InsideOut
ISSUE 01 NOVEMBER 2013
REGULARS 03 EDITOR'S LETTER 05 EDITOR'S PICK 17 INSIDE ISSUE FROM FACTORY TO GREEN CARPET 07 INSIDE PICK THE REAL BEAUY OF FASHION 12 INSIDEOUT
AFFORDABLE SUSTAINABILITY
INSIGHT 11 SPOTLIGHT: SUSTAINABLY FASHIONABLE LIFESTYLE 5 useful tips for a Sustainably Fashionable Lifestyle 23 VIEWPOINT STYLE AND SUSTAINABILITY Vivienne Westwood x Virgin Atlantic
“Buying and preparing your own food is to engage with the world. It gives you a sense of reality.” -Sustainably Fashionable Lifestyle Page 13 Layout. May, Lee
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Such a simple question, and yet not many know the answer. Do you ever stop to think about the people who touched your clothes before they made it to the shop shelves? Do you ever wonder who manufactured you favourite dress? Who picked the cotton? Who sewed the buttons? Whose hands created that beautiful embroidery that attracts so many compliments? Layout. May, Lee
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Who made your clothes?
he story of the clothes we wear goes way beyond the name of a brand, this season’s trends, and most definitely beyond a simple piece of cloth on the hanger of a store. All garments have history; they all bear a complex life story of their own, from the farmer who grew the cotton, to the machinist who sewed it, to every single button, or zip, or embroidery, or knit. Your garments carry stories, but it is up to you to find out what those stories are. On the 24th April 2013, more than 1,130 people were killed and over 2,500 were severely injured when the Rana Plaza garment factory complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Millions of people from around the world were, and most probably still are unknowingly wearing garments manufactured by the workers of the Rana Plaza factory. The tragedy shook the world to reality, revealing the ugly face of fashion- a global industry filled with abuse, human exploitation and misery, strongly contrasting the apparent luxury of the catwalk. Is this what fashion really is, an act of human sacrifice? Are we proud to sparkle in a garment that cost the lives of thousands of people? Fashion Revolution Day says enough is enough. This annual appointment on the anniversary of the disaster will help to raise awareness of the true cost of fashion, 3
show the world that change is possible, and celebrate all those involved in creating a more sustainable future. We believe that there does not need to be an ugly side of fashion, that it can simply be beautiful from cotton field to catwalk. From designers to consumers, everyone needs to become aware that sustainability and ethics in fashion are a necessity and everyone needs to contribute towards a transparent, fair global fashion industry. We want to show the world that sustainability equals beauty, style, elegance and glamour. Every single page of this magazine will introduce you to designers and brands that embrace sustainability and ethics as the only way forward in fashion. And we must say, their work is exquisite. Look into your wardrobe and see beyond the pile of clothes- see the stories of the people who made them. On the 24th April 2014 we want everyone to wear an item of clothing inside out, to take a picture and then post it, instagram, facebook and tweet it like crazy. Have your say and help us show the world that buying is only the last click in a long journey involving hundreds of people: the invisible workforce behind the clothes we wear.
Think, get informed and join the revolution! The Fashion Revolution Team
Editor's Pick
Top 5 accessories that you must have to be sustainably chic this winter By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. May, Lee
Accessories are the key to individuality, as well as the perfect tools to add that certain ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ that will guarantee you the ‘all eyes on you’ effect wherever you go this winter.
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he cold, grey English winter days should not be a fashionistas worst nightmare, but her perfect excuse to play and experiment with fashion more than ever before. Since there is no better way to make a fashion statement and stand out from the crowd than by accessorising your outfits, make the most out of the cold weather to mix and match your favourite hats, scarves and gloves and sparkle with uniqueness and individuality. Why not mix style with ethics to begin with? Sustainable and ethical brands offer a large variety of exquisite, unique accessories that will not only keep you warm, but also make you look dazzling chic. Here are our top five picks for a sustainably warm and fashionable look this winter. 5
The hat Think British royalty. Think Audrey Hepburn. Think Carry Bradshaw. What they all have in common is their love for accessorising their outfits with the help of spectacular hats. This beautiful ‘Belle Fawn’ Pachacuti hat is made out of 100% wool felt and was handmade in Ecuador following Fair Trade principles and sustainable environmental practices. It retails at £55 and is available for purchase on the Pachacuti website.
