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Creative uniformity from new Singapore fashion brand Vetyver

April 19, 2020April 19, 2020 nikibruceLeave a comment

Launched in May 2019, Vetyver is a relatively new addition to the round up of Singapore designed fashion brands. Founded by designer Firdaus Aris, better known as Pit, the label offers both womenswear and menswear in a monochrome palette of black and white with a distinctive cut that echoes some of Singapore’s more creative fashion brands.

When you look at these pieces you will see echoes of Pit’s foundation and training at two of Singapore’s more creative and successful fashion brands – alldressedup and In Good Company – where he trained. Vetyver was conceived while Pit was working as a fashion lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts – the source of a number of Singapore’s best designers.

“I had the chance to work with friends and colleagues across different design disciplines and hoped to bring a new perspective forward through the label,” explains Pit.

“At the same time I was also liaising with a uniform factory that was going to close down and they were letting go of a lot of these ‘uniform’ fabrics. I started to develop a fascination in the idea of a uniform system.

“Uniforms have played a vital role in my memories of growing up where I had attended public school, to seeing my father who was an engineer leave for work wearing overalls.

Pit felt that uniforms were often overlooked as a design object; they are items that combine function and quality, and something that also “served as a visual representation of the identity of an organisation.”

These thoughts and ideas led him to look into creating a fashion brand based on the original uniform materials he discovered, creating a mini project, which turned into Vetyver. The brand launched with the capsule collection ‘Un-form’ at Grafunkt’s design district in Funan Mall in December 2019.

Sustainability in longevity

When asked about the brand’s position on sustainability, Pit noted that being sustainable and operating an ethical business “is a natural part of our process, which should already be for any existing fashion brands”.

“I love using durable materials that will last, that will wear and improve or give more character after each wash,” Pit explains, pointing out that longevity is as much a part of the sustainable movement as recycling.

“Upcycling of materials is in the plans for a future project. I believe that good design and good quality will last in the wardrobe, and I work very closely with our manufacturers. I am also opposed to the wear-and-throw culture.”

What’s the future for fashion?

Considering the current state of the retail sector with the coronavirus phenomenon, starting a new fashion brand could be considered a risk. Pit was asked about this prior to the current situation, and his answer appears almost prescient.

“I think more consumers are becoming much more aware of sustainability now as compared to 5 years ago. Curated designer thrift stores and resale garments are gaining more popularity. It can be seen as both over-saturated or also an exciting time for change. I remain optimistic.”

Pit is also optimistic about the future of Vetyver: “I love collaborative efforts within the creative industry. I’m planning for more exciting cross-disciplinary projects ahead.”

This is good news for fashion lovers, particular those who want to not only invest in well-made, well designed, long-lasting clothes, but also those who are looking to #supportlocal during this time of economic upheaval.

Shop local, support local designers

Vetyver is available online at www.studiovetyver.com. There are two collections available for men and women – one is currently available, the second is available for pre-order (another great way to reduce waste).

The looks are a mix of simple lines, and functional cuts with details like adaptable necklines – you use a drawstring to choose the size – and everything is designed to work together.

The menswear is particularly interesting with touches of Yohji Yamamoto in the uber-normcore cuts of jackets, pants and overalls. However there are plenty of interesting, more gender neutral shapes in shirts and tops. The womenswear pieces are equally a mix of simple and interesting – with looser cuts and luxe finishes like silk binding.

Vetyver pieces are also somewhat interchangeable for guys and girls; not unisex exactly, but definitely more flexible than traditional brands.

“The brand does have a lot of unisex styles. While I love the idea of unisex, I am not worried if the brand is seen as unisex or not,” says Pit. “I am more excited to see how people play with our garments, regardless of gender.”

Shop Vetyver online at www.studiovetyver.com.

To capsule or not to capsule, that is the question

March 8, 2020 nikibruceLeave a comment

Would we, and the environment, better off if we all chose to have a ‘capsule wardrobe’ of clothes?

Should we be like Joan Didion, whose iconic Packing List from 1979 still resonates for modern working women in 2020?

