Category: slow fashion

Melbourne brand Dominique Healy is ethical, sustainable, elegant and ageless

nikibruceLeave a comment

Elegant, seasonless, and ageless, the work of Melbourne based designer Dominique Healy has a built up a dedicated fan base of customers since she launched her eponymous brand in 2017. 

With 10 years as a fabric wholesaler in both Australia and New Zealand, if there’s one thing the designer is known for, it is high quality, beautiful fabrics. It was this background that was the impetus for the launch of the brand as the designer began stashing and storing the materials she came across. 

Alongside her love for fabric, Healy was also committed to creating clothing that support and promoted local and ethical clothing production, as she writes on her website. The brand’s mission statement clearly shows the designer’s focus: “Trans-seasonal pieces. Released slowly. Made in-house in our Melbourne studio.”

“Each garment is carefully considered and constructed locally from high-quality fabrics, all made to stand the test of time,” states the website.

Elegant, seasonless, ageless

The Dominique Healy aesthetic is a mix of classic shapes like wide-leg pants, pencil skirts, and blouses with textured fabrics and more fashion-forward proportions. She does a spectacular poet-style sleeve. 

It’s also interesting that the designer uses an older fit model front and center in her shoots and lookbooks, clearly welcoming the dollar of the more mature buyer. Equally interesting is that the exact same pieces are shown on both the older, and younger models; again showing a more inclusive attitude. 

While the natural tones of the fabrics – think white, cream, black – give off a somewhat Scandianivan furniture vibe, the slightly bulky fabrics create a rounded, soft texture to the brand’s pieces. 

Healy’s most recent collection was all about matching sets that have the comfortable feel of a sweatsuit but the elegance of a traditional suit due to the use of thick cotton fabrics and classic cuts. 

Ethical and Sustainable Production

The majority of the Dominique Healy garments are made in her Melbourne studio, while the rest is produced at an Melbourne factory that is ethically accredited. 

Healy strongly believes that production needs to be kept local in order to not only support the Australian fashion industry, but she also feels that otherwise, “a part of the magic of the fashion industry could be lost altogether”.

An added benefit of keeping production local is the ability to produce short runs per style, reducing waste, and to also move to a ‘made to order’ model after the initial garments are sold, again ensure there is little to no wasted stock.

The garment patterns are also designed in such a way as to reduce fabric wastage. The brand’s popular Bella Blouse uses 95% of the fabric allowance to make, and Healy continues to work on ways to decrease fabric wastage with all her patterns.

Another way the designer works to be more sustainable, is to use a majority of deadstock fabrics sourced from Japan, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, where her previous life as a fabric wholesales comes in handy.

Linen used for the brand’s classics range is produced by mills that are OEKO-TEX certified, meaning they meet a set of international regulations for the responsible use of chemicals. 

While Healy has obviously created a fashion business that already follows a number of ethical and sustainable processes, the designer states that she will continue to incorporate “more sustainable and earth friendly materials into her collections”.

You can buy Dominique Healy online at dominiquehealy.com, and follow the brand on Instagram at @dominique_healy.

Ankoa, the Australian slow fashion brand ‘celebrating life and all it has to offer’

nikibruceLeave a comment

As the world continues to feel less and less safe, there has been an increase in searches for, and sales of, fashion items that bring a sense of comfort. Nostalgia for the times ‘before’, the golden ages of previous centuries when anything seemed possible, is popping up all over the place. 

Whether it was the 1910s, or the 1970s, the desire for a light, pretty dress made of fine fabrics with lace and floral details is a trend that has come full circle in 2020. Concepts like #cottagecore, handcrafts, handmade, natural materials, floral prints, delicate detailing and classical, forgiving silhouettes can be seen in many designers’ work. 

The Strawberry Midi Dress by Lirika Matoshi is perhaps the most famous dress of the year; so famous that popular social media influencers are making their own. The search for ‘prairie dress’ gets you 55,200,000 results on Google. 

What’s really interesting is that the bulk of these results are not for major fashion brands, but from small independent designers, or even home sewists, who are looking to create clothes that are not only pretty, but comforting and designed for real women to wear. Clothing that is a bulwark against the stresses of a world pandemic and all that it brings. 

All of this means that designers who have always created seasonless, trendless, slow fashion clothing are coming into their own. One of these is Australian designer Lucy Blair with her brand Ankoa. 

Based in rural Australia, Lucy studied fashion at RMIT TAFE and worked in the commercial side of the fashion industry for a number of years, learning what she needed to know about how the market and industry operates in Australia. She also ran her own small, independent brand at the same time “making plenty of mistakes in what was a very different landscape, online shopping was only just starting out at that point”. 

Lucy admits that while she loved what she was doing, she also started to see the cracks in the industry’s walls. “This was a time where I was very much captivated by the glamour of the industry and at this point ethical fashion wasn’t something that was really spoken about and was not something that was ever part of my curriculum studying,” explains Lucy.

Eventually she moved back to the country, drawn to a slower pace of life and a more considered way of producing fashion. 

“Ankoa was something that I gradually started, around six years ago working part time and then once I had children found a whole new drive and passion to create,” says Lucy. 

“The initial concept for Ankoa came from a love for hand blocked Indian cotton fabric. The fabric is created by carving wooden blocks and then dipping them in dye to create a unique print by hand.”

“I fell in love with the beauty of this ancient art and wanted to find a way to support and celebrate it. Initially I was going to make men’s shirts but ended up crossing over to women’s wear as that was my real passion. 