The knee-high socks Cute, cosy and innocent, knee-high socks bring out the child in every one of us. Those Outsider socks are made from a lovely blend of Bamboo, which makes them very long lasting and versatile. If you too want to keep your feet fashionably warm you can purchase them for £8 from the Outsider website.
The statement necklace Necklaces don’t have the ability to keep you warm, but they can most certainly make you sparkle at any moment in time and space. Regardless of the season, never hesitate to accessorise your outfits with an eye-catching necklace. The ‘Uncommonly Beautiful Baroque Necklace’ from KittyDoLittle is made out of wood, mixed metals and materials and is indeed sustainably gorgeous. Purchase it for £49 from the KittyDoLittle website.
The scarf In various textures, lengths, prints and colours, scarves add the finishing touch to any outfit for the autumn/winter season. This elegant People Tree scarf, made from soft recycled sari fabric is the perfect day-toevening accessory. It retails for £39 on the People Tree website.
The mittens Cosy and extremely chic, those pom pom mittens from People Tree are a nice addition to any casual outfit. Hand knitted in soft alpaca wool, they promise to keep your hands nice and warm during cold winter days. They can be purchased for £35 from the People Tree website. 6
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Pick The Real Beauty of Fashion By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. May, Lee
Vivienne Westwood is once again setting a moral example to all her fellow designers worldwide through her Ethical Fashion Africa collection, by highlighting the pressuring global need for ethical and sustainable fashion.
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ho said that style and sustainability could never come together in harmony? Well, whoever said that, or thought about that even for a second was absolutely wrong. Vivienne Westwood's Ethical Fashion Africa collection is living proof that beauty, luxury, style and sustainability can work together as a team. Even more, they can constitute the key ingredients in creating a beautiful line of handbags that any fashion lover would want to add to her collection, while at the same time providing an income for some of the poorest people in the world. The initiative was launched in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the World Trade Organisation and aimed to include manufacturers from impoverished communities in Africa in the international value chain. ‘Not charity, just work’, as stated by Ms. Westwood herself. “This project shows it is possible to provide wealth to poor communities through business. It promotes sustainable and fair trade practice, yet does not compromise Westwood’s iconic design aesthetic”,said Alison Moloney, Fashion and Textiles Adviser at the British Council when discussing the Ethical Fashion Africa collection. The line includes a number of different designs for men and women, all featuring vibrant colours and breath taking textures. They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The beauty of Vivienne Westwood's collection is not only defined by the eye-catching features of the unisex handbags, carrier bags and backpacks, but by the ethical values behind the making of the lineevery single item was produced by women from some of the poorest areas in Kenya, offering them work places and the opportunity to a fair income. Sustainability and fair trade, but no compromise in terms of luxury and Westwood's unique design aesthetic- that is the true beauty of fashion!
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Tips For a Sustainably Fashionable Lifestyle
n a not-so-glamorous fashion industry filled with human exploitation, sustainability and ethics become an extremely pressuring issue. While many designers and brands, some mentioned in previous entries are making efforts to embrace a fair, eco-friendly production approach from cotton field to catwalk, some of you, fashion lovers, might be wondering where to begin making ethical changes in your shopping habits. Vivienne Westwood has a few tips on how to overcome excessive consumerist behaviour and become sustainably stylish, so-bringing your own contribution towards a brighter future for those working in the backstage of the fashion spectacle.