Personally I feel like I already have a sort of capsule wardrobe; everything is black, so everything matches. I have winter and summer versions; but basically they’re the same just with coats added.

The idea of minimising our wardrobes fits into not only the idea of being more environmentally conscious about buying clothes, but it also fits into the whole minimalist conversation that focuses on just having less stuff.

Having a uniform of sorts also makes life easier. If you only have a few items of clothing to choose from, you don’t waste time deciding on an outfit.

But … it’s also rather boring. Sometimes you want to dress up like a fashion editor, other times you want to be more sporty, or more formal, right?

Without choice life becomes a bit boring and who wants to be bored? The trick is to still think consciously about what is in your wardrobe.

Shop ethically, wear vintage, repurpose your own clothes, shop your wardrobe by wearing old stuff in a new way. Don’t buy anything new without removing something from your wardrobe.

As for that famous Packing List? Well, here’s what you need according to Joan Didion:

TO PACK AND WEAR:
2 skirts
2 jerseys or leotards
1 pullover sweater
2 pair shoes
stockings
bra
nightgown, robe, slippers
cigarettes
bourbon

bag with: shampoo
toothbrush and paste
Basis soap, razor
deodorant
aspirin
prescriptions
Tampax
face cream
powder
baby oil

TO CARRY:
mohair throw
typewriter
2 legal pads and pens
files
house key

Now, you will probably want to swap out the typewriter for your laptop and chargers, and possibly delete the cigarettes and add a pair of jeans or trousers, but other than these things, the list is pretty much on point.

This article was first published in the iFab newsletter.

Thoughtful, wearable clothes for every body by Jude Ng

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020 nikibruce1 Comment

Melbourne designer Jude Ng has been creating clothes that are stylish, environmentally responsible, comfortable and for all genders for the last four years in tiny atelier-cum-store in one of the city’s hippest suburbs.

JUDE AW20 ARTISAN 2 — The Artisan AW2020 Collection. Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Daniel Mallia @mallia___; Talent: Victoria Haslam; Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem

The idea to combine a store and an atelier in the same space was due mostly to practicalities like cost, and Jude’s desire to be close to his customers. Customer feedback is an important part of how he creates his designs, says Jude. His small team has a design assistant, a pattern-maker, and an intern.

Jude’s style is a cross between Yohji Yamamoto, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood, his two original sources of inspiration, translated through his Singaporean heritage and Melbourne home.

JUDE AW19 3 — Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Danielle Chau @danielleciaochau; Female Talent: Ailene Wu @ailenewu; Male Talent: Jeff Kissubi @jeffsterkiss_; Head Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem; MUA: Nicole Giardossi @nicolegiardossimakeup

Focusing on using materials that have an inbuilt soft and comfortable texture, using deadstock and eco-friendly fabrics, the pieces of his collections come in non-gendered designs that are flattering to all sexes.

Some of the designs have been so popular, that they are recreated every season in new fabrics; customers become fans returning every collection to add to their Jude wardrobe.

JUDE AW19 2 — Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Danielle Chau @danielleciaochau; Female Talent: Ailene Wu @ailenewu; Male Talent: Jeff Kissubi @jeffsterkiss_; Head Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem; MUA: Nicole Giardossi @nicolegiardossimakeup

“I am super anti fast fashion, my ethos is very focused on bringing back local production and local industry. There are so many talented makers in Australia so I want to give them work and keep the skills here,” says Jude.

“And in terms of sustainability, in my practice I use a lot of deadstock fabrics sourced locally in Melbourne like Wall that does a lot of deadstock natural fibres. Natural fibres is also a focus for the brand; I find that it wears so much better, breathes so much better.

“Also, in my studio space I do a lot of upcycling. The store decor is all recycled and made using found materials … sustainability is such a part of our aesthetic.”

JUDE AW19 4 — Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Danielle Chau @danielleciaochau; Female Talent: Ailene Wu @ailenewu; Male Talent: Jeff Kissubi @jeffsterkiss_; Head Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem; MUA: Nicole Giardossi @nicolegiardossimakeup

Originally a painter, Jude gradually found his work transforming via the addition of fabric to his work; three-dimensional soft sculptures morphed into wearable art, and eventually the art turned into fashion.

