The revolution of fashion and the shifting paradigms

Rana dress made by ethical label, Pure Pod. Australian-made with organic cotton and linen.

Now more than ever is the moment we can create a paradigm shift by putting our (collective) weight behind brands that have always operated with unwavering determination to treat workers with dignity and respect. Brands that operate with absolute consideration for how their manufacturing processes and lifecycle of their products impact the environment. This is not an easy feat, especially for small businesses. For these reasons, they deserve our utmost respect and patronage. To systemise ethical and sustainable businesses so that the standard for how we produce, consume and dispose clothing and textiles becomes the new normal, the mainstream.

Rana Plaza disaster in Dhaka District, Bangladesh on April 24, 2013. Stock image.

Fashion Revolution

April 20th – April 26th, 2020 marks this year’s Fashion Revolution week. On April 24th, 2013, Rana Plaza, a building in Bangladesh with a clothing manufacture factory collapsed and killed 1134 people and injured 2,500 people. This was the disaster that ignited the global Fashion Revolution movement. Its mission is to protect people and planet by taking a stance against social injustice and environmental damage done in the name of fashion. One of their most popular campaign hashtags on social media is #WhoMadeMyClothes. The aim is to incite apparel users all over the world to ask the brands who make their clothes for full transparency of their entire manufacture supply chain. This will ensure traceability and therefore influence liveable fair wages, healthier work conditions and better practices for the environment.

Time for change

This week in 2020 can be the year we fully revolutionise our global fashion culture. Here are some thoughts that will inspire you to join the movement towards making ethical and sustainable fashion the new normal:

1. Too expensive – there’s a myth that ethically-made clothes are too expensive. This is false. They often cost exactly what clothes are meant to cost. Fast fashion has given us the wrong idea that clothes can be cheap and disposable. The next time you want to purchase a t-shirt for $10, or a dress for $20, you best believe that the people that made that garment were paid next to nothing for their hard work. Paying a decent amount to an ethical brand means the people who make the garments are paid liveable wages. This is how we can help to flatten the global poverty curve.

2. Driving down costs – When enough people and policies support ethical manufacturing, it will drive down production costs in a way that still upholds the values of environment, liveable wages and good work conditions because it will become the norm, not the exception.

3. Variety, inclusion & diversity – The more we use our dollars to stand behind ethical brands, the easier it will become for labels to have size variety, more inclusion and diversity in the fashion industry.

How to Take Action

These organisations exist to change the status quo with actions that anyone can take to make this happen sooner and more efficiently.

• Fashion Revolution advocates for a global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit. Join the revolution here.

• Ethical Clothing Australia is an accreditation body that works with Australian businesses to ensure their Australian supply chains are legally compliant. Their list of ethical brands can be found here.

• Oxfam’s What She Makes campaign demands big clothing brands pay the women who make our clothes a living wage. They have several activities that you can do to ensure this happens on their site here.

Where to Shop

In addition to Pure Pod, some other ethical brands to check out are KitX, Remuse, Etiko, Humiform, Allora Capes and Stella McCartney. Here are links to specific categories:

Office / Workwear

Activewear

Underwear and lingerie

Shoes

More affordable fashion brands

STYLING

In this article I’m wearing a dress by the ethical label, Pure Pod. It is made in Australia using organic cotton and linen. I was going for an old Hollywood, vintage, glamorous look so I styled the dress with a black, wide brim hat. To enhance the Hollywood glamour look, I paired it with gold, sparkly stilettos.

Outfit sourced from:

Rana Dress – Pure Pod

Gold Stilettos – Canberra (preloved) Fashion Market

♥ Nina Gbor

Photography by Bryant Evans

How to restyle your wardrobe to help reduce climate change

Who would have ever thunk that looking stylish on your own terms could be linked with reducing climate change? The fashion and textile industry produce over 92 million tonnes of waste and consumes 1.5 trillion tonnes of waste water per year. And the Global South bears the biggest brunt when it comes to fashion’s social injustices around the exploitation of garment workers and human rights abuses. With over 100 billion new garments being produced each year, 85% ends up in landfill or incinerated. About 95% of the textiles sent to landfill each year can be recycled. We will need systems in place to do this efficiently and holistically. However, there are things we can each do right now in our wardrobes to minimise waste, reduce the impact on climate change and honour the hard work of garment workers: restyle your wardrobe!

This simple and fun process of mixing and matching different pieces and jewellery to create new outfit combinations that you typically would not put together is called RESTYLING. The process of layering and accessorising to create new and different looks for multiple types of occasions can reduce the amount of clothing that you buy because you’re likely to re-use your clothes for longer periods of time. This ultimately reduces the amount of clothes you buy, which reduces the amount of clothes that goes to landfill and furthermore reduces fashion’s impact on climate change. (The Global Fashion Agenda has predicted that the level of apparel consumption will rise by 63% to 102 million tonnes by 2030 if the current trends continue).