Buy less: “Buy less, choose well and make it last. I really do think that people should exercise choice and not just consume without thought—sucking up stuff all the time, one thing after another.” 11
By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. May, Lee Go to art galleries: “The art lover is not consuming. He invests in the present world by engaging with the genius of the past. ‘You get out what you put in’ is my motto.” Read: “The best fashion accessory is a book.” Prepare your own food: “Buying and preparing your own food is to engage with the world. It gives you a sense of reality.” Do it yourself: “Wear a piece of beautiful fabric, borrow stuff from your friends, and style it in with your own clothes.”
Affordable Sustainability Top 10 exquisite ethical dresses available for purchase online Casual or elegant, plain or embellished, long or short, one thing is certain – us women could never live without our dresses. Combine the elegance and femininity of a dress with values of sustainability and ethics as the perfect recipe for a real statement garment that will attract nothing but compliments.
By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. May, Lee 12
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Made entirely from recycled fabrics, this Traid dress is a unique statement of originality. It retails for £65 and is available for purchase on the Traid website.
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Bold print, flattering design and sustainable production techniques – this Zanda Rhodes dress is a fabulous statement that any fashion lover would want to make. Made entirely from organic cotton, it retails for a sale price of only £89.25 on the People Tree website.
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The traditional little black dress, but with an ethical twist. This beautiful dress was handmade in India from organic cotton. It retails for £60 and can be purchased online from the People Tree website.
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n a world in which fashion seems to increasingly be more about quantity, less about quality, we want to encourage you to take a step back and think beyond the desire to purchase as many clothes as you possibly can.
Think beyond the catwalk, think beyond the shop shelves, think beyond the fabric and the tag and the sequins and the embellishments. Look at your clothes and see the working force from the garment industry, see animals, see the environment. Think and act ethically fashionable. Sustainability is glamorous, sexy, luxurious and chic. And most importantly, sustainability is affordable. Here are our top 10 favourite sustainably fashionable dresses that can be purchased online for an enchanting budget of under £100.
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Made from fully traceable Merino Wool Jersey from New Zeeland, this Outsider dress is the prefect choice for the winter season. Buy it online from the Outsider website for £95.
This beautiful ‘blackberry purple’ dress is made from 95% organic cotton. It retails for £70 and is available to order from the People Tree website.
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This Outsider dress is the prefect pairing of classic and elegant, with modern and quirky – all under the sign of sustainability. Made from luxurious rich champagne Natural colour cotton, it can be purchased for £100 from the Outsider website.
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Effortlessly chic, this Zakee Shariff dress was manufactured from 100% organic cotton. Purchase it online for £75 from the People Tree website.
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Made entirely from fair trade organic cotton, this People Tree aubergine purple dress is young and fresh, but also elegant and classy. It retails for only £54 on the Purity website.
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Feminine and elegant, this belted jersey cotton tunic dress features designer Orla Kiely’s signature mini blue elm leaf print. The dress was made from 100% organic cotton and is available for purchase on the People Tree website, at a discounted prince of £60.
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This gorgeous, vintage inspired dress is made from 100% Fairtrade and Organic Certified Cotton and was ethically manufactured within the Annie Greenabelle factory. It retails for £60 and is available for order on the Annie Greenabelle website.
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From Factory to Green Carpet Whose Handprint Are You Really Wearing? Sustainably stylish, sustainably fashionable, sustainably sexy, sustainably glamorous, sustainably luxurious - trend forecasts indicate SUSTAINABILITY as the way forward for the fashion industry.