“Once that happened it became about ‘celebrating life and all it has to offer’, making pieces that pull you further into moments so in terms of slow I guess that was always an underlying component but has developed further, as has the aesthetic.”

Lucy’s style is a mix of romanticism, traditional femininity, and a sense of womanhood. Motherhood made a major impact not only on Lucy’s thoughts about creating slower, more sustainable fashion, but also on her designs. Many of her dresses and tops are designed to make breastfeeding easier, for example. 

Rich colours and delicate prints on cotton mix with soft fabrics like velvet in her Winter collection; shapes are flattering with added volume for easy movement. These are very pretty clothes, with details like ruffles and lace that hark back to either the 70s hippie dresses or the floaty shirtwaists of the Edwardian era. 

Each garment is a little bit different due to the use of hand printing using blocks in the traditional Indian style. The production runs are also small ensuring there is little to no waste, creating garments that are meant to last, and be handed down like heirlooms.

The battle for Sustainability

These days words like ‘sustainability’, ‘ethical consumerism’, ‘slow fashion’ etc are thrown around with abandon, and in many cases with little understanding. ‘Everyone knows’ that the fashion industry has to become more ‘sustainable’, but few brands understand what this actually means, let alone know how to implement the required changes. 

For a small, independent brand like Ankoa, the issue of sustainability is multilayered; a battle to continuously improve. 

“In terms of sustainability, so much has changed in the last six years and it is something to celebrate but has also been a battle,” explains Lucy.  “When I say battle, I grew up believing that we could do anything, be anything but suddenly what I wanted to do seemed so damaging and for a long time I felt really lost and unsure of what to do. 

“So yes, [sustainability] has always been a focus because I made the decision to do it, but do it in a way that I felt comfortable, so that the people who I work with are paid properly, making very small quantities of pieces with a focus on quality and natural fibres, and hoping that the Ankoa woman chooses one dress over 20 cheap throw away dresses to last. 

“The focus on sustainability is something that continues to change, I am not perfect and there are still so many improvements to be made but it is something that I feel strongly about as the brand grows.”

While admitting that being a sustainable and ethical fashion brand is always a work in progress, Lucy does feel positive about the future of the industry. 

“Given that even ten/fifteen years ago, sustainability was not really something that was much of a consideration, I am excited and hopeful for the future. I think that there have been lots of positive changes in the last five years in particular, so I can only imagine how many great things might happen in the next five to come,” says Lucy.

“I also hope that people’s thinking is slowly changing and people want to know what the story is behind the clothes and also making conscious choices opting for pieces to wear for years rather than once or twice and throw away. I am also really excited about the future of recycled fashion/fabric and feel this is an area that has huge potential for growth.”

Positivity in the Pandemic

It has to be said that the retail industry, particularly the fashion retail space, has been massively impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. While a few items like sweatpants and masks might be doing huge sales online, for creative fashion brands things have been less rosy. After all, who needs a ballgown right now? 

However, smaller, more nimble brands like Ankoa have been able to react quickly to market changes, and have also seen customers’ behaviour change as well. 

“I believe the pandemic has highlighted a few different things. It has caused many of us to slow down and focus on what’s important and how little we need, I hope this also fuels the desire to choose quality over quantity,” says Lucy. 

“I would also love to see some more manufacturing options here in Australia, I love supporting and working with my team in India who I hope to continue to work with but I would also very much love to do some more work here too.”

Ankoa was naturally impacted by the arrival of Covid19, says Lucy: “When things first started I went from being consistent to absolute crickets.” However she also saw a slow return to sales with fluctuations based on newly released items. She says that she remains nervous – Lucy had thought she might have to close the brand earlier on – but now hopes that things will continue to get better.

Onwards and upwards … 

While Lucy remains passionate about continuing Ankoa, particularly in relation to supporting her current team and continuing her love of traditional Indian hand block printing, she would also like to be able to produce her garments in Australia too.

“… Before children I was making a lot myself but for now it is near impossible having little people around. Once my littlies are off to school then I hope I am able to get back to making in some way and to potentially find a way to produce within my local community, in a way that has a positive impact,” says Lucy.

“I would like to keep the brand relatively small, it’s a business of heart and not something that I want to become huge and unmanageable, I would like to find a way to just live a relatively quiet life with family and enjoy creating in a way that is helpful and sustainable.”

You can buy Ankoa online at www.ankoa.com.au and follow the brand on Instagram at @ankoaau

Handcrafted, sustainable artisan knitwear from Amano by Lorena Laing

nikibruceLeave a comment

Lorena Laing is a Melbourne ‘fashion artist’ who launched Amano by Lorena Laing as a way to share her handcrafted artisan-style knitwear with the public. The brand is all about ethical and sustainable knitwear, and works with one of the last knitting mills still operating in Australia. 

Every product is handcrafted in Australia, and the whole company is dedicated to working with local producers, artisans, craftspeople and artists. The brand also locally sources its materials, manufacturing and packaging locally, stating it feels a “responsibility to preserve and pass on [ageing artisanal skills] to future generations”. 

Due to its artisanal nature, Amano creates clothing items that are more like bespoke, one-off artworks. The design concept is based around the individuality of handmade production, and the core concept is that no two pieces are exactly the same. The overall style will be the same, but the colours, details and specifics will be different. 

Traditional production techniques like loom weaving, crochet and needle knitting are combined with the small run manufacturing of the traditional knitting mill to create the various garments. Natural materials like alpaca and high quality wool are used to ensure that the pieces last. 

“The Alpaca fibre I work with is local and ethically sourced from Peru. The skilled artisans who weave and knit my designs are locals and it is important to me to focus on keeping my collections local and one hundred percent natural,” writes Laing.

