia’s students have a true opportunity to learn different craft skills; through pattern cutting and sawing to kimono designing, eventually involving them in Trashion Factory’s branded t-shirt production and design, where the chosen designs will give profits to the creator from each sold item. “I try to involve them in as many opportunities as possible,” Olivia explains, “nurturing this factory of kindness and support system.”
Besides providing her students with life-long skills of craftsmanship, Olivia educates them on the matters of sustainability and upcycling materials, creating a sustainable craftsmanship from the start.“It's interesting how its actually quite an easily available material,” she explains, “once you know what you're doing.”
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Through gathering excess materials from warehouses and reusing unwanted fabrics from friends and family, Olivia created a stable and sustainable business model for her brand that is truly beneficial for the environment and the local community. Being tired of the so-called ‘craftsmanship’ many companies identify as, Olivia explains that in reality “it’s just constant producing and manufacturing”. Many luxury and fast-fashion corporations define themselves as ‘craftsmen’, yet their garments are produced in factories overseas in overwhelming quantities by workers. “I find craft to be people making things” she says, “not seeing them as human machines or just being another piece of machinery.” The realities of the fashion industry are no secret to anyone worker exploitation, hazardous chemicals dumped into drinking rivers, slave labour; are just to name the few. “There’s so much going on in our society that’s illegal,” says Olivia, “and the people know about it, the state knows about it, and they don’t do anything.” That’s why, designers like Olivia, have had to create their own sustainable structure of the new and improved fashion future that puts planet and people first to make a change in the system.
The fair treatment of workers and using true craftsmanship in her designs; the price of the garment is inevitably raised to cover all the ethical labour used in production. “I always try to keep my prices down as much as possible,” Olivia explains, “because I don’t want to feed into this capitalising system, where only the very wealthy people can afford craftsmanship”.
As a designer, Olivia doesn’t have experience working for major manufacturers or designers to which she sees a huge benefit. Established designers and fashion houses are sceptical to change, and they don’t realise there may be other options of production that are more sustainable and beneficial. “The design houses and manufacturing are so separate,” she says, “[it] seems to be the common problem where designers are not taking enough responsibility.”
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Nurturing this factory of kindness and support system."
Being a strong advocate for sustainability, Olivia is conscious about her clothing habits. We, as consumers, are so used to buying excess amounts of cheap garments; whether it be due to sales, or simply being bored with our current wardrobes. “The hardest thing I find is not falling into the trap of the system,” she explains, but for Olivia, it primarily comes down to a shift of perspective and appreciation of what you already have. “I see my clothes almost as people”, she says. “I’ve had some of them for so many years, that I have a wardrobe full of memories.” She emphasises to trying to establish relationships with the clothing you already have, and if you really feel for adding something new to your current wardrobe - ideally, to buy second-hand. “What I find sad at the moment, is that all brands create very similar things,” she says, “and that’s why so many items are thrown away - because it’s not interesting or doesn’t fit right.”
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I’m hoping that in the future, there’s going to be loads of different sizes, designs, style, and diversity,”
The beauty of buying vintage or upcycled clothing from sites like Depop, is the personalisation and range of style from various fashion eras; those iconic flared jeans from the 70s, that altered bomber jacket from the 90s that’s a bit more current, or that pair of Dr. Marten’s that you’ve wanted for so long, but couldn’t afford. Instead of being thrown away, the items are repurposed and find a new home; allowing for a circular fashion system.
The constant production of new collections, repetitiveness, and endless seasons contribute to the ‘throw-away culture’ we have succumbed to. “Its not made for the diversity of human beings we have on our planet”, Olivia explains. We are not all made of identical physiques, each of us is completely different from one aspect to the other, for instance; the length of our torso, or the waist-tohip ratio, our breast shape - so why are we letting fashion companies treat us like we’re all one person? “I’m hoping that in the future, there’s going to be loads of different sizes, designs, style, and diversity,” says Olivia, “a very colourful future.” 9
Explore new depths of the season's most
liberating fashion
Photography and Styling by Viktoria Bielawa Modelled by Istem Yalcin & Laken Young
Wanderl
lust
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All products within this feature are sourced from second-hand stores or have been previously owned by the editor and/or models.
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Elisa
In Conversation with...
Palomino A world-renowned-fashion-designer-turnedacademic, Elisa Palomino is an advocate for the future of fashion, training the next generation of ‘the greats’ and pioneering ancestorial craftsmanship of luxury leather alternatives.
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lisa Palomino has the kind of style you just can’t buy that eccentric je ne sais quoi that is eye-catching, without being attention-seeking. Today’s signature soft-pink flower accessory is as evident as when she first debuted on New York Fashion Week in 2010. It was like looking through a timemachine rather than the screen of my laptop. With a rather intimidating fashion career spanning for over 25 years, Elisa radiates warmth, kindness, and genuine care (even through a screen), which is certainly reflected in her most recent project – the Indigenous Arctic Fish Skin. As an abiding sustainability expert, even during her glamorous and worldly fashion weeks, she has used her experiences in the industry to train the next generation of fashion designers. “You bring a legacy,” says Elisa, “it’s very fulfilling.” Currently a lecturer for Fashion Print Pathway at Central Saint Martins, her past is drafted by training from some of the greatest fashion houses, including a personal mentor, John Galliano, along with Christian Dior, and Roberto Cavalli, Elisa decided to leave the boisterous world of fashion design and labels, to pioneer sustainable practices within the Fashion education curriculum. 18
WORDS BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA Obviously, you have such a vast recognition in the fashion industry. What made you take the academic route? My role was always as head of studio - it was very much like being a teacher since the beginning. I started recruiting and being in charge of interns, and that was particularly evident when I worked at John Galliano and Christian Dior. I would travel the world recruiting students to come and work with us, getting the best talent. Every three months I would change the team and have up to 13 young adults working with me, all coming from very different backgrounds – sometimes students and sometimes self-taught. After those 25 years, there was a time where I was a little disappointed with what was going on in fashion, so I decided that I need to start sharing all my knowledge. It's one of the jobs that I've been most happy with, because it's very fulfilling – you bring a legacy. I've learned all the mistakes and the good things as well, which have been really helpful for my students. I do think that teachers need an experience in the industry before they start teaching, otherwise, there's not much they can share. Even now, I'm still working within the industry
and as a PhD student – I can bring a lot back to their plate. I think we need to keep on renovating ourselves because students are extremely smart and extremely demanding. That's very, very true. And do you ever miss the preparation and adrenaline of fashion week? Not really, because with the final year students, I almost get like 20 mini fashion weeks. Every year I'm helping these students have their own fashion show. I prepare them through the final year series to reach that goal. My job doesn't stop with the portfolios, but with the collections - helping them with styling, and how the collection will come out. We had some incredible shows from our students. A couple of years ago, one student actually did a whole performance, where we've had to change up the whole setup of the university catwalk - they all hated me! It was really challenging, but I never say no to anything. The dreams of my students always come first. I always try to make sure that whatever they dream, it becomes true. In a way, its facilitating their ideas, which is then multiplied by 20 or more. You’re like a fashion godmother!