Additional training in cutting and pattern-making has seen the label grow into a mix of sharply tailored coats and jackets, combined with more voluminous draping and shaping. Recent collections have also seen a move towards multifunctional garments that can be adapted – skirts with scarves attached, long coats that can be shortened.

JUDE AW19 1 — Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Danielle Chau @danielleciaochau; Female Talent: Ailene Wu @ailenewu; Male Talent: Jeff Kissubi @jeffsterkiss_; Head Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem; MUA: Nicole Giardossi @nicolegiardossimakeup

Layering is a core part of Jude’s design practice, influenced not only by Melbourne’s notoriously fickle weather, but also inspired by his connection to Asian traditional clothing.

That same influence is also behind Jude’s concept of non-gendered clothing, looking towards historical Asian costume for example of men in skirts, and women in trousers, as well as the influence of three older sisters who were tomboys in the ‘90s.

JUDE AW20 ARTISAN 5 — The Artisan AW2020 Collection. Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Daniel Mallia @mallia___; Talent: Victoria Haslam; Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem

“I wanted to cater to as many people as I could,” explains Jude, “When I started [designing] a lot of my clothes were free size, and I found that both women and men responded to it equally. And from there I realised that a lot of my shapes could become unisex.”

This focus on more loose-cut fittings, oversized shapes, few patterns and non-gendered colour choices became a part of Jude’s overall ‘clothes for everybody’ agenda.

The idea of anti-fast fashion also runs through Jude’s central design aesthetic. With every collection being able to be worn back with pieces from previous seasons.

“Our customers can find pieces in the current collection that can be worn with pieces from collections four years ago. I want our customers to just keep on wearing their pieces until they wear out,” says Jude.

JUDE AW20 ARTISAN 7 — The Artisan AW2020 Collection. Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Daniel Mallia @mallia___; Talent: Victoria Haslam; Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem

For his AW2020 collection entitled The Artisan, Jude is highlighting the importance of the maker and handcrafting our garments. With a mix of traditional construction techniques and new cutting styles, the collection features coats, jackets, jumpers and tunics worn in a series of layers.

A genuine love of high quality fabrics with a soft hand-feel can be seen in Jude’s choice of fabrics for the AW2020 collection. Italian wools, Australian merino wools, lush viscose ponti double knits, raw Italian linen and denims, are all part of the collection. Colours echo the tones of nature with deep emerald, petrol blue, burnt umber and rose ochre mixed with classic slate, charcoal and black.

Jude is launching The Artisan AW2020 collection at an intimate runway show held in his atelier on March 12, 2020. The show will not only have a traditional runway, but will also show off the creative activity behind the making of the garments with the designer on stage sewing. Attendees will be able to touch and try on the clothes while there with pieces from the runway being available to buy on the night.

JUDE The Artisan AW20 Runway event will be held on 12 March 2020, at JUDE Flagship Store. 252 Johnston St, Fitzroy, from 6pm – 9.30pm. There will be two shows. For tickets, go to https://vamff.com.au/event/jude-the-artisan-aw20-collection/.

AW19 Collection
Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Danielle Chau @danielleciaochau; Female Talent: Ailene Wu @ailenewu; Male Talent: Jeff Kissubi @jeffsterkiss_; Head Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem; MUA: Nicole Giardossi @nicolegiardossimakeup

The Artisan AW2020 Collection. Designer: Jude Ng @designbyjude; Photography: Daniel Mallia @mallia___; Talent: Victoria Haslam; Stylist: Tamara Leacock @reciclagem

Why you need to shop consciously, and where to do it

August 14, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

Gone are the days when the only things you cared about when shopping were either the price or how on-trend something was. Now, with changes not only to the environment, but also towards how we want to be perceived in the world, people are thinking more consciously about how, and on what, they spend their money.

For many of us, buying a fun new dress or tee for under $30 is a no-brainer; we see, we like, we buy. However, for a lot of other Singaporeans it has now become more important to know exactly what it is they’re adding to their wardrobes, their homes or using on their skin.