Amano is very much about ‘slow fashion’. The brand wants the garments to be used, worn, and handed down, ideally to become family heirlooms.

“Amano takes great pride in hand-crafting its pieces with locally sourced materials, have zero waste and are crafted and packaged locally. We are aware of our carbon footprint, of our struggling manufacturing industry and our aging artisanal skills. We feel a responsibility to preserve these and ensure they exist for future generations.” 

To help with controlling waste, for the brand’s ready-to-wear capsule collection Laing uses CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to map out the garments in minute detail to reduce wastage. 

While there is definitely a handmade ‘craftiness’ to the Amano aesthetic, you also see the influence of Japanese knitwear designers like Yuko Shimizu and Reiko Kuwamura in the voluminous shapes, as well as early Rick Owens open-work knits, and even the delicacy of the work by textile artists like Chris Motley and Gjertrud Hals.

The use of muted colours – neutrals, blacks, greys and warm browns – ensures that these garments are not trend focused. The oversized shapes also mean that Amano knitwear suits all body types and sizes. 

Amano by Lorena Laing garments are not cheap, they are handmade after all, but they are not as expensive as you would imagine. One of these knits will last you for years, so the cost per wear is definitely worth the investment. 

You can shop Amano by Lorena Laing online at lorenalaing.com, and once the coronavirus restrictions are over you can visit the atelier located at 631 Rathdowne Street Carlton North, Victoria, Australia. The designer also holds one-on-one styling sessions where you get a personal introduction to the garments from Laing, and you can also commission bespoke garments.

Jonathan Liang: Adaptable, provocative, combatively feminine fashion

nikibruceLeave a comment

Designer Jonathan Liang launched his eponymous label in 2014 with the goal of creating clothes for women that were “adaptable, provocative yet combatively feminine”, he wished to juxtapose his “world of dreams” with clothes that women could actually wear in their daily lives. 

Although he launched his Paris-based label long before the current disruption to the fashion industry that is 2020, Liang didn’t have it easy. For decades there has been too much fashion circulating the globe. With new brands popping up on social media almost daily, being able to stand out, with a distinct creative voice, and actually making enough money to stay in business is not easy.

Originally from Malaysia, Liang has worked for a number of major fashion brands, including Givenchy and Surface to Air, and presumably this background enabled him to have a better understanding of the vagaries of setting up an independent fashion label. 

Still, to have survived for over six years is not bad in an industry as rife with fashion failures as it is with successes. 

While you can describe the brand as international, it is its connections to Australia and Asia which has assisted Liang in growing a following outside of the traditional European and American markets. Which is doubly helpful now that the rest of the world is slowly eating itself alive due to the economic and social impact of the Coronavirus, Covid19. 

On top of this most unexpected of disasters, the entire fashion world has been slowly awakening to the issues of sustainability, ethical production, waste and customers’ desires to buy less and practice conscious consumerism more broadly. 

Sustainability and Covid19

So how does a relatively young, contemporary womenswear label navigate these additional issues while hard up against global competitors? Liang says the impact of Covid19 has changed the way he designs, and even touched some of the concepts of the brand’s aesthetic while keeping its underlying values intact. 

“In terms of design, we’ve moved to prioritise comfort above all else. Ever since the pandemic, we believe people are looking for something more comforting not only physically but mentally as well,” explains Liang.

“It hasn’t changed the way we create, it was a lot of asking ourselves, does this feel good on our skin but in [the] context of the new world we [are moving into]? The business of fashion has definitely changed as a whole, and we’re constantly adapting whilst maintaining our core design principles.”

As for the growing movement towards more sustainable and ethical clothing production, Liang says he has always taken this into consideration when designing and producing the brand. 

“We are always thinking about sustainability, not just [for] the environment but sustainability in the business as a whole alongside governance too,” says Liang.

“We do what we can to ensure as small an [environmental] impact as possible, like controlling production quantity, types of fabric, and designs that require very low, to almost no wastage.”

Liang also says that the company has always practiced ethical employment but ensuring that its makers and staff had a “strong standard of living from day one”.

A Wild Garden

Liang’s latest collections have all been influenced by nature, with the concept of a “romantically carefree landscape filled with dramatic creatures” visible throughout. 

Flowers feature heavily, not as garish patterns and prints, but more as an aesthetic backdrop to the clothes which are soft, voluminous and romantic. Lace details combined with girlish/boyish cuts create a modern Edwardian vibe. 

While pretty and rather #cottagecore in concept, Liang’s current collection includes pieces perfect for the workplace; should we ever return. Clever use of more masculine fabrics cut into shirt-dress shapes with asymmetric detailing neatly blends the boy-girl aesthetic. 

Liang’s original inspiration for Fall Winter 2020 – “floral installations on the streets of New York and JeanLuc Godard’s 1966 Masculin Féminin” – can clearly be seen in the various pieces from the collection with silk joggers worn under slips and topped with manish blazers. 

The brand’s fabrics are a glorious explosion of all things delicate and beautiful – organza, tulle, lace, silk, silk-jersey, and Broderie Anglaise. Peachy pinks, white, soft lilacs and greys are offset with black and white in the current season’s colour palette for Spring Summer 2020. Quality detailing and manufacturing ensure the clothes are beautifully made with a sense of timeless handcraft about them.

The SS20 collection was inspired by the work of artist Jim Hodges who is known for his mix of hard and soft in conceptual works. This inspiration “becomes obvious in the Slinger jacket series, tailored jackets with detachable Broderie Anglaise aprons”, says Liang. More multi-functional mixes can be seen in the Stiker dress, it comes as five separate pieces that can be worn alone, or together for a range of looks and occasions. 

