Underneath the Fabric

In search of becoming the best version of ourselves and preserving the planet that hosts all life as we know it, I’ve written some key tips for purchasing any clothing items. Buying more sustainably is important due to many reasons (please give my other posts a read to better understand the topic). There is no black or white way to view conscious purchases, as there are so many variables afecting our choices. Briefly, sustainable fashion is an umbrella term covering more ethical or eco-friendly production of an item. Upcycling old or buying second hand are also more sustainable options. Fast-fashion, on the other hand, is mostly found on the high street or online; easily accessible and easily disposable. It moves quickly from the catwalk to stores. Pretty Little Thing, Boohoo, Missguided, Primark, H&M, Topshop, Office, Urban Outfitters… to name a few! It's attractive, on trend and cheap. What we see as consumers is actually the end product of a long cycle of produc...

I feel bombarded at the moment, and even slightly overwhelmed, with the amount of climate change activism happening in this last week and inevitably in the one to come. I can't help but say that I hope that you are too, because that'll mean you're  aware of the 'sixth mass extinction'* and climate change awareness popping up all over social media. *we are not killing the planet so much as the abiotic conditions on it which host us, the human race!  Don't get me wrong, I am all for it!  But I see a lot of people turn away in disbelief, denial, or inability to concentrate on the topic long enough to entertain a conversation. Those that understand the massive problem on our doorstep will usually make a stand and a statement, but we really, desperately , need to take this further. With Extinction Rebellion occupying major spots of London, the protesters  are doing what they can with what they have, in the capitalist society of today, to make a drastic change. ...

A final garments photoshoot? Tick fo' dat. ✔ (pics by @isobelcolnaghiphotos for @thatgexboy's mag!) As a second-year fashion design student, I constantly strive to incorporate sustainability  in my work. The fashion world hasn’t always been one that's excited me, it is my desire to make a change for the better, through more ethical and eco design approaches to this oh-so-polluting industry. As there are so many ways in which one can do this, I have gotten to know myself as a designer in exploring this within my uni briefs. Whether that be through the durability of the end piece or up-cycling  from waste, to natural dyeing and zero waste pattern cutting. I like to be creative with my silhouettes, exploring garments that either flatter or stand away from the body. The creative process for my white shirt was using an up cycled white sheet and laser cutting the wooden buttons. It was inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art form of us...

Fashion is polluting, and that's not cool. Do you know what else isn't cool? Cheesy V-day cards. So I put together a few more exciting options for the Fashion revolutionaries, who would like to make a bolder statement this year. *Please appreciate the irony of this post. Feel free to add suggestions, for further card making. Or even print these off for a loved one, whom might need some encouragement to veer away from fast fashion!                                                                                                            might I add PER YEAR brutal, I know Let's raise a glass to transparency! Love always, Cath x

*Siiiiiiiiiigh* So I've just finished watching " Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion's Dirty Secrets" on BBC 1... And I'm left with a heavy heart. The documentary is a real eye opener.  It hurts to notice just how misleading fashion - something we in the Western world recognize as a form of self-expression and indulgence   - can truly be.  To recognise the corners that are cut, the destructive effect these have on the planet and on millions of people's livelihoods, is heartbreaking to say the least. This is heightened especially by the fact that it is to sell us a basic commodity at a very cheap monetary price. But, we must ask ourselves, at what real cost? It is a first glance, through Dooley's eyes - whom herself is the average British consumer - into the devastating impact that fast fashion has. I really appreciate the engagement she had across all areas of the sector. She does public questionnaires to inform the general public of their sim...

Woooooooooooooooooooooooahhhhhlot has happened recently. Well, Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) has come and gone - a total blurr of colour and silhouette and fiyah ! Arriving backstage, manic - but like, the good kind? Make up to the left, changing rooms to the right. Clothes were flying, cameras were flashing, models were posing and designers were flailing about. Chatter was constant. All students were each assigned a model to dress. The individuals with the lanyards on seemed to have the situation un-der con-trol (*snaps fingers* at every syllable) . The others (myself specifically), well, not so much. S weaty palms, ya know?, it happens to the best of us... The anticipation for the show grew exponentially. Third years eagerly awaited amongst the audience for their collections to strut their stuff. Ohh-ing and ahh-ing came largely from student dressers backstage, as the models made the garments come to life in wearing them. One by one, outfits filtered through checks and on t...

These last few weeks have been hectic - can't begin to explain how much. However main first year deadlines are now over . Meaning I can go back to having a life now, yipee! Currently, I'm writing an essay for uni involving the study of the REMADE line by Christopher Raeburn. He's clearly understood the target market he is catering to, by converting old parachutes, kites and silk scarves from WW2 into wearable, desirable street and outerwear. This is pretty smart from the company's part, as these key items were actually used to produce clothing during and after WW2 , when clothes rationing used to occur. Alongside the "make-do and mend" campaign set up by the government, people were low on resources - including fabric (as all hands and materials were dedicated to providing the troops). This led to the population still homebound to scout out fallen nylon parachutes, or lost silk maps, and re purpose them. I'm hoping this is something I can c...