“I like to shop consciously because I feel like I have more of an emotional connection with my purchases,” says Susannah Jaffer, the owner of Zerrin, a Singapore based curated online store that features brands with “meaningful stories” and great design. “I think as women, caring more about the things we buy and valuing them in a new way is the first step towards shopping more sustainably – and ultimately buying less but better.”

For Tim O’Hanlon, a writer who previously worked for Lonely Planet, shopping consciously is about choosing the right brands. “My version of shopping consciously is picking brands I know have a reputation for quality and are long-lasting over fast fashion,” he says.

“This is because – I at least have the impression that – they treat their manufacturing staff better and are more conscious of their impact, plus as they pander less to quick trends they produce less and don’t encourage a throw-away lifestyle in their customers. Finally, as the items are of vastly better quality I can wear/use them for a long time so it lowers my own impact.”

This article was first published on Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore. Read the full story HERE.

Opinion: Is fashion dead? And should we care?

August 14, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

Every year pundits around the world make pronouncements about the end of something – television, radio, newspapers etc. In the world of people who like clothes, it is now the turn of the fashion industry.

Is fashion, the influential social phenomenon of telling you what to wear, when and why, finally dead? And if it is, does it really matter?

On February 19, just days before the Chanel Autumn Winter 2019 runway show, Karl Lagerfeld, the outspoken doyenne of 20th century fashion and the mastermind behind the rise of Chanel, died after a short illness.

Fashion fans and industry stalwarts around the world bemoaned his passing, his praises rang to the skies and littered the internet for days. For non fashion fans, it was often the first time they had even heard of the man.

And that is the crux of the current situation of fashion as a global industry. It’s not so much the brands that fashionistas name drop, it’s the rest of the world who buy basic clothes to wear.

Gone are the days of people making their own clothes at home, now it’s all about getting what you want from your phone, delivered to your doorstep, and with little to no thought about how it was made or where it came from.

I recently came across a fantastic quote from William McDonough, an expert in the realm of architecture, community design and consulting based on the Cradle to Cradle philosophy – where products need to be considered from the day they are built, to the day they are recycled into something else.

The quote pointed out that ‘fashion’ is actually a verb; a doing word. We ‘fashion’ something, we make something. Fashion as a noun, as it is used today, is a mutation of the concept of creating clothes (or anything else for that matter).

If you think about modern fashion, when everything is manufactured by machines and shipped around the world in hours or days, we are not ‘fashioning’ anything. We are simply consuming clothes.

Which is where the idea of the ‘death of fashion’ arrives. The massive Fashion Industry that will be worth about US$325.8 billion in 2022, is certainly not dying. But the concept of the glamorous, unique and interesting world of Fashion as a craft-based business, as a set of ‘rules’ to dress by, does seem to be declining.

This article was first published on Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore. Read the rest of the story HERE.

Melbourne or Sydney, which one is actually Australia Fashion Week?

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

While I haven’t personally yet had a chance to attend Sydney’s fashion week – shout out to anyone who can get me an invitation! – I have, sat through the recent Melbourne version … and honestly wasn’t that impressed.

Melbourne’s ‘fashion festival’ is more about marketing the city as a destination, like a food festival or the Spring Carnival.

Sydney, on the other hand, appears to function more like a traditional fashion week; there are single-brand standalone shows, multiple shows per day, and more interesting and exciting off-site shows. Sydney is about fashion; Melbourne is for retailers.

However, according to most reports and reviews, this year’s Sydney Fashion Week wasn’t all that exciting. A number of bigger name designers didn’t show – Dion Lee, Kym Ellery, Nicky Zimmermann, Romance Was Born, and Camilla and Marc were all missing – which while giving space to smaller brands, did mean a touch less glam on the runways.

Best of the shows? Double Rainbouu, Christopher Esber, Lee Mathews, and Bassike were all standouts, particularly Double Rainbouu, which moved from Hawaiian shirts to a full range of ready-to-wear in a presentation at the coolest venue of the week, Sydney’s Chinese Garden of Friendship.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the national election being held on the same weekend, there was not a lot of politics or strong statements on the runways … It was mostly about pretty dresses for middle class women with cute swimwear and casual wear thrown in for a full Resort 2020 wardrobe.