Liang also highlights the delicate printed sheer garments that were inspired by Hodges’ 1997 ‘With the Wind’, suggesting they be worn over t-shirts to “perfectly embody the spirit of the everyday Jonathan Liang woman”.

Fashion’s Future 

The pretty, wearable clothes of the Jonathan Liang label manifest a nostalgic wish for the time before Covid19, when having picnics – or brunch at a hip cafe – was an everyday occasion. 

Where will we be wearing these delicate, feminine pieces in the future? Will we be willing to spend our dwindling cash on them? I’m guessing that yes, women with a sense of romance, softness, and wishful thinking will gladly take Liang’s offerings to heart, if only for the nostalgic comfort they bring. 

As for the brand, Liang agrees that the fashion industry has undergone somewhat of an upheaval, but is unsure yet where the future will land. 

“… It is very much dependent on each brand’s customer mindset and where they’re at too … thus we’re prioritising slower fashion that stands the test of time.”

You can shop Jonathan Liang online at society-a.com/brand/jonathan-liang/, or go to www.jonathan-liang.com/stockists.

Goth in the Sun: Australian designer Gail Sorronda

nikibruceLeave a comment

In my recent Instagram browsing I have been coming across a lot of interesting fashion brands, some I know of, and others that are new to me. 

One of these is Gail Sorronda, a Brisbane-based designer whose eponymous brand has been worn by a bunch of famous people like Winona Ryder and Lorde. Sorronda was also apparently described by no less than Karl Lagerfeld as “one to watch”. 

All this information was gleaned from various Australian media reports as unfortunately Sorronda was unavailable for an interview, as she is “just really selective with interviews” according to her husband and business partner Atlas Harwood, who is also famous for playing bass for post-punk brood band, Gazar Strips.

Still, despite the lack of access, and the dearth of information on the brand’s website, I’m still excited enough about Sorronda’s work to spend time writing up this article.  

Sorronda launched her label in 2005 at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, with an aesthetic that is “ethereal, dark, romantic” according to the designer in an interview published earlier this year. Her collections are named for her obsessions – Holy Water, Oh My Goth! and Angel at My Table (her graduate collection) – and obviously swing towards the gothic. Which, of course, is why I was so attracted to the brand in the first place. 

After launching in Australia, the designer worked in Paris from 2008, where her work was chosen to be featured by Dolce & Gabbana to feature in its Milan boutique, before returning to Brisbane – the capital of Australia’s sunshine state, Queensland – and establishing an independent boutique and atelier. Sorrondo’s penchant for the theatrical has also seen her work with Queensland Ballet and Expressions Dance Company designing costumes. 

While there isn’t an obvious sustainable or ethical focus in her production, Sorrondo does fit neatly into the Slow Fashion Movement.

“I prefer for pieces to be timeless. That is how I value good design. I think major trends can echo what is happening in society at the time just like music and other modes of the arts can. I just have a problem with fashion’s ceaseless cycle of replacement operating on planned obsolescence, artificially inducing trends, in a unsustainable and economically insatiable way,” Sorronda said in a recent interview.   

The brand’s garments are manufactured in Australia for the most part, from a range of luxury, internationally sourced fabrics. The designer is also in favour of supporting local artisans, as she stated in that same interview that supporting ‘local’ meant “thoughtfully buying locally designed and made products”.

As for the garments themselves, there is a definite hint of Japanese cult Lolita styling in the most recent collection – black and white, bonnets, capes of lace and voluminous sleeves all echo the mid-Victorian era stylings of the genre. 

There is, however, a delicacy to Sorronda’s pieces due to the quality of the construction and lightness of the fabrics, particularly when combined with a sense of transparency that is visible in the garments that bare more skin. 

Yes, this is another brand that would fit quite neatly into the #cottagecore aesthetic, but I prefer to think of it as a softer, more romantic version of Victorian Goth; plus the garments in white and at shorter lengths make it more appropriate for warmer climates.  

You can buy Gail Sarronda online at www.gailsorronda.com. 

 

Traditional with a Pop twist: Korean sustainable fashion brand Danha

nikibruceLeave a comment

I’ve never been shy about my love for Kpop … yes, I’m a YG stan from way back! Which is why I gleefully watched the latest video from the entertainment company’s girl group BlackPink with eyes wide open to spot the latest Korean fashion trends. 

Korean sustainable fashion brand Danha 5

And there, front and center were some fabulous traditional Hanbok-with-a-twist garments. I recognised the fabrics, prints and decorative details from all those Kdramas we all watch, but teamed with boots, short-shorts and minis, this was definitely not something Queen Seondeok would wear!

I was already following a number of other Korean brands that were working with traditional fabrics and clothing shapes on Instagram, but these garments were a cut above with the attention to detailing and how modern they looked. Eventually I tracked down the brand behind the looks and discovered Danha. 

Danha is not only a brand that is focused on creating a modern version of traditional Korean clothing, it is also a sustainable and ethical fashion brand – not something that is common in the Korean fashion industry. 

The brand describes itself as “sustainable ethical ‘slow fashion’ rather than ‘fast fashion’ that causes global warming, [and] will contribute to improving the world’s environmental problems”. 

Named after the designer Danha, the brand has always been about two things – celebrating traditional garment heritage in Korea, and being environmentally responsible. The brand works with organic and recycled fabrics, upcycles fabric offcuts – it creates gorgeous foldable shopping totes – and using the traditional flat-cut method of Korean garment design, actively reduces fabric waste. Danha also produces limited runs of stock and will create made-to-measure garments.