Speaking of shows - some luxury brands, like Gucci, with Alessandro Michele, are taking the stance against mass production, season-less collections, and scaling down. Do you think other brands will possibly follow soon? Will this become a new trend?
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It can't be a trend, we got to do things differently. We really need to embrace sustainability to be part of the whole process. Already, at universities - all the projects have to be embedded in sustainability. And all of you are thinking that way, you are imposing all the new health decisions and active lifestyles, and then follow it. For instance, Marie-Claire Daveu, head of sustainability at Kering, always said the same thing to students whenever we worked with her, "[it's] much more scary coming and talking to you than talking to a whole group of CEOs from luxury brands, because I know, your questions are going to be very direct, and your ideas are revolutionary". I think after COVID it’s even more clear, the way everything has been affected, from transportation to stocks. We really need to make sure that our sustainability, climate change and social sustainability is all tackled. If brands want to stay alive, they're really going to have to learn to work in that direction.
I was a little disappointed with what was going on in fashion" You have adapted many sustainable practices into the university course. What does sustainability mean to you personally? Well, it means so many different things, and it's not just about how things are produced, but where are they produced? Who's the people behind them? How these people are treated? There are so many different things to consider. For instance, looking at the traditions from Arctic indigenous people. For 1000s of years were working in inhospitable habitats, where they had to deal with resilience, with not much available to them and whatever they had, they used to the limit - there was nothing that was wasted. It was treated in a very spiritual way. Honouring the animal, honouring the resources, and giving back to nature as long as there was an even intake. That's a way of thinking that we don't have anymore, we just take whatever we want.
What is the project you are currently working on? I'm working on a European project, where we try to make fish skins much more sustainable, by using Chromefree tanning gun methodologies, and natural dyeing techniques, natural water-based ink, digital printing, etc. If we first look at how these materials were used in the past, we understand what were the principles behind them. People who buy exotic-skin (like snake) want to show a certain status symbol – that they have money and are powerful. While an Alaskan woman would kill the salmon to clothe and feed her family through the winter months, using every part of the animal, and honouring it. If we look at this way of working with materials, then we can really start having a different relationship with nature: one which would be much more respectful. That's, for me, honouring the past and how it's been done, but also how it can be applied to nowadays. Everything that I've learned from these indigenous people, I make sure the knowledge is passed onto higher education students. From a young generation perspective, you have all these ideals that you would like to make with your future as a journalist, or a fashion designer. By attending these workshops, you can learn about these methods and communicate the message, reaching so many people who will then start using it as well. That's my goal. To work in many different ways, where I can really inform and, at the same time, inspire - which is what my role has been in the past as head of a studio. I was translating the ideas from Galliano into the rest of the team, and then the team was feeding them into the collections and so on. So, it's just the same type of work. As you mentioned, the aspect of traditional craftsmanship and passing skills on to others – do you think that this is the answer to mass production and limiting waste of fashion? I think we really have to go back to those skills that these incredible people have been doing for 1000s of years already and tap into why they were using them. If you think of the really harsh winters, it was a long time for them to be indoors, which we have been a lot indoors lately as well, because of COVID. We can choose between being desperate and not knowing what to do, or we can choose
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they all hated me!"
to learn new skills and crafts. In the past [they passed on skills through] storytelling from generation to generation. These families, would sit around the fire and tell stories about their family, which will really connect them with their ancestral past. They will pass on mother to daughter, and father to son all these different techniques - which were also survival techniques. They all had to learn how to sew and how to prepare the skin for a parka, because when they were out there fishing and the parka will break, it would be a matter of life and death. That's obviously not the same nowadays, but if we learn how to repair our clothes, how to take care of our clothes, and if we have made those clothes with our own hands - we realise that the process is long, but at the same time, it's so beautiful that we wouldn't be throwing things away. Within that craft, we value the amount of hours to put all these things together. I've done it myself with my own hands, learning a new skill. I think those things are important. Yes, definitely. And what is the Consortium trying to achieve with the Horizon 2020 FishSkin project? What's the long-term goal for them? The idea is working with them with fish skin material. We're mainly concentrating on salmon and looking at the lifecycle assessment of the entire process as it's a by-product of the food industry. Most of the time, the skins go wasted into the ocean, polluting the waters much more. We’re looking at ways we can upcycle the material, giving it a longer life, and looking at the different tanning technology that is available.
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[it's] much more scary talking to you than a whole group of CEOs from luxury brands, because I know, your ideas are revolutionary" 19
We're working with a laboratory in Italy, creating some new tanning methodologies. Working with natural materials, natural tannings, or with vegetable tanning [barks of trees]. We tap into that technology and all these natural dyes, with the idea that we will end up with a product which would be much more sustainable. We're also creating a portfolio of new prints and embellishment techniques, which we can offer to the luxury industry where they can choose between the two. The fish skins look exactly the same, and the cost is much less compared to exotic snake skins. We're not killing the snakes to produce the skins, they are the by-products of the food industry, and they come in this vast array of finishing. We're doing this with the perspective of a fashion industry background that a lot of the researchers have. We're also working with Japan, and I'm looking at their traditional printing techniques, working with people from Hokkaido and Kyoto Osaka University. I've been doing a lot of Indigo dye, trying to include all these Japanese crafts into the fish leather.