Likewise, there was little said or done that related to the current desperate issue of sustainability in fashion; while at least Melbourne held the Australian Fashion Summit which did feature at least mention of the issue.

The biggest question, however, is why are there two different fashion weeks? Actually there are also fashion weeks for Perth and Adelaide (update: Adelaide Fashion Week has just been cancelled) as well, and various others irregularly held around the country.

We don’t need more than one; we just need an Australian Fashion Week. It will save money, save on environmental costs and focus the talent all in one place.

This article was first published in the iFab newsletter.

Microfactories, digital printing, downloadable patterns … Our dystopian future?

August 14, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

When I was recently sent links to the newly launched Pattern Room – an online, downloadable pattern provider – and the new Microfactory from Gerber – a set-up that can design, print the fabric, cut and sew a garment all at once in a small space – I have to say I wasn’t sure I should be excited or dismayed.

Having just spent the last couple of months working on a sustainability project with RMIT and Inditex (Zara) to try to find a way to make their shoe production less wasteful, and also having been struck by a recent story asking the question as to whether or not we actually NEED more sustainable fashion brands, I can’t decide if this new technological development is a boon or bane for the fashion industry.

Yes, these new technologies make it easier for small brands to produce products locally without the issues of carbon footprint, large factory ethical or environmental issues, but do we really NEED more products?

There are so many clothes already in the world, most of them ending up in landfill after having been produced in an environmentally damaging way.

Even if the clothes HAVE been produced in a somewhat more sustainable fashion, we just don’t need more of them.

This is really the core issue of what needs to be thought about regarding fashion and sustainability; we already have too many clothes, so do we need the ability to make millions more, more quickly, and less considered than is already the case?

Less volume, more quality …
From a more personal perspective, what concerns me about the production from the Microfactory and the use of Pattern Room, is the lack of quality in design.

Yes, the digital printing they use is dry – no water – and apparently the inks are non toxic – but this is digital printing. It is single surface and will eventually fade. This produces fabrics that do not have the beauty and long-lasting nature of traditional wovens like brocade etc.

The use of a pattern bank and a machine to laser-cut flats removes the possibility of creative new designs and the traditional talent of the pattern-cutter; it creates a see of same-same clothing.

I see a future of people wearing ugly-ass same-same silhouette tees and leggings in increasingly nastily coloured disposable synthetic fabric. The world will look like an EDM concert.

The rich will wear increasingly expensive couture made by hand with ‘real’ fabrics, and the poor will wear nasty digitally printed disposables. A nightmare come true.

Convince me …
I would prefer to see fewer clothes of better quality being made. If these technological breakthroughs can be directed to allow people to produce fewer, but better made and more sustainable items at home, or in a community microfactory for example, then I can see the advantages.

However, did Inditex’s streamlined production system produce better clothes for everyone? No. Human nature ie. greed, saw it produce too many crap clothes for everyone.

I would prefer to just teach everyone to sew.

This article was first published for the iFab newsletter.

Runway shows or bespoke fittings?

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

I’m totally over runway shows. Ever since Instagram arrived the major fashion brands have been trying to top their previous seasons’ runway shows with more and more spectacle.

For Fall-Winter 2017/18 Ready-to-Wear, Chanel actually stuck a rocket on the runway. Can anyone tell me what the clothes looked like? No. But everyone remembers the damn rocket.

When I first started attending fashion shows (yes, back in the dark ages, because I’m that old), we were treated to seeing the actual clothes making the statements, not the spaces or the runways.

We saw the clothes on models that had personalities, who didn’t all look and move the same way, and since there weren’t any Influencers in the front rows, we actually were close enough to tell if the clothes were made or wool or silk – and yes, we also knew the difference between those two fabrics too.

For those of us old enough to have experienced fashion before Instagram we have favourite collections – not favourite ‘experiences’. Mine was Alexander McQueen’s AW 1995-96 Highland Rape.

Can anyone actually remember the title of a recent runway show?

Runway shows are supposed to show you the clothes and concepts of a new collection; it should support the brand’s existing DNA and continue the theme of the collection so that buyers can see how it fits into their future buys.

