Pen to Paper

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE ~

I would say my blog has started to open itself to more than just fashion when it comes to discussing sustainability and this interview fits perfectly in the middle. Today I want to grab your attention and introduce you to a woman who is supporting those doing good, whether it be for fashion or lifestyle (or more!). For this edition of Pen to Paper, I interviewed Sheeza Shah of UpEffect – a crowdfunding platform with a twist.

UpEffect is a platform that is supporting social enterprises, which if you didn’t know, are businesses which reinvest their profits back into the community or for specific causes. But it’s also more than that, due to Sheeza’s commitment to supporting female-led businesses, too.

Although UpEffect isn’t specifically aimed at sustainable fashion ventures, seeing as 1 in 7 women worldwide work in the fashion industry in some shape or form, it’s reassuring to know that such a strong female voice is behind the platform that could help to push fashion in a more positive direction.

UpEffect has been behind the funding of social fashion brands though, like Thraedable, who just so happen to already be in my ethical directory.

A trend within the ethical sector that I’ve noticed is the fact that more often than not, the reason that projects (or brands) start-up is due to pure passion and love for what’s being done. Combining that with somebody who is leading the way in lifting those projects off the ground, is a powerful combination.

Even if this has only been a very brief introduction to Sheeza’s work, it was lovely to get to understand more about UpEffect and its plans for the future. After all, I want to embrace the essence of what she’s doing by supporting other people’s work myself…

Have you heard of UpEffect? Who do you think I should interview, next? Let me know in the comments!

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE ~

As you should know by now, the lightbulb moment for me when it came to ethics and sustainability was when I watched the documentary, The True Cost, a few years ago after the Rana Plaza Disaster. I came away from watching it feeling saddened yet inspired because I knew from that moment on, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy simply pushing this information about the industry I loved, into the back of my mind.

Since then I’ve watched several other documentaries from different perspectives and I’ve been introduced to lots of other storytellers, including more recently, Ben Akers, who wrote and directed Slowing Down Fast Fashion a few years ago. For now though, Ben is currently working on Goodfest in Cornwall, which is his own sustainable festival coming to the southwest of England in April.

I think what Ben has to say about switching to a vegetarian lifestyle applies to a lot of things – the task of adapting and building new habits can at first seem daunting and almost impossible but if you put your mind to it and truly understand the value in doing so, it doesn’t have to be such a challenge. I’m currently at the pescatarian stage of switching to vegetarianism myself and my family has had a similar experience; you start to become more creative in how you approach things.

Watching from afar when I’m spending time in Italy, the changes and new laws and regulations being put into place in the UK right now excite me, which makes me believe that it’s currently the perfect time for an event like Goodfest. Not only do we need more people to jump onboard the train of thinking differently, we also need it to be done in an inspiring and positive manner. We need good to balance out the negativity of it all.

I’d definitely be most interested in hearing Zoe from The Good Wardrobe talk, especially seeing as a lot of her focus is on repair and upcycling.

One question I was most interested in asking Ben can be found below. Ben also explained to me that he’s worked with many different women over the years too, including former Greenpeace Head of Communications, Dae Levine – “She was amazingly inspirational on many different levels and we tackled many great projects together”.

Ben’s work for Greenpeace Australia in 2013

If you have the chance, I highly recommend taking a look at Ben’s fast-fashion documentary on Amazon because as I said, it’s a surprisingly easy watch for such a hard and gritty topic to discuss. And if you’re in Cornwall… Goodfest might be worth looking into, as well.

Have you watched Slowing Down Fast Fashion? Who would you like to see me interview next? Leave a comment below. 

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

FUTURE GARBAGE created by David Olson was not something I was expecting to be so enthralled by. Often the essence of projects like these (it is essentially a project after all – perhaps a digital art installation more than anything else) don’t quite catch my attention or are simply too nuanced, leaving me feeling a little detached from the art I’m supposed to connect with.

It’s either my bias towards issues like this – the topic of fast-fashion and consumerism – or it’s the fact that David hit the nail on the head, creating something that is unique yet ultimately relatable for all who are interested in fashion and how it’s served to us in Western society.