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That's a way of thinking that we don't have anymore, we just take whatever we want..." So, rather than an alternative to all leather, it's more the exotic leather? Yes, because it has different qualities as well. For instance, the scales are really small and narrow. Which would make it more complicated with big surfaces; like car seats or couches, you would really need to put a lot of them together. But we are working on different ways of panelling and gluing, so that there's less work of sewing. At the same time, the properties are different as well; fish leather is extremely strong, people don't even know that, but it's much stronger than cow leather. It's not about removing cow leather at all, but it's thinking as an alternative of exotics. Why fish skin? The fish leather, has been used since the 40s by Salvatore Ferragamo. He started working with a lot of craftspeople and fisheries down from the 20
north of Italy, who provided him with fish skins, where he created his own tiny methodology. At times of difficulties, like with COVID or WWII, people start thinking in much more innovative ways, which was the case of Salvatore Ferragamo. Then at Galliano, we started using fish leather in 2002, and lately, there has been quite a few other companies in Brazil who are actually using these materials too. The only thing that I thought, and by no means am I a conservationist, is if it gets popularised and everyone starts using it, wouldn't that lead to environmental and population problems down the line? Because big companies who could start buying tonnes of this leather and then it would eventually lead to not killing for the means of ‘by-product’ but killing the fish purely for the leather, do you think that could happen? No, that would never be the case. Within the project we would never go into that but we're actually working with Sterling University, who are doing a parallel European based project and they're looking at all the waste from hatcheries around Europe. It's incredible, the figures of all the waste around the world, there is definitely plenty for that. In any case, I don't think it would ever become such a big trend. It's almost like an exotic skins – there's a limited amount of people who actually indulge in exotic skins because it's very expensive. Also, fish skins are not particularly cheap neither, because there's a long process and they're quite small, and very much treated by hand because they have to be stretched by hand. The amount of work that goes into it is quite a lot. The project has never reached for bigger brands, it's more of a luxury item, that would never be the case. And do you think or are hopeful that the fashion industry can ever be truly sustainable? I think so. Yes. That depends on how much effort everybody makes. The consumers have the power, so if a consumer is asking; what does it mean? How is it made? What's the material? When they don't believe in any more greenwashing. Also, this is not just about buying an organic cotton t-shirt from, because we know that cotton has been overused. We need to look at materials that haven't been used as much. If we think of cotton or silk, materials that are really putting danger to the soil and the planet,
and the amount of water that is used to produce all this content, we really need to look at alternative materials. When designers realise that and start being much more versatile with having a bigger choice of materials, then things start getting more interesting as well.
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[They] want to show a certain status symbol – that they have money and are powerful.
You said that it's the consumer that holds the power to changing. Do you think they are the ones that should demand sustainable practices from brands? Definitely, and maybe someday demand the social sustainability in the same way with fashion campaigns to be much more engaging and inclusive. We have enough discovery with white models in fashion shows, and that has been happening for years and years. Inclusivity is something that rests in the hands of the consumers, which are from huge array of backgrounds and ethnicities. If the consumers do not feel recognised in the campaign then they won't buy the product. It's 360 degrees.
Illustration by
Nienke Creemers
TRANSPARENCY reworked
Having experienced the atrocious realities of fast-fashion first-hand, Beth Arthurs speaks of her divergence to sustainable fashion, starting a business in a pandemic, and her slight obsession with avocados.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA STYLING BETH ARTHURS MODEL EWELINA DABROWSKA
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I've learned to be more aware of the process that might have gone through"
How did you get into sustainability and So you're thinking of expanding into - literally boxes and boxes. But apart why did you chose MA Fashion Futures a clothing line of various different from that, I do a lot of charity shop runs. at London College of Fashion (UAL)? types of garments? I aim to get fast fashion brand clothing, like TopShop or Primark, because I feel I was looking into sustainability in my Yeah, sure. So, one aspect of my like people don't value that as much third year (BA Marketing), and I got face-masks is that they're reversible. in charity shops, and it's more likely to really interested in it. When I started I feel like if you've got two in go to landfill. I aim for things with cool in fashion, I worked at Arcadia and one, then you know it's a more patterns and fabrics. I go for something Boohoo fast-fashion companies. I sustainable outfit because you've different every time but also I reach out felt like I needed to be part of the got two things for your money’s to wholesalers and suppliers who have different side of fashion - the one worth. got old samples - which is something that's not doing all of this crazy stuff I'm trying to upcycle things with that I'm working on expanding, but I've to the people and planet. I love the a bit of meaning as well. I think it's got a lot to go off, at the moment. It's outline of the course because it's nice to give things a personal story. I absolutely crazy how many clothes you ‘Fashion Futures,’ not specifically try and work with different samples, acquire over a few years! sustainable fashion. It's a really diverse course What is the current project in how we approach that you're working on, at sustainability, no one's got the moment? the same perspective of sustainability as anyone I'm looking at is social else and there's only 15 of media, how we can bridge us on the MA - we all feel the gap between what differently about different people say they care things. about in sustainability and how they actually act. I That's really interesting think it's really interesting to see that everyone has how people are going very different outcomes to be more engaged in of their work. You recently sustainability in a realistic started your upcycling way, and whether people brand, Looped. When did actually want to do it in you start that? a way that is fun, gives people the feeling of We started that with two shopping. I don't think other girls, as part of the that should go away, but it collaborative unit at the should come in a different university. I really liked way. With sustainability, it's the idea of upcycling not that there's a problem, and I got into it when it's just that there's so I was in my undergrad much going on in the and when I was working world, it's really difficult for in fast fashion. Seeing people to prioritise. I think the number of samples it's quite like intimidating before they even get to sometimes as well. any customer or sign off point, there's so much I've been listening to waste already! I wanted podcasts and talks where to hone in on making use major companies and of all of the products that even models, like Cara are not being used, that Delevingne, were talking will go straight to landfill with NGOs about how otherwise. to make fashion more We tried to put on an event with a not fabrics. It's a really different sustainable. After a few weeks, it charity, but then everything happened way of working. You've got to get just stopped. At least it started the and the world shut down, so we a bit creative and stingy with your conversation... decided to focus on online. We did materials, as everything's made to tutorials of how to dye your clothes order. It's really fun to play around, I was reading on your website and with avocados and cocoa - that was just chopping up all these samples, the article with Imran Amed. That was really fun to do! then making them into something quite early on, and it was really positive It was great to share ways to be really cute. and seeming that everything's going creative in lockdown. Looped is doing to change. And now I feel like we are well, so far. I mean, people are really And where do you get those going straight back to normal. I can't buying the face-mask, because that's samples from, normally? really believe it's happening. what people need right now! I hope I can expand it a little more soon. I've got quite a lot of personal I had some hope that, through all these samples that I've acquired over the talks and webinars they had about last three years in fast fashion fashion sustainability, it seemed 25
"
Seeing the number of samples before they even get to any customer or sign off point, there's so much waste already!"
something might change in fashion. I mean, I'm not crossing it out yet, but it seems like everything's just going back to the old ways.