WATCH THE VIDEO: 

Designer Danha discusses how her clothes ended up on BlackPink

The garments are mostly created out of organic cotton, and eco-fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles. Silk and an eco-friendly tweed is also used for some items, and the brand continues to experiment with creating new sustainable fabrics. Their organic cotton complies with GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and is grown in a three year process with no chemical fertilizers, plus only natural starch and wax are used during the spinning process. 

Like many brands these days, Danha also uses recycled and biodegradable packaging, and is in the process of trialing an upcycled paper shipping box made of recycled materials.

Another part of the brand’s ethos is its ethical production methods, describing its sewists as “free workers who can choose what they want to do”, in a collegiate workshop environment where all the garments are handmade, “working comfortably together, respecting each other”.

From the customers’ perspective Danha is also remarkably inclusive unlike other Korean fashion brands which historically have had issues with sizing, creating only small sizes and with little consideration of non-tiny shoppers. Danha, on the other hand, is quite inclusive. The brand’s ‘free size’ ranges from Korean sizes 44 to 66 (that’s XS to M on the international size chart), wrap skirts go up to a 35in waist. Garments also come in sizes that are equal to an international L, and the brand will also customise garments to order in any size you like.

Those are all the sustainable and ethical requirements on the current hit list, but what about the clothes? 

Danha’s aesthetic fits neatly into the growing #cottagecore movement of light layers, ruffles, soft voluminous shapes and an ethereal, fairy vibe. Think drifting around in the moonlight waiting for your prince to arrive while simultaneously discovering a herbal cure for cancer, but in Seoul. These are pretty, pretty clothes with a distinctly Asian traditional take. 

Should you wear them if you aren’t Korean, or Asian? Yes! If you love the look it doesn’t matter where you come from, just make sure you don’t do something stupid like add ‘yellow face’ makeup or hair.  

Shop Danha online at en.danhaseoul.com

WATCH THE BLACKPINK VIDEO THAT STARTED IT ALL …

Sustainable, ethical and pretty: 3 new boho brands to buy

nikibruceLeave a comment

Well, it looks like my focus is becoming almost exclusively about sustainable and ethical fashion brands. As I have ranted before, however, the definition of a brand shouldn’t really have to include these tags – all fashion brands should be sustainably and ethically produced just on principle. Sustainability shouldn’t have to be a definition; it should just be an automatic part of any fashion brand’s production. 

That’s the dream, right? So, until sustainable and ethical production becomes the norm, I still feel the need to highlight the emerging fashion brands that ARE doing something about it. 

One stop for sustainable fashion, accessories & beauty

Here are three relatively new brands I discovered after reaching out to Susannah Jaffer, the founder of Asia-based online fashion store Zerrin. 

The Zerrin concept is an interesting one, especially in this age of too much stuff, available too easily. The online store offers a list of brands that are “tried, tested and vetted” before being added to the inventory of clothing, accessories and skincare products for sale.

Apart from the retail component, the site is also focused on spreading awareness about sustainable and ethical fashion and accessory brands. 

“We want to make sustainable fashion uncomplicated and be your guide to building a more mindful, meaningful wardrobe,” states a line on the website. 

To do this, the site offers more than just shopping, but also handy information like guides to understanding the different aspects of sustainable production, including interviews with industry insiders and breakdowns of various terms to make understanding buying sustainable fashion more accessible.  

Zerrin also has a growing directory of smaller and emerging fashion brands – particularly from around Asia – that have sustainable and ethical credentials, describing them as #BetterBrands, that can help you source your fashion buys.

The #BetterBrand mark is based on a comprehensive rating system designed by the Zerrin team that takes into account a brand’s performance based on five key factors – “people, planet, product, packaging and principles”.

Three new brands to look out for …

WHISPERS & ANARCHY 

With an aesthetic that fits into the currently hot #cottagecore trend, Whispers & Anarchy has a mixed origin – born in Spain, designed in Singapore, and made in Bali. Based around the Slow Fashion Movement of limited handmade production and natural fabrics, there is also consideration for those of us on a budget with lower prices than comparable products. 

The garments are made in Bali, which despite being one of the more expensive places to manufacture in Asia, does have a strong sustainability focus. The brand uses a family workshop that provides living wages, safe conditions and complies with internationally accepted working hours.

Natural fibres like BCI certified cotton and rayon voile made from wood pulp and other agricultural products, are used to make the clothes, and they are handmade and hand-dyed on site with non-toxic dyes. The cuts are such as to create as little wasted fabric as possible, and the trims and labels are locally sourced to reduce the carbon footprint. The brand also has a ‘made to measure’ service, and only uses biodegradable packaging. 

If that’s not enough, Whispers & Anarchy also have a tree planted for every one of their compostable mailer orders in collaboration with the non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.

Shop Whispers & Anarchy online at shop.zerrin.com/collections/whispers-anarchy

HIDE THE LABEL 

Based in London, Hide was launched by siblings Shereen and Ryan Barrett, with the goal to produce “effortless silhouettes that fit well, last longer and can be worn by every woman, every season for every occasion”.

Another brand that comes with a bit of a #cottagecore vibe, Hide features strong prints and classic, soft feminine cuts. The draped and floaty effect comes from the use of recycled polyester fabric made of post-consumer waste which is woven in the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) Certified fabrics.

