THE FUTURE OF FASHION
As the battle to quash the fast fashion industry rages on, creating opportunities to buy sustainable luxury clothing has never been more on trend, says Stephanie Abbot
Waging war on fast fashion and finding the most stylish ways to stay sustainable
Each and every day, we are awash with choices. From the moment we wake up and we decide whether it’s a fruit laden bowl of porridge or a bacon butty that’s going to kick start our morning, we remain in a perpetual state of decision making.
When it comes to fashion, there’s never been more choice and it’s also never been more important to make the right ones. Over the past few years, the monster that is fast fashion has been dragged out of the shadows and the startling truth of its destructive effects are finally being brought to light. Across the world every second, the equivalent of one bin lorry full of
textiles is sent to landfill or burned. From human rights abuses and shockingly low wages to catastrophic environmental pollution, the scale of the problems is mind boggling.
Shoppers in the UK buy more clothes than any other country in Europe, and 350,000 tonnes of that clobber gets sent to landfill every single year. With so much of it being made out of cheap materials such as polyester, items that may have only been worn a handful of times – one outrageous example being online retailer Missguided’s £1 bikini – could take up to 200 years to break down. And why are we particularly susceptible to the insatiable desire to consume clothes in such volume?
Fashion lecturer and designer Antoinette Fionda-Douglas believes that UK shoppers are spoiled. ‘A few of my Italian friends that live in Milan do not have the bulging wardrobes we have here, nothing like it. They will go and buy a few pieces and will save up to buy handbags, so they have a very different mindset because they appreciate quality more than we do. I think that we’re also spoiled for choice at the lower end of the market, and they don’t have that choice so we’re buying a lot but we’re buying low quality.’
Having woken up to many of the hard truths along with the knowledge that the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter after agriculture, more and more designers, buyers and fashion enthusiasts are working on an antidote to what has become an increasingly poisonous industry.
Here in Scotland, Antoinette and her clothing line Beira are just one example of an attempt to create a sustainable luxury brand and encourage people to truly value their clothes once more. Based in Edinburgh, Antoinette works with Flavio Forlani, who owns a factory on the outskirts of Milan and manufactures products for luxury fashion houses across the world. Having realised that he was left with massive amounts of waste fabric destined for landfill, Flavio decided to find a good use for it. Cue self-confessed jacket and shoe enthusiast Antoinette. ‘I said, “don’t throw it out, let’s come up with an
idea”,’ she said. ‘So essentially we decided to go into business together and launch Beira, which means I go into my favourite treasure trove in the world; this room full of all the fabrics and buttons, and just go through and select stuff.’
For Antoinette, Beira is about reintroducing the idea of slow fashion to consumers. ‘We’re about true limited editions, so there’s usually only one of ten for our colour wave or fabric wave so people are getting one piece that is beautifully made in Italy. I know the people who are making it, I’ve been to the factory, I know their names – you know every single step of the process because of that and we have produced a small collection of womenswear to start with. We’ve got wool jackets, lots of sportswear jackets, a couple of jumpers and some hats and scarves. We’re starting off quite small because a huge collection isn’t good for the environment either because then you end up with things not going on sale.’
As more consumers begin to appreciate the
‘My Italian friends in Milan don’t have the bulging wardrobes we have’
impact their shopping habits can have, second-hand purchases have seen a massive increase, with recent research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland revealing that 48% of Scots agree it’s important in order to safeguard the environment.
For those seeking out higher end pre-loved items, shops like Isabella’s Wardrobe in Glasgow are a veritable cave of wonders. ‘From day one, my brief to myself was that I was always going to keep it as high-end as I possibly could – offer a quality product at a fraction of the cost, basically,’ says owner Alice Kirk. ‘I haven’t compromised on that in the last ten years and I think that’s why I’m still here.’
Named after her beloved ‘mammie’, who encouraged Alice to set up her business, the shop stocks everything from Miu Miu dresses and Gucci sunglasses to Mulberry bags and Christian Louboutin heels. ‘I get things from people for all different sorts of reasons: either it doesn’t fit them anymore, it’s something they haven’t worn for a period of time, it’s been a gift they don’t like, or it’s just been a mistake. It’s all about extending the longevity of the clothing that’s out there. If stuff is hanging in people’s wardrobes and they’re not wearing it, let’s get them back into circulation.’
For purveyors of vintage fashion, pop-up markets and shops have been, well, popping up across the country. For Karen Darragh, setting up her own business in the Scottish Antiques & Arts Centre in Doune was about giving more women more choice. ‘I was at that age where I couldn’t just go into a shop on the high street and pick something off the shelf like I used to. Everything is geared towards one market rather than all of us. I’ve always loved pre-loved things and I thought if I’m going to find something that’s a bit different, I’m not going to find it in New Look or Next.’
Armed with wonderful items like vintage Harris tweed jackets, Great Scot waistcoats and delicate summer dresses, Karen’s Vintage Point is the perfect spot for shoppers who love to indulge in a bit of nostalgia.
Another key player on the Scottish vintage fashion scene is of course W. Armstrong & Son. Established in 1840 and with three stores in Edinburgh, each is packed full of clothing and accessories from across the decades of all colours shapes and sizes including traditional Harris Tweed, elegant pieces from the 1940s and 50s and militaria.
Quirkier still, Joey D has been creating pieces from recycled vintage clothing and unusual materials in the capital for the past 20 years. Making everything from bags, belts and watches to mini kilts, each item is a one-off and alterations are available too.
With so many great alternatives to break the monotony and toxicity of the current fashion industry, buying unique, luxury clothing really needn’t cost the earth.
‘If I’m going to find something different, I’m not going to find it in New Look or Next’