For me, it's being more conscious in the ways that you're approaching the product. In terms of an economic and social journey, I've learned to be more aware of the process that might have It's just so daunting as well with how gone through. But I think it's also just everything is in the market, and we trying to invest in products that you're don't know what's going to happen. going to wear. I know there's that whole It's really expensive to be a sustainable thing, “make sure you can wear it 30 brand, in terms of packaging and times,” but I do feel that if you really products, it's almost double the price. love something, you should be able You need to be in a good position to buy it and not have to feel guilty. I to be making those decisions as a think there's so much guilt - we're only brand. It’s frustrating that it's still not human! I think it's taking ownership of a priority. There's so much value in something, really making it last, and sustainable businesses, and it's just taking better care of it. Changing our really scary what it's going to be like mindset and educating yourself, or in 10 years, if actions don't happen at educate others in a relatable way, to a big level. In terms of a social level as me, that's what being sustainable is. well with what happened in Leicester. Whenever something's made in the How would you describe your brand UK, really often it's made in Leicester. values from Lopped? You wouldn't dream of directly handing your money to these exploitative I think the value is trying to look at companies, if you saw first-hand the something in a creative and relevant breakdown of costs, because it's really way. I'm trying to have fun with crazy. sustainability and revert these attitudes towards second-hand clothing. I'm I was so shocked to find out it was so trying to put across how much waste close to home. I was actually going to there is, that's completely unworn, and ask you about the Boohoo scandal and it's just going to end up in landfill if we your thoughts about why do you think don't do something with it. I think it's it's been ‘hushed’ under for so many just trying to have a new approach to years with no consequences? sustainable fashion. From an economics perspective, it's really interesting how Boohoo have spoken about not disclosing their list of supply chain, because it's hundreds of suppliers. A lot of factories are great, not all the suppliers are bad people. They've tried to say that they will lose money if they expose their supply chain, because it's their business secret, and the government didn't question it for one second. That's not how things should work. Any of the conglomerates that own massive chains, they don't make all of that money without their costs being very low. In fashion, the wages are really low across the entire industry - they exploit everyone where they can legally get away with it. So I think it's the legislation that needs to be looked at and what is driving the economy.
Oh, that's so nice! Well, fashion is known as this ‘cutthroat’ industry - very competitive. It’s so lovely to hear how completely different it is, with the approach from designers and creatives within it. It's really made me feel like everyone's on the same page. You find people who have the same values as you. It's great to be surrounded by people who actually are in fashion for the same reasons. There's just more honesty and creativity that comes with that as well. I mean, I never did dying until I came to London and started asking some of them about dyeing fabrics and found my little avocado obsession. I was not expecting an avocado to make that colour, to be honest.
Red sock in the wash! You put an emphasis on Love it. How can we, as consumers, personalisation within fashion for sustainability with your one-off pieces. increase the life of clothing to decrease Is that how you're pushing your brand? the amount of landfill and pollution?
Yeah, I'll literally have my fabrics there and video call someone or send them pictures of everything I've got, what I think would work, and get an idea of their style. I think to be involved in the creative process, is what I think is most exciting about upcycling. That's the kind of personalised element that I really want to get going. When you feel like you're part of the production process and love what you're designing, you might be a lot more attached to it. It's a lot more difficult to do on a larger scale, because it's just me. It's a great way to be testing the waters in new ways that we could work. do on a larger scale, as it's just me. Speaking about sustainability, and how Coming down to London and starting everyone has a different meaning of it. in sustainability compared to fast What does it mean to you? fashion has been a bit overwhelming, 26
but I’m so surprised with how open everyone is, and everyone wants to genuinely help each other. We're all doing it because this is a really urgent situation, not for the money, and we really care about it. I think it's that genuine care, that is really unique about the industry and the support from other people, everyone is just so willing to answer your questions. Everyone wants to help everyone.
Education is really important. If something rips, most think it's not worth getting it repaired, because in London it's really expensive to get things repaired. Just YouTubing it that's literally how I learned how to sew and do everything. It's just such an amazing tool for creativity. Empower yourself, don't just think that that's the end of it. I know it's hard to find the time in everything that we need to be part of and educated about today, and that it's just another one of those things that we need to step up on. Try a bit harder, because we could all do a little bit better. I think, myself included, and it's easy to slip into old habits and you just have to think - if it was directly paining you, you wouldn't do it.
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it was really positive and seeming that everything's going to change"
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Katherine
In Conversation with...
Pogson Katherine may not be “your traditional fashion insider,” but she certainly has the flare of an activist to make radical and necessary changes to the fashion system from within, if we are to sustain the environment, we call home. WORDS BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA
M
oths, butterflies, and all things winged – these are the creative drives for Katherine Pogson, PhD to restore our relationship with nature and abolish the self-centredness of our perceptions. Working in fashion design for 15 years with her independent studio, she has experienced the realities of consumer behaviour and the urgency needed for environmental rebalance. Currently concentration on more philosophical approaches to fashion sustainability, Katherine looks at how changing our perception of the whole biosystem may contribute to reducing our ‘self-harm’ of the environment. With high hopes in our darkest hours, Katherine discusses the realities of reconfiguring the capitalistic fashion system postpandemic, her ideal fashion future, and the power of collective action. How would you define your expertise? I'm not your traditional fashion insider. My background is that I worked about 15 years as a designer maker, and ran an independent design studio. The bit of fashion that I worked in was very much bespoke, small orders, 30
high quality craft, individual. I've never been in what you might call ‘the industry.’ My research is about how we think about nature, and I'm much more interested in our attitudes to materials and our relationship with nature through objects. My expertise is to have a practical background of working with materials, exploring our relationship with nature, and from a teaching point of view, to think about how our relationship to objects and look through that to the natural world. And what does sustainability mean to you personally? In many ways, it's an unhelpful word now. I think the old-fashioned idea of sustainability, that we can sustain lifestyles and still have enough room for the future has run out of steam. I'm quite radical in terms of what I think we need to do; I think we need an environmental rebalance. That means that we have to live with less in many ways, but that doesn't necessarily mean ‘via negativa.’ We just have to radically rethink what our value systems are, and that will mean using a lot less - flying less and having different priorities. I may have a slightly idealistic idea that we can be more community focused, more local.