As soon as I heard the words ‘future garbage by FUTURE GARBAGE’ spoken in a voice-over which felt eerily realistic and similar to those of chic, high-end campaigns; I was sold.

The concept is simple – what’s trendy today is trash tomorrow. We live in a world where what we’re sold will become future garbage, and I (quite obviously) agree with David that now is the time we need to change that.

One thing that you’ll notice when browsing the FUTURE GARBAGE site and perusing the collection is that the prices for each garment seem to be absurdly overpriced. I knew straight away that this wasn’t a literal price tag; this was a statement about what we expect from our clothes in a world where brands like H&M exist.

In my communications with David, he explained it as a commentary on fast-fashion. Prices may be low but there is still a high-profit margin due to the fact that wages along the supply chain are extremely low.

However, David (in his own words) is a “westerner” who has a different “standard of life” than people in third world countries making sweatshop wages.

The price, therefore, reflects that. David asked himself how much profit – he, a middle-class westerner – should be making if “a shirt made by someone who earns $2/day costs $10”. What does that price look like for him? Roughly $10,000 for a denim jacket. Shocked? Well, that’s the point too. How much are you really willing to pay for something in a world where we’re so accustomed to low prices?

David hasn’t just covered the usual aspects of ethics and sustainability though, he’s also covered the issues surrounding diversity and feminism which is refreshing (although it shouldn’t be; these things are vital and should be factored in no matter what).

One of my favourite pieces of FUTURE GARBAGE ‘propaganda’ involves David touching upon the hypocrisy that can be found with the likes of Beyonce – if girls run the world and if her Ivy Park collection is supposed to empower women, how come the female workers who produce her sportswear, are suffering? 

One of the other short films created for ‘future garbage by FUTURE GARBAGE’ centres around David himself, dressed up as a woman. The voice-over says, “Look, everyone, it’s a transgender model. Or maybe a drag-queen. We’re not really sure, I don’t think we ever asked.”, highlighting the fact that the fast-fashion industry is not only ignorant to just garment workers; it’s even ignorant to understanding those who they choose to dress.

If ethics are to do with morals – then when we talk about ethical fashion it has to mean more than just a vague statement or policy here and there. It needs to mean complete change overall and it needs to happen now. Or yesterday. Definitely, yesterday. 

What do you think of FUTURE GARBAGE? How much are you willing to pay for a piece from the collection? Let’s discuss in the comments. 

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

A while ago I had the opportunity to Skype with Lauren McCrostie (who you may have seen on the big screen last year, with her role as Olive in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) after we connected on Twitter quite some time ago. Although I connect with dozens upon dozens of like minded people, a lot of them are usually directly within the fashion industry so when I get talking with someone who isn’t necessarily within that field, it’s always rather interesting.

Of course, I had to take the opportunity to ask Lauren to answer some questions for my Pen to Paper series because what she had to say was definitely worthy of sharing with the rest of you. It’s always good to see if peoples thoughts align with yours when they’re coming in at it from a different angle.

Being an actress, Lauren has wonderfully gathered a following on her social media platforms and I have to say, I’m really thankful for how she uses that audience. As if Lauren was Rihanna, Lauren holds up ethical brands highly and proudly, which I think we need more of. There’s a common argument that we need to praise fast-fashion brands that are starting to implement sustainable ideas, which is, of course, true to a certain extent, but I believe we need to focus on those who are doing good, just as equally and if not, more so.

And if you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, Lauren’s your go-to gal, as well. And for recycling. She’s got it all covered and she’s utilising the opportunity she has to share it all with a wide range of people.

I hands down agree with Lauren that making change and following a path of having ethics in mind can feel downright empowering. I feel as if it should feel even more empowering to a younger generation (myself and Lauren included – she’s 21 and already a superstar!), which is why I’m always trying to be as positive and as inspiring as I can be across my platforms.

Even if all this post does is inspire you to click the follow button on Lauren’s Instagram, I’ll be happy. I’m excited to see what she’s planning for the future and how she can use her platform to continue pushing for changes.

How would you answer these questions? Let me know in the comments!