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he The beautiful, airy room is entirely covered in breathtaking designer garments and precious jewellery. A dress tossed on the table, another on the mustard chair and a third one laid out on the luxurious, velvet sofa. The floor is entirely ‘littered’ with carrier bags, handbags and shoes, all barring the recognizable logos of some of the world’s most prestigious designers. An elegant, graceful actor and model Elettra Wiedemann, wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around her body, takes the pomegranate red gown and starts getting dressed. Suddenly hands appear out of nowhere and get involved in the process, zipping up her dress, clipping on her earrings, slipping on her shoes. No, it is not an imaginary scene from a thriller movie, but the screening of a fashion reality that we are all unwarily part of every single time we go shopping for new clothes - the colossal contrast between the luxury of the catwalk, and the unseen misery of the backstage of the fashion spectacle. Livia Firth, creative director of Eco-Age and co-founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, has 17
By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. Chika Moriyama
Gucci Ethical Collection
officially unveiled ‘Handprint’ a short movie about the people who manufacture our clothes - to the public on November 22nd at the International New York Times Luxury Conference in Singapore
Christopher Bailwy
As women we are not connected anymore to what we wear.
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‘The thing that changed my life completely was a travel to Bangladesh with Oxfam to meet the garment workers,” said Firth when explaining her inspiration for the Green Carpet Challenge project. “Hearing the stories of those women and actually visiting a factory opened my eyes to a completely different world.
The fashion supply chain is full of abuses. We employ millions of people around the world, but they are enslaved.
The short movie, directed by Mary Nighy and starring famous American actor and model Elettra Wiedemann, was produced in collaboration with the British Fashion Council and the Global Fund, and is intended to raise awareness of the unseen, not-so-glamorous face of fashion- the conditions suffered by factory workers producing the garments. ‘“I’m a huge supporter and a fan of Livia Firth,” said Wiedemann. “I loved the idea of making people pause and think about all the different hands their garment had passed through; from farm to hanger, so to speak.”’ The idea for the project came following the tragic event that took place earlier this year, on April 24th near Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, when the Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed due to poor and unfit working conditions. More than 1,130 people working in the factory died and over 2,500 were severely injured, causing iconic figures
Christopher Knne
We always knew that glamour and ethics could coexist. We just needed to prove it.”
from the global fashion industry to step up and create a revolution against the human exploitation from within the garment production cycle. The Rana Plaza disaster shook the world to reality, revealing the ugly, previously unseen side of fashion. From designers to consumers, everyone needs to become aware that sustainability and ethics are a necessity and everyone needs to contribute towards a transparent and fair global fashion industry. Lucy Siegle, British journalist and co-founder of the GCC talks about her involvement with the Green Carpet initiative: 18
“We also work behind the scenes on supply chain trying to really change some of those intractable problems with different material groups an really lead the way on how materials are sourced in the future,” said Siegle. “Handprint” is only the most recent project conducted by the Green Carpet Challenge, determining people to understand that being sustainable is fashionable. Since its launch in 2009, under the joint initiative of Livia Firth and Lucy Siegle, the Green Carpet Challenge has revolutionised the fashion scene, promoting values of sustainability, transparency and ethics. The GCC has set the tone for the journey to sustainable luxury and many people have followed, including some of the world’s most iconic brands such as Gucci - launched the world’s first zero deforestation certified handbag collection from Amazon leather in March 2013, and luxury jewellers Chopard - result ing in a mesmerising collect ion produced entirely with ethically-sourced diamonds, helping to transform the lives of small scale gold miners in South America. Caroline Scheufele, artistic director of Chopard confirmed the brand’s dedication to setting an example of sustainable luxury to the global jewellery industry.