I don't wear the 'S' word across my forehead because it's problematic. You mentioned you used to work in fashion previously as a designer, but you define yourself as an ‘artist’ and a ‘researcher.’ What brought these two aspects together for you? It was a very weird process, which I'm still working out. When I closed my commercial business, in 2012, I had a really problematic relationship with my customers working in a niche high price point. They would always compare [my products] to what's happening in the luxury market and say, "could you make it a bit more Prada?" And I was constantly having to say, "you can buy that in Selfridges". I'm not reproduced, that's not what I do. After, I became a bit of a Natural History nerd and got into insects and moths, particularly. At first, I went through this very weird process where I was making moth-like things thinking, “this is really wrong, no one wants to look at that!” I realised that actually, it was a way of channelling my creativity. So now, I do have a studio and I still work with textiles, but it's all related to data about species and driven by the environmental crisis. I think the moths and butterflies,
are such a cliche in the textile world – the pattern is so reproduced. I really want to unpick that cultural appropriation from nature. That's amazing. In your bio, you mention the term "other-thanhuman". What exactly, do you mean by that? There’s a lot of ‘out-there’ philosophy about post-humanism. Its decentring the human, and looking at what the world might look like from other points of view. That's all part of Anthropocene, where there's not a piece of the earth, or the atmosphere where you can't see directly the impact of human action. Instead of saying non-human, which is quite binary and exclusive, people use the term "other-than-human" - that means all living things that are not human, but it also means inanimate objects. Essentially, it's displacing and shifting our attention to what everything else needs, but also what everything else does in the world? This whole idea of agency. I've been swimming in that sea of reasoning in the last couple of years. Its so fascinating. I haven't heard that term before. In your abstract, you say, "humans experience our actions as a form of self-harm." Do you think we can ever revert or abandon those actions and engage more with nature? Can humans ever be not be self-destructive? When I wrote that, I was suggesting that if we saw our actions more as selfharm, and began to think of ourselves more as part of the whole biosystem and saw that those things are directly harming us, and thought of it as self-harm, maybe we might take a bit more care. I do see a lot of hope; in the darkest hours of the Coronavirus, and what's happening in the election, the extinction rebellion. The trouble is that the harms don't affect everyone equally. And in Europe, Britain, and in the West, we're quite protected from a lot of the harms. I think it's only when you start really feeling them personally, that people start to act. I think there might be some pain that humans have to go through, but I think we will recalibrate, because our the survival instinct is stronger than the culture instinct. In our current state of destruction and neglect, how do you envision the future of fashion design?
Wow, I think it's very interesting. Amy Twigger Holroyd asked me the same question for one of her projects, where she's asked lots of people to imagine future fashion; the present with only one tiny change. Mine was about the fashion season - that phrase is dead anyway. But what if we reimagine the idea of the ‘fashion season’ and what inspired designers to show how sensitively they responded to whatever was going on in nature. What if future fashion design was more about the response to what was going on in the world locally that could be related to where you are specifically, because fashion is a playful exploration of identity. It's quite idealistic, but that's my fashion future. That's sounds amazing, a real fashion paradise! Do you believe the fashion industry can ever be fully sustainable? No, not if it's the industry as it stands. I think we have to really dismantle the idea of the industry. If we're talking about sustaining the natural environment, then we've already done too much damage, but we might be able to stay put. But if we're sustaining our lifestyles and our habits, then that is not going to be possible. I don't think it can. I think the idea of sustainability has to be reworded because there's a lot in it, that is having your cake and eating it. Yes, exactly. During the first lockdown, sustainability and topics of eco-consciousness, worker exploitation, have been quite prominent on social media. Why do you think it is only now that people in the industry and the public started speaking openly about it? When obviously, the issue has been around for decades? We are stuck in this system where you're going to work and you have to exist within this capitalist growth system. We're all enmeshed in it, aren't we? Some people found it a bit of a relief because they had time to rethink what is valuable to them. But a lot of people are very worried about how they’re going to support themselves. At the beginning of lockdown in London, the first few weeks, we had that wonderful weather, and everyone could see that there was no pollution, and people felt connected to nature. I think the fact that everything paused, made people realise they can get by with
other things, and lots of people had to think what is really valuable to them. That, again, sounds quite idealistic, because lots of people also were working very hard, and the food banks were much more in demand. And of course, people were getting ill, dying, and grieving. So, it wasn't this lovely lesson of a stop and think time. Do you think millennials and Gen Z's are more environmentally cautious compared to other generations? I think there's a split. I teach quite a lot of generations Zs, and I see a lot of students tackling topics of sustainability in their dissertations and projects in a very courageous way. On the other hand, there are some generations, that are so into consumer culture. The effect of social media and how some people are so immersed in it, that they really do find their identity through consumption. Do you think the impact of the pandemic will force consumers to open their eyes to implement more sustainable practices and brands into their lives? Pay more attention? I think we need to get away from that idea that that it's a lifestyle choice, that we might pay more for something that's sustainable. It shouldn't be like that. Actually, I think we've got to just act at the macro political level, the idea that brands just give the consumers what they want, and the consumer choice has the power. Who do you think has the greatest power and responsibility to spread awareness and implement sustainable practices? I don’t see it as – is it the brands or consumers, I think it has to be both. There is citizen power, and Greta Thunberg is a good example of that, or Marcus Rashford. You can’t just leave it to the consumer as brands will always prioritise their profit. I think it all comes back to all of us lobbying for governmental change. I’m not a die-hard activist (although I may sound like one right now!) but I do think that it’s the only way. Eventually, I think the power does lie with collective action and lobbying that to our power structures. We need to make these big, global-scale environmental decisions and keep to them, for which the companies and individuals will follow. 31
the Essence of
joy
“I'm just a designer, not a psychologists.” Diane Wallinger is the new force within the fashion scene that aims to challenge existing perceptions of fashion design and sustainability through physical and emotional well-being. WORDS BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA 32
RENDERED PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIANE WALLINGER
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A place that is more
sustainable; is a happy place"
C
lothes can bring you joy - we all know that. The feeling of unravelling a brand new pair of boots from between the tissue paper; the smell of fresh leather in the air and the delicate touch of smooth finishings could bring a smile to just about anyone - but that’s just a temporary solution. An instant of gratification and feelings of amusement which are gone by the second or third wear. But what if the clothes were designed specifically to stimulate your feelings of joy, comfort, and empowerment? Ones that would last much longer than your average shopping-high? Emotional and physical well-being have long often been associated with beauty and fashion industries, in ways to convince you that their product will make your life ‘better’ through ads and marketing - encouraging you to have the same lifestyle as the model of the advert by continuing to buy the product over and over again to achieve it. But one designer has figured out a way to bring the principals of wellbeing into fashion, which do not involve propaganda and manipulation. Diane Wallinger, a traditional-turned-digital fashion designer, has embraced the 34
latest technologies to pursue her exploration of fashion design for wellbeing, through sustainability, emotional and physical empowerment. Considering that 80 per cent of garment impact is locked at the design stage, Diane felt propelled to take action to make sustainability more accessible and in-demand within the
fashion industry. “That was an (optimistic and hopeful) lightbulb moment for me,” says Diane, determined to find a solution to our ecological crisis through bettering our own well-being and a change of perspective.