Do you feel inspired? If so, perhaps you might be interested in nominating Tolly Dolly Posh for an Observer Ethical Award. If you believe my commitment to ethical fashion is award-winning, click this link and leave my name, link and a few words in the Young Green Leaders category. 

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

Next up in my Pen to Paper series, I want to re-introduce you to the movement of Remake, or Remake Our World. I say re-introduce as I’ve mentioned their work on my blog before, more specifically in my post about ethical fashion education. I had the opportunity to ask one of their team members, Eleanor Amari, some questions about what they’ve learned since the beginning and how she thinks we can play our part.

I believe I first discovered Remake via Ayesha Barenblat’s TED talk (which I seem to no longer be able to find). Ayesha is the founder of Remake and her message is simple but powerful. It’s always good to raise up those with a similar mindset so if you enjoy reading my blog, you’ll probably find her work equally as interesting.

One of my favourite Remake features is their #humansoffashion series (which I am honoured to have been a part of over on Remake’s blog) which mainly lives its life on Instagram. It’s simple yet powerful, focusing on different opinions on fashion from different women (and men) all around the world.

Embedded within this post is Remake’s short film, Made in Cambodia which, for ten minutes, should be mandatory viewing material. Remake took three students from Parsons School of Design in New York, to Cambodia where they met some of the garment workers behind our clothes. It’s eye opening and closes that gap and disconnect we often find ourselves dealing with when trying to share the hard truths of the industry. I think it’s really important the lovely ladies who were a part of it, were of a younger generation. We need more young people behind these sorts of campaigns in order to start changing our future.

Thanks so much to Eleanor for answering these questions and for doing your part in pushing the industry in a more positive direction. If you’re interested, read what I had to say on their blog here.

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

I believe I discovered Project JUST last year when researching ethical directories. It was when I’d just started to really delve into the world of brands dedicated to ethics and sustainability. There are a handful of excellent resources out there, it just takes a bit of digging but none of them were quite what I was looking for, especially as somebody who is attracted to simple, eye-catching websites and easy to browse platforms. I was rather relieved when Project JUST came up on my browser because it ticks all of those boxes and isn’t just a directory. It really is a resource.

As with many recent ethical fashion related initiatives, Project JUST started after the Rana Plaza collapse of spring 2013 and has now grown into a well-respected platform which connects consumers with stories behind the brands they shop from, and not just ones which are typically known to be ethical. If you want to learn more about the Primark’s and ASOS’s of the world, Project JUST is a great place to start for clear and concise information.

Listening to Natalie and other co-founder, Shahd AlShehail, discuss Project JUST on Kestrel Jenkin’s Conscious Chatter podcast was rather insightful and as I’ve said before, I would highly recommend giving Kestrel’s podcast a listen and not just for that episode alone.

Not only does Project JUST list out pros and cons for different brands, it also has a great “slang” dictionary for those of you wanting to scrap up on your ethical and sustainable lingo.

As I often tend to reiterate around here, small steps lead to greater things which I believe comes through in Natalie’s answers. Being conscious and educating yourself is putting yourself on the right path to learning more about the stories behind your clothes. We wear them every day, don’t we?

As the site is also a bit of a community, I recently took part in the #IAMJUST interview series which is a bit like Pen to Paper. Head over to read through my own handwritten answers and discover Project JUST for yourself!

(I was kindly gifted a free annual membership to Project JUST’s directory, however, this interview had been set-up in advance and all opinions are my own!) 

‘Pen to Paper’ is a feature on TDP which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

If you’ve been reading my blog for long enough then you would have read the words ‘Fashion Revolution’ a hundred times over by now. It’s one of the most influential campaigns regarding the fashion industry and I couldn’t be more honoured to be connected to the team in some way. They’re all truly passionate about the work they do and supporting them is one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make.

With Fashion Revolution Week just around the corner (April 24th – April 30th), I thought it would be a great way to start my Pen to Paper series back up and get some direct answers from Heather Knight, who heads up branding and communications.