Runway shows are not supposed to be multi-million dollar extravaganzas that offer spectacle alone, but no knowledge of a brand’s DNA or the direction of a collection’s theme.

Runway shows for prêt-à-porter, ready-to-wear, are the worst. They are simply entertainment activities wrapped in a bit of fashion. These days they are used to launch albums (Kanye), show off motocross tricks (Alexander Wang) or show how rich a brand is (everything from Chanel under Kaiser Karl).

I want to see the clothes. That’s why it’s bespoke all the way for me.

Even the Haute Couture runway shows are better than the prêt-à-porter shows, they feature nice venues where you can actually SEE the clothes, on models with personalities, and no rockets or icebergs or supermarkets (Ugh, Chanel).

When it comes to sustainable fashion bespoke is also the way to go. Whether its by working with an emerging designer to make new clothes that are timeless and will last forever; or using a sewer to alter something you picked up from a vintage store (or your mother’s wardrobe), going bespoke not only makes environmental sense, it also makes style sense.

You can dress as yourself, and not have to pretend you are a size 0 model.

This article was first published as an iFab newsletter.

Review: A Classic Carla collection

March 11, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

Carla Zampatti is one of Australia’s best-known, most successful and globally recognised fashion designers, and for her Grand Showcase she showed a classic collection.

Over 30 years ago, Carla Zampatti introduced me to the idea that fashion could be a career. As a teenager I attended a talk she gave about how fashion wasn’t a frivolous pastime, but something that could become a job for life.

Obviously the designer practiced what she preached. Zampatti opened her first store in 1972; that’s almost 50 years ago. And she hasn’t stopped working to create the classic Australian woman’s wardrobe.

For her Grand Showcase affaire at VAMFF, Zampatti held her own on the runway – the only brand to have a stand-alone show – with a series of wearable, stylish and elegant looks that held little overt drama but a whole lot of ‘chic’.

Luckily for me I was seated next to the lovely, warm, friendly and funny Robyn Baillieu, wife of the former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu.

Chatting about her interest in fashion, especially how innovation is changing the industry, Baillieu said that she, and her two daughters both wore, and loved, pieces from the brand. And as Baillieu happily pointed out looks she loved and some that she already owned, it was clear that Carla Zampatti has developed into a label that suits a wide range of ages.

While the runway show was all about Zampatti as a designer, and the brand, it was also heartening to see so much inclusion on the runway. Globally there has been a lot of talk about the importance of including all races and creeds, and sizes.

While Zampatti featured stunning black models and Asian models, and included two hijabi looks, it would have been fabulous to see a few elegant mature women and women of different shapes on the runway too. Melbourne model Hanan Ibrahim (pictured below) was the first hijab model to walk the runway for Melbourne Fashion Week.

Melbourne model Hanan Ibrahim was the first hijab model to walk the Melbourne Fashion Week runways

With a soundtrack provided by Eurovision songstress Dani Im supported by Nick Wales, Peter Simon Phillips and Jonny Seymour, the set of the Royal Exhibition Building resounded to a mix of contemporary soul and more instrumental sounds – the perfect accompaniment for the collection that was also a mix of classic and contemporary.

Opening with a series of classic Carla red looks, working through sky blue satin, a glittery houndstooth jacquard, leopard and zebra prints (with added bling), it was the tailoring, coats and jackets that showed why Australian women love the brand.

A stunning boxy double-breasted coat in boucle tweed stood out as one that would stand the test of time; as did a white wool suit with swinging fringe.

The houndstooth pieces, rather ironically considering the passing of Kaiser Karl, were reminiscent of classic Chanel – a comparison that can never be escaped when using that pattern in black and white. However Zampatti deftly added her own touch with a simple long skirt in once case, and a neat pair of capris in another.

There were a number of capes and capelets; the most successful being a beguiling caramel coat-dress in a lovely suede.

Less successful were a series of graphic evening dresses – one with a mound of maribou, another not quite fitting the model correctly – as they seemed a little too ornate, especially when compared to other evening looks.

A classic ‘sexy’ mini encrusted in shining sequins and another evening gown that cleverly created a zebra stripe of shimmer seemed more streamlined and elegant.