“A place that is more sustainable; is a happy place,” says Diane, “I don’t think we are happy consuming the way we do.” Through the feelings of ‘temporary fixes’ of shopping and buying unnecessary items, which (unsurprisingly) lead to results of dissatisfaction in the long term, Diane begun to think of alternative shopping behaviours that not only give a much longer feeling of fulfilment, but are also beneficial to the environment. “It was problematic to define the aspect of well-being,” says Diane, ”because I'm just a designer, not a psychologists.” By adapting the Earth Logic model (developed by Prof. Kate Fletcher), Diane was able to enhance a person’s well-being through garments by modifying "resilience and care of self,” she says. Why self-care? Because cultivating and building emotional resilience,
Her latest digital collection, ‘Care of Self, Care of the World’, is imagined to generate positive emotions through the use of pastel colours, while comfortable shapes of ‘duvet-like’ garments invite the digital wearer to engage in ‘selfcare practices’. Diane invites the collection’s digital wearers to become their own “selfcare heroes” and enjoy late mornings in cozy (and ethical) satin pyjamas, as taking care of the world starts with taking care of yourself. The collection is accompanied by a series of self-care Fashion Meditation videos, lasting five minutes each, to transport you into a glamourised futuristic world of tranquility. Guided through gentle sounds of chimes and crystal singing bowls, it may feel unorthodox to watch a digital rendering of a catwalk show of the collection - but it certainly works.
pandemic because it was already pressing us as designers,” Diane explains, “it’s an obvious solution that’s been ignored for too long.” The industry’s capitalistic roots have come to the surface, which forced many to reevaluate their values and business strategies. “It's astounding how much is wrong within the industry,” she says, “but I like how we can all make a change by working in it. There's so much space for change.” Within a short time-frame, designers threw themselves at the possibilities of digital catwalks and presentations to showcase new collections, whether it was through short films or Animal Crossing gaming. The fast-pace of the industry limited the potential for growth with technological advances to be recognised as a benefit. “It’s so rewarding to be a part of change as a young person,” she explains, “even though our generation already has enough on its shoulders.” Diane may not be a ‘hard-core’ protestor at climate strikes, but she is making a change through more suitable ways that align with her personality and ability, saying, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m trying my best.” Through using sustainability, Diane hopes to empower people and drive “Mixing the digital platform and them forward with means of positive physical reality; you don’t really expressions - which she believes, know where the barrier is,” she says. would eventually lead to sustainable Through designing a digital collection, behaviours from her consumers, Diane hopes to encourage wearers emphasising that “[sustainability] is a (particularly those of ‘influencer’ status) way of life.” who would normally buy a garment to only wear once, to embrace digital alternatives. “A digital garment is way less impactful,” she says, “it’s incomparable!” Fashion has been reluctant when it came to embracing new technologies, yet the current coronavirus Fashion Meditation videos are available pandemic has deeply exposed the to view on the designer’s IGTV channel shortsightedness of the industry. With (@dnwllngr) and designers already abandoning the the collection ‘Care of Self, Care of the Fashion Week calendar, “digital fashion World’ is available to purchase at came back in full-force during the dress-x.com/collections/dnwllngr.
" be your own self-care hero"
Diane believes, is necessary to face the psychological challenges of the inevitable consequences of climate change. And what better way to hone in on those aspects than an object that embodies all these elements: the bed? “I wanted to keep the energy field strong and empowered,” she says, “it’s not about laziness.” Despite the common misconception, beds are in fact our personal space of tranquility, health, empowerment, and comfort.
35
Let's Talk About...
The new sustainable brand in the London fashion week game WORDS BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA
T
he Turkish-sister-double-act is taking the sustainability world of fashion by storm with their Harem London SS21 collection, which they presented at the digital London Fashion Week.