I personally believe this is one of the reasons Fashion Revolution has been such a powerful initiative. It has opened my eyes to many of the tragedies over the past few years but it has also made me see things in a new light and made me really champion those who are behind our clothes. It’s quite incredible to think that transparency is becoming more important, showing proof that we can get the results we as consumers are now asking for.

GET INVOLVED: www.fashionrevolution.org/get-involved

Thank you so much to Heather for answering some questions, especially when we’re just 20 days away from the big week of pushing for change. Make sure to get involved as much as you can and follow Fashion Revolution throughout the year too. I know I will!

(Images courtesy of Fashion Revolution)

‘Pen to Paper’ is a new feature on TDP, which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~

When I discovered UNMADE through Susie Bubble’s blog (Style Bubble), I knew instantly that this was the kind of brand I’d like to know more about. Mixing technology with ethical and sustainable fashion is basically a dream for me and that’s exactly what they’re combining. I had the chance to send over some questions to Ben Alun-Jones who is one of their founders to ask some more about how their brand works and what they’re doing to make their mark in not only the sustainable area of fashion, but the industry as a whole.

The brand brings together innovative technology which lets consumers manipulate and change the designs of their knitwear to exactly how they want them, with the original designs coming straight from the minds of designers and artists including Christopher Raeburn, Malika Favre and Nicolas Sassoon. They have no stock which reduces waste and makes the whole experience even more unique.

What Ben said about making their brand a better alternative rather than a ‘more sustainable’ one was quite interesting to me. That’s the aim, isn’t it really? To be able to go to a brand with the knowledge that they’re focusing on ethical and sustainable issues, but actually shop from them because their designs and products are what draw you in.

As an aspiring designer who wants to focus on sustainability as I grow and learn, UNMADE is a huge inspiration to me. The concept may be niche, but it’s not hard to imagine it growing even bigger and having a wider reach. I’m excited to see what’s coming next, especially when we’ve been left with a ‘Watch this space…‘

(IMAGES COURTESY OF UNMADE)

‘Pen to Paper’ is a new feature on TDP, which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

~ READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT ~
Handwritten on behalf of Rankin by Nick Forbes Watson (Assistant Producer)

Ever since I discovered fashion, I’ve always been interested in the photography side of things, and I’ve always been a fan of Rankin’s work, so to be able to have some inside knowledge from the man himself is quite an exciting thought. I’ve actually been working on this piece for a while now so I hope that the few questions that I do have answered, are ones that you can all take from.

In this day and age where photography is such a broad term, I thought it would be really interesting to find out what Rankin’s ideas are on social media and how it works within the industry, as well as his thoughts on very important topics and debates as someone who sees them from both sides. If you want to see all of his answers fully transcribed then click here or on the link above.

Alexander McQueen ~ Matthew Beard ~ Bjork

What I find interesting about Rankin’s work is how honest it is. Often his work is there to make a statement but the way he encapsulates it is always in such a strong and empowering way. His photographs draw you in, in a way that I haven’t really ever seen before. It sounds rather over dramatic but really, if you compare his work to other fellow photographers, you’ll see what I mean.

I also love what he’s said about diversity. It really is true that it’s more of a fight about the whole spectrum of acceptance whether that’s racially or to do with size and shape and I’m interested to see where he’ll go in the future when it comes to making it better. It’s also interesting what he says about fashion selling you a dream. Although having campaigns about airbrushing is all well and good, maybe we really should step out and dream a little? We all have fantasies and ideas of perfection… perhaps it’s more about defining a new kind of fantasy as the new generations catch up with what’s up.

As somebody who has started to appreciate photography more as a whole, it’s been a big honour to put this piece together, especially as it’s somebody who I’ve always admired. I’ve actually been given the opportunity to meet Rankin twice before but both times I’ve had to turn it down, so perhaps after this, it will be third time lucky! Big thanks to the Rankin team for all the support too. I know all of you (my readers) will appreciate it.

(ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT OF © RANKIN) 

‘Pen to Paper’ is a new feature on TDP, which involves an informal handwritten form of interview between myself and creatives –  from fashion designers, photographers, journalists, artists and musicians, to people who generally inspire me from day-to-day. 

Read More