Using recycled polyester fabrics not only keeps plastic waste out of landfills, but also reduces water use in production and has a lower carbon footprint. Hide also uses viscose fabrics which are semi-synthetic plant based materials made of wood pulp from regenerative trees. The prints are created using a system that doesn’t create water waste or surplus ink.

Like many sustainable brands, Hide uses recycled paper and bio-compostable materials for its shipping and packaging too.

The brand will be available on Zerrin at the end of August, launching with its new collection made with ECONYL, which is a nylon fabric made from recycled synthetic waste like industrial plastic, waste fabric and ocean fishing nets.

Shop Hide online at hidethelabel.com, or at Zerrin for the new collection.

STEP OF GRACE

An Indonesian brand based in Jakarta, Step of Grace creates garments from natural fibres, mostly 100% pure linen, GOTS certified cotton and bamboo fibres, as well as from recycled fabrics like rayon and tencel. Many of the garments are undyed and those that are use non-toxic natural dyes. 

The brand also offers cool slip-on handmade leather slides and slip-on shoes that are made in Jakarta by small scale Javanese artisans using traditional skills passed down the generations in family businesses.

Step of Grace has a very laid-back, boho vibe with loose cuts and light neutral colours. The pieces have a hippy minimalist feel with simple, unadorned shapes like loose tees, baggy shorts, soft wide-leg pants and voluminous wrap tops. This is very much a brand of separates; perfect for throwing on in super hot weather. 

Step of Grace will be launching on Zerrin at the end of August 2020, but you can also shop it on their own website. The brand also plants a tree for every product sold.

Shop Step of Grace online at stepofgrace.com 

To buy more stylish and sustainable fashion, accessories and even beauty products, go to shop.zerrin.com. 

Romantic minimalism: Conscious, considered clothing from Joslin

nikibruce1 Comment

Emerging Australian brand Joslin was founded by designer Elinor Joslin in only 2018, but since then has become one of the country’s most popular sustainable fashion labels, famous for pretty, linen dresses. 

The brand’s aesthetic is based on the designer’s artist parents and features feminine details like smocking, ruffles, pintucks and buttons in Joslin’s signature linen. But what the brand is really known for is its comprehensive dedication to producing sustainable and ethical fashion.

The brand’s site lists in detail anything and everything you want to know about how the clothes are produced. Elinor is aware that the label has only begun its journey towards being a completely sustainable brand, so prefers to describe Joslin as a “conscious” brand, and being “committed to the improvement of sustainable processes with every collection, and to provide further transparency and accreditation as her business grows from an emerging designer brand into an established sustainable designer brand”, as her website states. 

Elinor “believes that much of the Fashion Industry as it currently stands, is a cycle of planned obsolescence and synthetic landfill. Fashion itself is a business model of creating and selling new products that are made from the earth’s resources, only to be worn once or a few times before becoming obsolete.” 

Joslin then is part of the Slow Fashion movement. “Being conscious, being considered, making responsible choices, encouraging positive change, pushing for transparency and always evolving in ways to lighten one’s ecological footprint is both a brand and consumer’s best foot forward to a sustainable fashion industry,” says Elinor.

This translates into using textiles and yarns that are “planet friendly and traceable to the source wherever possible”. These fabrics are ramie, silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, and of course, linen. Getting hold of these fabrics, however, isn’t as easy as you may think.

“Fabric minimums are a major challenge for small-business designers. Due to the fashion industry’s lower demand for sustainable fabrics, pricing and minimum order quantities are in so many cases unattainable,” explains Elinor. “Joslin faces many barriers in price, quality and scalability for many bio-based, certified and innovative alternative textiles. Instead, for now, the business focuses on natural fibres and naturally occurring sustainable fibres.”

About 70% of Joslin’s pieces are made of linen, the brand gets its linen-flax from the Normandy region of France; then the combed flax is imported to Jiangsu, China, where it is spun. According to Joslin, “linen uses approximately 90% less embodied energy in its manufacture than polyester -‘fast fashion’s’ most common fabric – and is long lasting and durable in the wardrobe.”

Elinor believes “the world urgently needs to lower the usage of fossil fuelled textiles and move towards textile-to-textile recycling if fossil fuelled textiles are to be of continued use.” Despite this, the brand does use some synthetics and plastics, but only when there is “no natural alternative, or when it benefits the natural composition”.

Still, this is not for lack of desire. “In garment production, it is not always possible to avoid synthetics and plastics – buttons, zips and fusing’s are the benchmark of standard manufacturing and garment construction. There is currently no natural alternative that is commercially viable for fusing,” says the brand’s website.

However, the Joslin knitwear collection makes use of pre-consumer recycled nylon, because it helps the knits to be stronger, so that it will last even longer. The brand also uses manufacturers and dyers that meet the OEKO-TEX® 100 STANDARD which is 100% free from over 100 harmful chemicals that are recognised as being harmful for humans.

The brand’s packaging is eco-friendly with 100% compostable bags, 100% recycled tissue paper, card and paper, plus all of the international e-commerce orders are carbon offset through the DHL GoGreen Climate Neutral shipping service. Even the garments exported from China come in 100% compostable plant-based satchels.

You can read all about the full complement of actions that the brand takes to ensure that it is as ethical and sustainable as it can be on the website.

The Slow part of the brand’s production is the reduction of overproduction and ensuring the garments are seasonless, with a sense of longevity – no piece is ever designed to only be worn once according to Elinor. This is why she focuses on traditional detailing combined with ways to wear the garments in more than one way, and sticks to a minimal palette of neutral shades. 

There is a touch of the #cottagecore movement to Joslin’s style with the use of natural fabrics, ruffles and loose-fit cuts, but it is elevated by the traditional detailing and the sexiness of deep-v necklines and transparent inserts.