Merging cities of Istanbul and London, the streetwear brand changed up their style for the new season by dipdying the entire collection by hand in their Dalston studio, allowing for a unique gradient for each piece. The spectrum of colours is hand-crafted from 100% organic and up-cycled materials from their previous collections. Minimal – yet vibrant. The SS21 collection is a true ray of joy and comfort to the last few months. Taking their Turkish heritage with a contemporary London spin, the designs are a journey of growth through the lives of Harem London sisters. Below, I speak to the design-duo, Dee and Begum Ozturk, about their heritage inspirations, the pressures of design, and the importance of sustainability for the future of the industry. How has lockdown treated you both? Dee Ozturk - In the beginning, it was difficult. When you produce something, you can't really do much at home, but then we got used to it. We try to be cautious at the studio and keep our distance. We’re getting this new system. How was it designing an entirely new collection over lockdown? That must have been a challenge... DO - That was difficult. As a designer of the collection, I always get my inspiration from the streets. So, whenever I feel like I have the designer's block, I would go out for a walk and be around people, get inspired by the amazing diversity in London. Whenever I wanted to create something new, I would travel back to Turkey; to my roots, and do some research, but obviously I couldn’t travel. Turkey has a huge history; it's made of seven parts, and each part has its own traditions. When I wasn't able to travel, that was very, very difficult. We were even considering of maybe skipping this collection, because we didn't know what the fashion scene is gonna be. 36
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAREM LONDON Begum Ozturk - We had a different kind of stress compared to the physical shows. We wanted to do something different and bit more interactive, as our physical events are always very interactive, because of my sister's [Dee] theatre background. She always likes to get in touch with the clients and the audience. DO - That's another thing whenever you have a live show, you can always improvise if stuff goes wrong. But when it's digital, you're very limited. BO - Being a small brand, sometimes you have only one shot. How do you feel about London Fashion Week being digital? Do you think or want it to continue even after the pandemic? DO - This is interesting. I think there's a good side that London Fashion Week slowed down. But being able to do something live is a completely different feeling. I would much prefer having something live, where I can be present, explain, and answer questions. Every time we try to do something, we create an atmosphere of our environment, our habitat, where we share, but if it's digital, you use less of your senses. Where else if it's a live show - you can smell things, you can hear things, or you can touch things, see the texture. I think that's very important. So, I would love to go back to the live events. BO - During the physical events, you can see people's faces and how they react, and you can talk to them. It’s really tricky. The advantages are that we can push ourselves to different levels. I think that the industry is out-dated, maybe there's a different world to discover now. But the priority now is obviously everyone's health. DO - When you think about it, it doesn't have to be either one or the other - you can always mix the two aspects. That means being creative, I think. A good advantage of doing a digital thing is that you're able to reach a wider audience. So, there's pros and cons to both sides, I think.
And do you think the pandemic will affect how we produce and consume fashion? DO - Oh, 100% Yeah. There's the good side of our industry is that people have slowed down. I believe we were living super-fast and trying to shove everything on social media; show how active you are. There was this kind of greed before. We believe fashion is going to be more seasonless, and I really hope it will be. There's a very big pressure, even if you're a small brand, to create two seasons every year at least. I think this is gonna change. Absolutely, for small brands and big brands in the future. BO – Now, the demand has fallen dramatically. People are buying less and being more environmentally friendly, which will make small brands like us more appreciated. We put so much effort and consideration into one item, a simple t-shirt. Also, I think seasonless would be great for the designers. The artists' biggest asset is their inspiration, and when you pressure them to deliver they get more stressed and loose their inspiration. I think seasonless is really great - for the sake of art. DO - After this, everything will reduce, almost equalise [production-wise]. That's the advantage for small brands like us, because you can't really compete with them. Once it's about sustainability and ethical producing, it gives me enthusiasm to not quit and actually do more. I know, I will be appreciated more at one point. One of your core values in your company is sustainability. What does sustainability mean to you? As a brand, and as a designer? DO - Sustainability in terms of production, for us, it means there is no waste, as well as the labour sustainability, for us, that's really important. We get our fabric from Turkey. We don’t buy factory made fabric, but organic, ethically produced for us; there is no minimum order with our suppliers, which is also about supplier relationships.
That's the side I think is also linked to sustainability - it's material and labour. The great thing is that we have control from the beginning of our production so we can see what's wasted, what's used, so we don't over-order, which also great for the environment. We always recycle and we upcycle. That's really great. You have put a lot of emphasis on your Turkish heritage in your designs and brand. Do you incorporate any traditional Turkish techniques? DO - I was planning to include more handcraft, like embroidery or different techniques of metal engraving, but obviously, I couldn’t travel. I usually get inspired by the cuts of the Turkish traditional designs, for example, in our AW20, we got inspired by carpet patterns, which holds so much meaning. I studied what every sign means, then we came up with a design of our own. The collection is going to be on our website in October. I don't want it to look like those super traditional brands, because half of our lives were in Istanbul and half is in London, we're a mix of the two. Neither of them is more than the other to me, weirdly. This cross-culture is also a core element for us. That's why we love diversity and the cross-culture fits between the two cultures that we come from. We like to interpret this in our designs. As you said, your designs are a mix of London and Istanbul. Which aspects do you take from which city? DO - I get the biggest inspiration at the starting point of the design from my own culture; my own life and where I was born, then I develop it away as I live in London now. It's like the development of my life, the grand parallel. I take the traditional aspects and make it into a more contemporary and modern version, so it's very variable. My starting point is always the heritage that I try to interpret to my today. This collection, for the first time we did colours and the colour inspiration was Turkish as well. So again, the starting point is Turkish like the whole set started from colours. I was about to mention the change of palette, because everything you did in your past collections was black and white. What urged you to try the pop of colour? DO - A few things actually. I think it all depends on the psychology of the designer. I always loved monochrome colour, I was never a colour person. During the pandemic, Begum suggested, "let's do something we've never done before, why don't we make it more positive this year". I started going back to my favourite movies, books, paintings - the obelisk paintings from Harem, because I can't go [to Turkey]. I selected colours, and we tried it and everything we dyed inside our studio. This was Begum kicking in creatively! BO - Ah thank you! [Laughs] DO - We thought that we have time now, so let's take on this challenge!
