It Takes Balls
Adeline Loo
“My mum first sent me for knitting classes when I was nine, but as you can imagine, the old traditional patterns didn’t hold my interest for too long!” says Adeline, nimbly working on what looks like the start of another clutch bag.
It Takes Balls (a gutsy name!) first started out as a blog. It was her way of challenging the way fashion is made – of resisting a consumerist and materialistic culture that is largely built on the backs of the less-fortunate individuals who make our clothes and accessories.
“I began to knit again as an adult, after discovering new tools and relatable patterns, and it came at a time of my life when I needed a form of therapy to keep my mind from unravelling. The repetitive movements calmed and relaxed me. I consider it a form of moving meditation, like yoga or tai chi,” she says.
Observing a community of like-minded individuals growing around her, she took the opportunity to share her skills with others. “People tend to be put off when you rub terms like ‘socially responsible’, ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ in their faces too often. So instead of shouting my message at people, I use craftivism to get my message across – promoting a willingness to DIY, versus buying fast fashion.”
And although she does create her own ready-to-wear clothes and accessories (all of which are made to order), she encourages customers to buy DIY kits for the products instead through her website. They come with unlimited access to her weekly knitting classes, held at either Fry Rooftop Bistro & Bar or Club NKD on Club Street.
“The skills are easy and quick to master, even for beginners,” says Adeline. “I want to show people that knitted products can be as stylish and fashionable as their luxury brand items, at the same time allowing people to naturally begin questioning and appreciating the true cost of fashion.”
Running a socially responsible business has its challenges. For one thing, it can be difficult to find the right suppliers of raw materials. “If a company can’t tell us exactly what it’s made of, by whom or from where, we won’t stock it. We only support places with visible supply chains,” she says. Output is another challenge. “Our partners and stockists have been very supportive and understanding of our business model, but it’s always a struggle to explain why we cannot provide products with a shorter lead time (since we don’t mass produce or use machines). So, we can’t meet most minimum order requirements.” Though that has restricted the growth of It Takes Balls, Adeline is confident that she will strike the right balance, given time. Despite having strong feelings about the state of the fashion industry, Adeline is a realist who admits that it’s virtually impossible for people to be 100 percent socially responsible in their everyday lives. “Within my means, I do what I can to be conscious of what I purchase. It’s my choice to live this way, and I do that without shoving it down people’s throats. It’s more productive to start conversations through doing and making, rather than irritating people by preaching or having a holier-than-thou attitude.