My collection is ethically considered/ sustainable. I knew from around mid-way through second year that I wanted to make a sustainable graduate collection. I had already experimented with upcycling second hand clothes and I was really inspired by the unique and interesting outcomes that came with manipulating the second-hand garments into new fabrics. I was also shocked learning more about the fashion industry, in particular about fast fashion and the rate clothing is produced, sold and thrown away. And so, I want to make clothing which is ethically considered in all aspects of the production process. I have researched different ways garments can be produced and used to encourage the longevity of clothing, so I can adopt those practices in my own work.
I am really inspired by architecture, particularly the raw bare bones of brutalist architecture and the constant construction around London. The raw materials these buildings are constructed with such as the reinforced concrete, steel and scaffolding, inspired the check motifs I created using the zig zag machine. As I sourced my fabrics second hand, I wasn’t able to pick the exact fabrics I wanted, and so by manipulating the fabric I could get, I could then make it fit more into my aesthetics. I did this by adding stitching using the zigzag machine to build check patterns onto the fabric. Another reason for adding this decorative stitching was to add strength to the fabrics, in a similar way in which darning adds strength to a fabric with holes in, but instead adding reinforced stitching to prevent the fabric from being damaged.
For fabrics I have used second hand fabrics, faulty fabrics, and deconstructed second hand clothes. I repurposed old jeans and shirts by patchworking them together. By re-using clothing and fabrics which already exist I can create something new rather than adding to more waste. I have also used organic cotton and hemp denim produced locally in the UK. Extra thread, fabrics and fastenings are also sold with the garments to encourage repairs rather than the garments being replaced.
Finally, I visited The Vintage Showroom’s archive in Notting Hill and drew inspiration from their vast vintage menswear collection, particularly their denim archive mainly made up of American workwear, these pieces inspired many of the design features in my collection, as the workwear garments in particular were made to last, and by looking at the construction I could reuse these techniques in my collection.