What are the factors you look for in when you're sourcing materials? DO - Sustainability is very important. We never get anything factory-made, like ever. And we try to source from local manufacturers, both for fabric and for embroidery. It's always people that we know what they do; a family business, always local producers. I think that really shows in the material. BO - It's really important for us to have the relationship with the supplier. All our suppliers, we know them in person, we've been to their factories, we go frequently. Sometimes we talk on WhatsApp with them. It's really important for us that they understand what we do, and they appreciate our work. DO - We share the final product with them before we launch anything as well and they give us their feedback. We always try to have this special bond between our suppliers. What do you think is the most effective way of promoting sustainable fashion? BO - It's doing its own marketing to be honest. Especially with the Covid situation, and with the environmentalists going - shouting really, they're not even protesting anymore, they're actually screaming. We must take care of this world, the environment, the climate change. Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world at the moment, we have to make sure that we produce sustainably in order to make sure that we don't damage the climate anymore. I think people are already aware. This year, especially. I've never seen so many designers doing sustainable collections. DO - Yes! Even just in 2020. Designers who used to do mass production - small brands that we know as well, they started talking about sustainability. It's good to see them change. BO - A couple of years ago, sustainability was the label of the luxury branding. However, now it's becoming more mass as well. DO - More popular. BO - I mean, it shouldn't be ‘popular’. It should be something timeless to stay in this industry. As you can see, with COVID especially, a lot of brands had to declare bankruptcy because the way they were doing it was too fast; huge mass production factories. They were so big and couldn't do it sustainably and ethically, so they just crumbled. To stay in this industry and to be honest to your own clients, I think you have to be sustainable. As you said, we see people using these words, just as a marketing material. We would love to have you in our studio, you will see we have our own tables, we have our girls doing our stuff, and it's just really like a family - because our name is HAREM, which means family. Can the future of fashion be truly sustainable? DO - If we raise our children, the next generations, and the generations after that, and they are taught in a certain way this has a bigger chance for fashion to be more sustainable. If we can defeat the consuming ideology, then maybe.
BO - I think there are two aspects to it - business wise, during this capital economical system, it's impossible because of the supply and demand, and the demand is huge. The current system must change or adapt to become more sustainable. I did my Master's in consumer behaviour, and the consumer’s habits always change. For example, when you buy a new iPhone, at first, it's so difficult, isn't it? But then within two weeks, you get used to it. So, what I'm trying to say is that consumers, if they actually push themselves, and if they want to change, if sustainability becomes a habit to them, then it is possible. In the fashion industry now, all these brands, they are not sustainable. And they cannot be because they have a business plan, and their structure is completely based on the capital of them. To change that, it's really, really difficult. However, if the consumers demand this strongly, which, in my opinion, can happen in the next 20 years, then I think it is possible. DO - I think that means education and being aware. We need to teach the new generations how this is affecting the climate and the people. Labour and production in countries like China are not humane. I think once people are aware, and if they teach their children, then in the future it might change, but it’s difficult to say. I really wish it would. BO - It is difficult, financially as well. Some people cannot afford to buy sustainably - for a family with three children, it’s impossible! But for sustainable brands like us, we cannot be sustainable, ethical, and organic, and be cheap. The production costs are not like those mass-produced brands. So, I think it’s important for people to understand why these items may be a bit more expensive. Obviously, there are brands that are completely taking the piss, don’t get me wrong… It’s about a system that has been going for decades, which simply isn’t working anymore. It is possible to change it, especially nowadays the small up-and-coming brands that are sustainable, when they become the ‘big’ brands they will try to keep sustainable practices. The new generation, our generation, is asking the right questions; about diversity, about inclusivity, environmental issues, climate change. These are the right questions and it shows a bright future ahead of us. 39
PSYCHOLOGICAL OPINION
Can
sustainable fashion
wellbeing?
influence our WORDS BY ELEANOR CIARCIAGLINI (MSc, BSc)
EDITED BY VIKTORIA BIELAWA
How purchasing behaviours affect our relationship with clothing and influence our well-being - making us (subconsciously) drawn to sustainable fashion.
G
etting dressed in the morning; it’s a task we do daily, some more consciously than others. With each decision and each outfit, we – intentionally or unintentionally – communicate our identity to the outside world. But can clothes affect our emotional wellbeing? Fashion has always been a means of self-expression, essentially saying, “what we wear is who we are.” The clothes we wear reflect the way we want others to perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. But, in today’s society we have an overabundance of choice of what we can consume. We are met with a multitude of items right at the entrance of the store; a copy of the next best thing. We have access to numerous social media platforms at the click of a button – showing us what others are consuming and what we may be missing out on. This overwhelming of choice, is one of the reasons why people are increasingly reporting higher feelings of anxiety, unhappiness, and frustration. Humans can only process a limited number of things at a time, and too much choice can result in decreased performance, and with it, poorer wellbeing. Studies have shown that our happiness is made up of three determinants; our genetics, our life circumstances, and our intentional activities. Our genetics 40
determine 50% of our happiness, our life circumstances (like gender, age, geographical location, financial status) make up 10% of this, leaving 40% of our happiness relating to our intentional activities - the voluntary thoughts or behaviours we engage in. Essentially, it is what we decide to consume in our everyday life; from the media we interact with to the products we buy. As a result, consumers will buy and cast aside products to keep up with the constant overturn of products, which create environmental problems and decreased wellbeing. The fast-fashion industry is no different; where designs move quickly from the catwalk to stores changing season to season to meet demands. The pressure to meet demand, reduce cost and speed up the production process result in not only increased waste, but also decreased satisfaction. Consumers are starting to consider their choices and how they impact on the environment and their ecological footprint. Sustainable fashion brands are starting to dominate the industry, with shoppers increasingly demanding sustainable practices from brands. To which they are willing to abandon if brands don't meet their needs. If we are left satisfied with a product, we are more likely to keep it for a much longer period of time, re-use it and value it. The
product becomes an item you identify with ‘joy’ due to the satisfaction of ‘doing the right thing,’ - giving you the same feeling as when you first purchased it. Studies show that being satisfied with products relates to more sustainable habits, attitudes, and consumption behaviours. It could be that being more satisfied with products can lead to a more sustainable lifestyle. Happiness is triggered by, and can be found in, activities that individuals can engage with that align with their personal interests and internal values. It could be that consumers purchasing sustainable fashion products, that align with their values of sustainability, could improve their wellbeing. When products reflect their identity and personality, their positive perception of this product might enhance their disposition to pay the high price. Therefore, it is assumed that self-identity will improve customer disposition towards paying premium prices and thus, their purchase intention of the product.
Huge Thanks, to all the amazing artists, scholars, and collaborators without whom this project would not have materialised, as well as my friends and family for their endless belief in my projects. I am forever grateful for your love and support.
RAZD FASHION magazine by viktoria bielawa