Meryl Streep in Lanvin, Victoria Beckham for GCC
“As a century old, family-run business, we are very aware of our responsibilities in our journey to sustainable luxury,” says Scheufele. “It is not an easy journey, but it is the right one and The Journey is the start of a very exciting new multi-year program that will ensure we are working towards our goal of sustainable jewellery.” For the most recent collaboration, the GCC has partnered with the world’s luxury online retailer NET-A-PORTER.COM, resulting in an exclusive capsule collection featuring five of Britain’s elite designers - Chief Creative Officer of Burberry Christopher Bailey, Victoria Beckham, Christopher Kane, Erdem and Roland Mouret. All five designers have embraced sustainable style and created two pieces each, all produced to the highest sustainable standards. The total of ten dresses, five cocktail gowns and five red carpet gowns, have been made available to the public earlier this year, on September 17th via the NET-A-PORTER 19
Victoria Beckham for GCC
website. Twenty per cent of the profit is being donated to (RED), which finances Global Fund grants in Africa, with focus on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Victoria Beckham, style icon and one of the most recognisable faces in fashion at the moment, has brought her contribution to the GCC under the form of two dresses that would put a smile on any woman’s lips. Both dresses are exquisitely elegant, combining the Beckham signature sophistication, elegance and sexiness with sustainability and ethics. The elegant floor length Red Carpet dress is made from a combination of wool, sourced from Australia and satin, traced back to Italy. The cocktail dress is also made one hundred per cent from traceable fabrics, combining the concept of the traditional little black dress with a Beckham signature twist - a visible sheer back under bra that adds an extra touch of sexiness, while nevertheless maintaining a sophisticated, pretentious appearance.
Cameron Diase in Stella MaCartney
“The search for ethically sourced fabrics is something myself and my team have been actively looking at and developing, and so seeing the options and possibilities through Livia and the GCC has been inspiring,” said Ms. Beckham.
Emily Blunt in Caroline Herrera
Viala Davie in Valentino
The Green Carpet Challenge manages to successfully match ethics and aesthetics, showing the entire world that, as Scottish designer and GCC ambassador Cristopher Kane stated during a recent interview, “ethical fashion is achievable whilst being equally glamorous at the same time.” Viola Davis walked the BAFTA 2012 red carpet in Valentino’s first ever eco gown - a stunning salmon dress made entirely out of recycled plastic bottles; Meryl Streep stole the spotlight when she made her appearance at the 2012 Oscars Ceremony in a gorgeous golden ecogown by Lanvin; Cameron Diaz was simply radiant at the 2012 Met Ball in a low-back gown by Stella McCartney, made of certified silk; and Emily Blunt had all eyes on her at this year’s Met Ball when she made her appearance wearing a glamorous ethical Carolina Herrera gown made with a mix of certified vintage Sixties Italian wool and Forties black chiffon.
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The march for sustainability and ethics in fashion seems to be gradually taking over the world and more and more designers and celebrities are joining the revolution, slowly turning the red carpet into a fair, sustainable green carpet. The question is, to what extent does the sustainable revolution reach consumers beyond the spotlight of the red carpet? Are people aware of the violations of human rights from within the unethical garment production cycle? Are they willing to change their shopping behaviour to help towards building a fully transparent, sustainable fashion industry from cotton field to shop racks? Or are today’s fashion buyers nothing but consumers starving for quantity, rather than appreciating quality and embracing an ethical menthality? A survey conducted in December 2013 among fashion students, aged 17 to 22, at the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom has revealed that even though today’s young consumers are aware of eco-friendly practices, such as recycling and purchasing organic products, they do not know how to apply their principles when it comes to their fashion decisions. More specifically, an encouraging eighty-six per cent of respondents recycle plastic and cardboard and a staggering seventy per cent recycle clothes by donating them to charity or re-selling them on eBay. However, when questioned about the country where their garments were produced, sixty-eight per cent admitted to the fact that they do not read the labels before purchasing clothing items, showing no interest in the labour force behind the fashion scene. 21
More than half of the interviewed students claimed that they are familiar with the concepts of sustainable and ethical fashion. However, when asked to provide concrete examples, more than seventy per cent of the participants were unable to provide an example of a sustainable high-street brand or that of a designer involved with ethical fashion. Have any of the fifty respondents ever heard of the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory? The results of the survey reveal that a shocking eightyfour per cent have never heard of the disaster, raising serious questions regarding how much today’s consumers actually have access to information about the goods and services that they purchase. Who is to be held responsible for the abuses and lack of transparency from within the
fashion production cycle? Is it the consumers’ fault for not questioning whose handprints their garments are bearing? Or on the contrary, is the fashion industry the one to blame for creating a system that places profit over ethical values and the well being of the garment manufacturers? Providing answers for those questions is the first step in tackling the issue of abuse in fashion right from the bottom. Our garments carry complex stories, but they don’t have the voice to share them. The Green Carpet Challenge has taken the first step towards promoting a fair, sustainable and transparent fashion industry from cotton field, to factory, to the ‘green’ carpet. From now onwards, it is up to the brands and the fashion consumers to bring fashion, style, glamour and elegance together under the transparent umbrella of an ethical and sustainable industry.