Perhaps the most interesting and memorable look was a delicately pleated maxi dress with string-sized straps, a low vee neckline and perfect pleats front and back; the cut of the back was done to perfection as it sat proud from the shoulder.

This was a stunning example of quality tailoring, however it didn’t seem to entirely fit the rest of the more classic collection. Perhaps it is a new concept we will see more of in the future.

The show closed with a collection of black evening frocks that were again, more classic than cutting edge, not that this is a bad thing.

Since the fashion industry currently appears to be having a crisis of conscience around the issues of sustainability and ethical fashion, it may be time to invest your money in pieces that will always look stylish, rather than just jump on a passing trend.

As the show ended, Zampatti received a standing ovation. Not many designers, even the big names in Paris, get that.

I attended VAMFF as part of its Writers Programme.

The future of fashion must be sustainable, and kind

March 11, 2019 nikibruceLeave a comment

Sustainable fashion, slow fashion, closed circular fashion production system … all these things are the future of fashion and we need to start doing them now.

At the Future Fashion. Is it a stitch up? conversation held as part of VAMFF’s Independent Ideas Event series, and in collaboration with The Possibility Project, a group of like-minded individuals came together to examine the future of the fashion industry in Australia and beyond.

Examples of fabrics from Ink & Spindle, an Australian brand that create textiles that have a minimal impact on the earth. The brand uses organic cotton/hemp and eco-linen basecloths for their prints that are free from harmful chemicals. .

With Kim Pearce from The Possibility Project and slumwear108, Marnie Goding, the Creative Director of fashion label ELK, and Karina Seljak co-founder of Seljak Brand on the panel, the focus was on the importance of changing the current fashion industry system, with the hope to improve the overall sustainability of making and wearing clothes; and doing so with kindness and ethical awareness.

As Pearce said: “It is time for the fashion industry to open the conversation, and reimagine the industry in a way that is not all about technology but also about common sense”. She believes that historical fashion choices by both industry and consumers have led to “immense damage”, not only of the environment, but also how people and their work is treated.

Like the Fashion Revolution movement and its popular hashtag #Imadeyourclothes, The Possibility Project focuses on the social movement behind changing people’s shopping choices. They don’t want people to feel guilty about how they shop for clothes, but they do want to educate shoppers about what they’re buying.

Fabric from Ink & Spindle.

For Karina Seljak, one of the co-founders of Seljak Brand – an Australian company that makes blankets from recycled wool – getting the technology, machinery and skills behind creating a fully sustainable and closed circular fashion production system is most important when it comes to creating a better fashion system.

“One of the main inhibitors to moving to a closed loop system in Australia is that we are still shipping our textile waste offshore; those recycled products don’t come back to Australia. We need to our on-shore manufacturing to be circular [to make a difference],” explained Seljak.

This issue of waste was also emphasised by Pearce, although her perspective was as much about how human potential is being wasted in the large scale fashion industry.

And waste, plus the sourcing of the right materials, also came up in Marnie Goding’s comments on how her brand ELK currently operates. “In Australia we don’t value our waste products. There is a factory in Vietnam that we work with that completely recycles all of its waste water used in making jeans. They put it back into the environment,” said Goding.

Although Goding wants her brand to be as ethical and sustainable as possible, her core concern is that not just in Australia, but globally, the established manufacturing industry has not kept up with the move towards more sustainable fabrics and textiles. She also mentioned that although ‘sustainability’ is currently a global fashion trend, customers are not yet educated enough to understand why they need to change their shopping habits.

The team at Ink & Spindle showing how they hand screen print their eco-friendly fabrics.

Shown by the few questions asked by the audience, all three speakers were preaching to the converted. A few asked about how younger shoppers can be converted when they are focused on cheap prices and social media trends, however apart from discussing the importance of education, and shopping at Op Shops, there was little that the speakers mentioned that could impact in any great way.

While it is obviously important for more people to know about why we need to stop sending clothes to landfill and choosing to buy fewer, better, things, the relatively small turnout for the Future Fashion conversation also showed that a great deal more needs to be done to get the message out. As long as it’s done with kindness.