On my path to building a more conscious and sustainable business, I’m always finding new ways I can improve my practice. After my very first run of clothing, I was shocked by the amount of off-cuts I had leftover. At that time I didn’t know what I was going to do with them, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. Over the years I’ve been collecting these pieces, knowing that I’d eventually find something meaningful to put them towards.
This Autumn I released a limited run of patchwork dresses. A labour of love project utilising all these off-cuts from past collections. I spent many hours patching them together and carefully crafting the patchwork bloomer dress. Throughout the dresses, you’ll find fabrics from every collection I’ve ever released - These dresses are like a timeline, each piece with a unique story to tell. I wanted to make something to remind consumers that we can find beauty anywhere if we look hard enough - even in objects we readily discard. I see these dresses as a piece of wearable art, to be loved and lived in for many years. These pieces weren’t just made to add another product to my collection, but to reduce my waste and turn it into a beautiful, wearable garment.
An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the fashion industry. Fast fashion brands are rapidly producing high volumes of clothing, giving consumers the opportunity to purchase new styles instantly with a small price tag. When we are able to purchase clothing at such a small cost, we are less likely to care for and hold onto that piece. Therefore, these pieces end up among the tons of waste in landfill. I believe it is my responsibility as a designer to minimise my waste contribution and look for ways i can better my sustainability practices.
Ways I am reducing my waste.
Ensuring my fabric choices are of high quality to ensure longevity.
Utilising my off-cuts.
Recycling and reusing old clothing.
Making garments to order.
As I further my research on ways to minimise waste and to better my sustainability practices. I would love to hear back from you, and hear your tips for reducing waste in day to day life.
You can look forward to a blog post every Wednesday right here. You’ll find ramblings on the importance of slow-fashion, style guides, my recent collections and much more.
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