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Vivienne Westwood's creations board theVirgin Atlantic flight to style and sustainability By. Jacqueline Harba Layout. Chika Moriyama
Iconic British designer Vivienne Westwood has designed sustainable uniforms for Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, showing the world that when it comes to style and sustainability not even the sky is the limit.
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he love for style and interest in sustainability have brought iconic B r i t i s h d e s i g n e r D a m e Vi v i e n n e Westwood and Sir Richard Branson, founder and owner of Virgin Atlantic, together in a partnership aimed to reinvent the Virgin signature red uniforms. After 13 years of maintaining the same, unaltered uniform design, the airline has initiated a creative collaboration with Dame Vivienne in an attempt to bring glamour, sophistication and ethics on board of the Virgin Atlantic aircrafts. The new ensembles have debuted for a trial period in July 2013 and will be officially launched from 2014, to be worn by over 7,500 members of staff, including cabin crew, pilots, Clubhouse staff and Virgin Holidays employees. "Our staff, and particularly our cabin crew, are some of the most envied in the industry when it comes to uniforms,” said Luke Miles, Head of Design for Virgin Atlantic. “Our iconic red outfits are globally renowned and when we make changes to the design, it isn’t something we take lightly. The uniforms have to look sleek, all the while being practical and easy to wear.
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Dam Bra
Dame Vivienne is internationally renowned not only for her exquisitely elegant designs, but also for her eco-friendly and sustainable approach of fashion. Her involvement with Ethical Fashion Africa - initiative aimed to include manufacturers from impoverished communities in Africa in the international value chain, as well as her collaboration with the Zeitz Foundation – a non-profit organization concerned with the global promotion of a sustainable lifestyle are only a couple of the many environmental activities that have earned the leading British designer the title of the most altruistic dame of fashion. As a result, it does not come as a surprise
that the new Virgin Atlantic uniforms represent a perfect fusion between an original, futuristic look and sustainable fabric production techniques, both known as trademarks of the Westwood designs. Following her values of sustainability and ethics, Dame Vivienne has designed the uniforms using recycled materials, including polyester made from recycled plastic bottles, recycled canvas, reused roadside banners, unused leather offcuts, and recycled brass, produced in Kibera, Nairobi. The designer expresses her excitement towards the collaboration with a brand that values the environment. "I am always trying to find fabrics that are more friendly to the environment - working with Virgin Atlantic they managed to research into this and find more eco fabrics," said Westwood. The cabin crew outfits are inspired by the Forties French couture cutting techniques, with burgundy red, perfectly tailored male uniforms and female ensembles that create an extremely feminine silhouette, designed to make women of all shapes and sizes feel beautiful, sophisticated and confident.
me Vivienne Westwood and Sir Richard anson promoting their partnership Vivienne Westwood’s designs are a fusion of innovation and Forties French couture
"My clothes have always got a very strong dynamic rapport with the body they are very body conscious, they help you to look glamorous, more hourglass, more woman," commented the leading British designer. "I design things to help people to hopefully express their personality." Sustainability and fair trade, but no compromise in terms of luxury and Westwood's unique design aestheticthat is the true definition of sky high fashion!
Vivienne Westwood’s crew uniforms combine glamour with sustainability and function
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