Joslin is a brand well worth keeping an eye on.

To shop the brand, go to joslinstudio.com and you can follow Joslin on Instagram at @joslinstudio

Discover more Australian brands doing beautiful things with sustainable motives: Australian brands that do #cottagecore in a uniquely sustainable way; Small but mighty: 6 emerging sustainable Australian fashion brands and 6 sustainable Australian swimwear brands to discover

Australian brands that do #cottagecore in a uniquely sustainable way

nikibruce1 Comment

There’s a new fashion trend that’s been popping up, first on TikTok, and now it has moved onto Instagram and Pinterest. Cottagecore is a mix of 21st century hippies, Japanese Mori Girl and Lolitta, a touch of the 18th century, a love of enormous sleeves and a girlishness that harks back to simpler times.

The origin of the Cottagecore aesthetic is one that emphasises Western idyls of the countryside, farming, nature, simplicity and peacefulness, however it has also been adopted by a wide range of young people – particularly lesbians – searching for a decorative ‘soft’ place to identify with, somewhere to celebrate all things handmade, sustainable and ethical. 

This Soft Aesthetic, or Cottagecore fashion, is inspired by the Edwardian era – both the men’s and women’s clothing styles to be worn by either men or women now – and a touch of grandma style.

What is fascinating about this new style is that it comes at a time when a range of new fashion production concepts are also playing out in the retail world due to the impact of the coronavirus – the slow fashion movement, being locked down and dreaming of the great outdoors, the increased interest in using sustainable fabrics and the ideas behind #buylessbuybetter. 

In Australia there are a number of interesting emerging and independent brands that fit neatly into this new Cottagecore trend, making soft, voluminous, natural fabric garments that seem equally suited to roaming the meadows of the British Isles, as they do to traipsing the paddocks, forests and beaches of Australia.

MUSE THE LABEL

Established in 2016, Muse the Label is based in Melbourne and handmade makes everything in linen. The founder of the brand does everything from creating the patterns, choosing the fabrics, sewing the garments and even acts as the delivery driver. 

The linen is sourced from mills that guarantee a fair living wage, and are fully compliant with current REACH regulations. The brand also re-uses as much designer leftovers, mill overrun fabrics and deadstock fabric as it can. Muse only produces small runs of items that are trans-seasonal, so that they reduce wastage and can also create limited editions based on available fabrics. 

The brand’s aesthetic is based on a love of natural fabrics and being out in Australian landscapes, hence the mix of rich earthy and natural colours. This is Cottagecore done in a simple, feminine and slow fashion style.

To shop, go to https://musethelabel.com/ 

REVEL KNITWEAR

Another Melbourne brand also set up in 2016, Revel Knitwear is all about handmade knitwear that is ‘made by women, for women’. 

“I wanted to create knitwear that was classic and timeless. Being hand-made, it provides more of a bespoke and exclusive experience for the consumer. A knit that has been truly made for you, with a lot of passion and love,” explains brand founder and knitwear designer Shannyn Lorkin.

Revel Knitwear has five core values that they stick to. The first is Handmade; all the pieces are hand-knitted by a team of Australian crafters who take up to 20 hours to create one sweater. “I gained all my knowledge and skill of hand-knitting from my grandmother Beverley who this label is a legacy for. She taught me the value of wearing something that has soul and that has love in every stitch,” says Lorkin. 

Using only natural fibres like wool and cotton are the second core value; and repurposing waste is the third. Revel Knitwear makers save all the fibre off-cuts to be spun into new yarn, and use recycled cotton yarn fabric labels and biodegradable packaging. 

Value four is linked to reducing waste, the made-to-order production of garments. The items are all made on demand – which is why it can take 14-21 days for delivery after an order is made. They do have a small number of made to order items during different seasons – like winter – but everything is generally only made after it has been bought. The final value is tied to using natural materials – wool doesn’t need to be washed very often as it is odour resistant, and even if you do wash it, it only needs a light handwash saving on water usage. 

Revel Knitwear is oversized, with lots of textural details, fun coloured stripes and with fabulous voluminous sleeves – the perfect sweater to go on top of a Cottagecore linen dress.

To shop the brand, go to https://www.revelknitwear.com/

EVA’S SUNDAY

Eva’s Sunday is a brand that’s based in country Australia, and again works almost entirely in linen. The design philosophy is based around agelessness and comfort, and of course, slow fashion and natural materials. 

The brand doesn’t release seasonal collections as the majority of their items have been designed to be layered depending on the season, neutral shades like white, cream and grey are balanced with darker blues and touches of black, plus additional pastel shades of green. 

“We design and release new ranges consistently throughout the year and prefer to avoid the strict seasonal approach to garment design, opting instead for pieces that work well layered up or down depending on your climate,” writes Nic MacIsaac, the founder and CEO.

The voluminous shapes, natural fabrics, asymmetrical cuts and additions like rosettes and flowers makes Eva’s Sunday the perfect example of Mori Girl Cottagecore style

To shop the brand, go to https://www.evassunday.com.au/

GARÇONNE

Designer Kate Thornell created Garçonne in 2018 after searching for clothes that not only suited her personal style – a mix of “French workwear from the 30s to the high-waisted pants and gorgeous dresses of the 40s; Harris Tweed waistcoats from the 70s to the denim overalls I wore as a child in the 80s” – but also fit into the Slow Fashion Movement.

Thornell chose the brand’s name for its historical links to the 1920s French flappers, as well as its tie to the Tomboy fashion aesthetic. “Garçonne is [also] used today to describe the modern gentlewoman: think Tilda Swinton and Dianne Keaton,” writes Thornell.

Although the brand originally started as an idea for a small knitwear range, after working with a knitwear consultant and enjoying the creativity, Thornell decided to take the leap and launch as a full womenswear brand also incorporating linen garments.

The brand only produces limited numbers of items using natural yarns like alpaca and wool, and linen in small runs per each trans-seasonal collections. 

Shop the brand at https://garconne.com.au/ 

MERRI

Merri is more of a boho Mori Girl style with influence from the 50s, 60s and 70s. The designer describes the brand concept as being “born out of a love affair with my mothers’ wardrobe”. 

The collections are again relatively limited and once sold out, they are not restocked. The garments are non-mass produced and ethically handmade, with the idea that the pieces will last long enough to become heirlooms.

“… at Merri I wanted to create beautiful clothing and accessories with meaning and soul,” writes the designer and founder Rhea. 

To shop the brand, go to https://merrithelabel.com/

VERONICA TUCKER

Veronica Tucker is a Melbourne designer who founded her label in 2019. Her brand is more like a traditional atelier where she designs, cuts and hand sews all her garments in very limited runs. 

What makes her work different and exciting is that she also produces bespoke designs on request that feature her signature use of volume, ruffles and natural fabrics. Tucker’s style is feminine but comes with a polish that adds an understated elegance to her work. 

Currently working on her new collection, you can’t actually shop her brand at the moment. As a slow fashion brand, Tucker only produces limited runs and once they’re gone, they’re gone. This also reduces waste as she only makes as many items as are being bought. 

To discover more about the brand, go to https://veronicatuckerthelabel.com/, and you can order a bespoke design by emailing hello@veronicatuckerthelabel.com. 

LIYA MIRA

Based in Sydney, designer and crafter Liya Mira creates handmade and hand-dyed clothing from organic fabrics. Her style is definitely at the hippy end of the Cottagecore spectrum with the simple silhouettes acting as a platform for her natural dying techniques.

The garments take about four weeks to make, and all of the colours are created from natural plants and other organic materials. Each garment is unique due to the natural and handmade nature of Mira’s process.

Mira designs, cuts and sews all of the garments, making the brand part of the slow fashion movement. As the unique aspect comes from the hand-dyeing process, the pieces are designed to be worn layered for a trans-seasonal wardrobe. 

Shop the brand at https://www.liya.com.au/

ESS LABORATORY

ESS Laboratory by designer Hoshika Oshimi sits at the gothic end of the Cottagecore trend with its focus on historical cuts and inspiration mixed with a focused attention to detail and high quality Japanese fabrics. 

Oshimi’s work is hand-crafted in Melbourne in limited production runs using natural fabrics and trans-seasonal concepts. There are no synthetic fabrics or non-biodegradable materials used, everything is made from hemp, wool, linen, cotton and silk. Even the buttons are made of natural materials like shell and horn, or self-covered using the same fabrics. 

The manufacturing is local and waste is avoidable by only creating as many garments as are needed for each trans-seasonal collection. The brand also makes special orders on some pieces so that they can tailor the designs personally. 

On top of all these sustainable practices, ESS Laboratory also offers a repair service for all their garments. Minimal repairs like buttons, and hem adjustments are free, however they will also do more substantial work like tailoring, large patching and resizing for a fee.

The brand’s aesthetic fits neatly into those of the original Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Comme Des Garçons, with the same attention to textures and timeless shapes with a unique artistic twist. 

To shop the brand, go to https://ess-laboratory.com/.

For more on Australian fashion, read Thoughtful, wearable clothes for every body by Jude Ng.

Erik Yvon: Colourful, ethical, sustainable

nikibruceLeave a comment
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon MAIN

Ethical and sustainable fashion, like all trends and styles, has begun to settle into a series of expected norms; organic cotton, neutral and natural shades, prairie dresses, cable knits and a somewhat ‘earth mother’ vibe. 

BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 2
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 3

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The work of Melbourne-based designer Erik Yvon is a fabulous example of design overcoming the expected norms. Yvon uses bright colours, strong prints and unique textures inspired by his Mauritian origins, to create clothes that are joyful, inspired by art and culture, and dedicated to sustainable and ethical production.

BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 7
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 6
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 11

“As an independent label we firmly believe in making a change and strengthening our local industry by keeping our production, onshore, transparent and ethical,” writes Yvon. “We are mindful of the footprint we have on our surroundings and try to have a positive impact on the community within our supply chain.”

The brand stocks limited runs of different pieces, and produced made-to-order so as to reduce waste. Yvon also produces all of his products in Melbourne, supporting local industry businesses and working with various communities.

BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 12
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 1

“We pride ourselves on being made in Melbourne and work closely with local suppliers,” writes Yvon on the brand’s website, listing the local businesses they work with.

The Erik Yvon look is an interesting mix of streetwear comfort, and over the top avant garde use of colour, texture and pattern. There is a strong gender neutral thread running through the brand, particularly in its use of separates – tops and pants that can be worn by guys, girls, anyone. The style is also relatively size inclusive, with generous cuts and the use of volume creating flattering shapes for most body types.

BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 8
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 9
BLOG Australia fashion label Erik Yvon 10

There is a touch of the 90s in the brand’s designs too – particularly the use of legging type trousers, tights and black and white geometric patterns. Strong colours like neon yellow and hot pink are softened by the use of more natural shades, but the feel is one of sunny days and parties on the beach. 

To shop Erik Yvon, go to erikyvon.com