Here are some preloved pieces that I’ve restyled as examples of how you can layer and accessorise to either create a capsule wardrobe or get longer use of your clothing (regardless of your size, age or lifestyle). The important thing is to do in the way that suits your personality and lifestyle without following fashion trends.

RESTYLING

In the photos above and below, I’ve simply used a dress on it’s own and then as a top and also as a skirt:

1. Yellow, floral 1950’s original vintage dress turned into a skirt by wearing my black supergirl t-shirt on it.

2. Turquoise and gold geometric-pattern 1980s retro dress restlyed as a top with my plaid tafeta maxi skirt and a black belt. The restyled again as a skirt using my gold sequinned top and a black belt.

3. Red, floral preloved drop-waist dress restyled as a top using a fun red, mixed pattern, handmade skirt and tan belt with a metal buckle.

These are some of the most basic restyling techniques that I’ve been using for years because it works for me. It has reduced the amount of tops I needed to buy to go with my skirts and vice versa! You can restyle your own clothes using different hats, shoes, scarves, jewellery and various garments in ways that are practical for you and your daily life.

Outfits sourced from:

Yellow, floral 1950’s vintage dress: Lifeline op shop.

Black supergirl t-shirt: Red Cross op shop.

Turquoise & gold geometric-pattern 1980’s retro dress: Bowerbird Vintage store.

Plaid, taffeta maxi skirt: Salvos op shop.

Gold, sequinned top: Savers op shop.

Red, floral drop-waist dress: South Melbourne Community Chest op shop.

Red, mixed pattern, handmade vintage skirt: Red Cross op shop.

♥ Nina Gbor

References:

1. https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/consumer/2020/04/10/fast-fashion-environment/

2. https://www.makegood.world/fashions-problem-with-waste

3. https://edgexpo.com/fashion-industry-waste-statistics/

4. https://globalfashionagenda.com/commitment/#policyengagement

Why secondhand fashion (thrifting) is not about being cheap

Like most of my outfits, this ensemble is preloved. The top is from an op shop and the skirt is from a luxury/designer second-hand store. I’ve been op shopping and eco styling since the age of fifteen. Even though I’ve forged a purpose-driven career of fashion sustainability and climate activism from it, I realise that many still hold the view that preloved apparel is something taboo, shameful or only for those with low incomes.

With the plight of fast fashion where 80 to 150 billion new garments are manufactured every year, we’re consuming approximately 400% more than we did over 20 years ago. We’re buying more, wearing less and sending nearly three-fifths of likely reusable (and sometimes still new) garments to landfill or incineration each year. The fashion and textile over-consumption and waste problem are a major dilemma in climate change. This is why choosing preloved clothing can no longer be seen as just a money-saving endeavour. It is a planet-saving one.  

For years I’ve shared images of preloved outfits from op shops, thrift stores, clothes swaps, vintage stores and markets. The intention is not only to share what I enjoy, but mainly to shift the negative stereotypes around second-hand clothing. If I’m able to fascinate with a glorious masterpiece sourced from op shopping, then I always hope it will inspire the start of people’s slow fashion journeys. Op shops and preloved sources have the unique ability to bless you with the magical experience of finding that rare piece that lights up your world when you wear it.

However, I never mention the price of the pieces I wear because I believe it might not be best to focus solely on the affordability factor. Preloved clothing is for everyone, of every income level and background. Therefore, price should not be the only reason to op shop. It’s a given that preloved clothing is cheaper. And it’s perfectly okay that some can only afford to shop at thrift stores. However, for those who still think it’s only good for when you’re on a shoestring budget, here are some reasons to go preloved:

• Buying one used item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%.

• Op shops are charities that use their funds to help disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable groups like children, the homeless and victims of domestic violence.

• The eclectic range of preloved clothing in stores and online lets you sample and mix clothing of multiple styles, genres and eras. It lets you see yourself in a different light, as a suggestion that anything is possible for you. With that, it becomes empowering and makes your style unique and iconic.

STYLING

This retro pattern skirt is the centre piece in this look. In being simplistic, I chose a blue top that has chemistry with the blue lines in the skirt. This light blue shade of the top complements or works well with any of the other colours of the skirt: purple, pink, black or royal blue.

Styling tip:

I wore this elegant piece to play in the sand but by all means, try wearing a pair of dress shoes, button down shirt or silk blouse with a skirt like this. It converts it to a look to wear to the office, an art exhibition or other occasion. If you’re bold enough, dare to pattern clash this skirt by wearing it with a floral, polka dot or patterned top with corresponding colours.  

Outfit sourced from:

Blue Armani Top - The Green Shed Op Shop

Perri Cutten Retro Skirt – Second Mode Luxury & Designer Preloved Store

♥ Nina Gbor

Instagram: @eco.styles

Photography by Pepper Street Photography

References:

https://www.thredup.com/resale?tswc_redir=true

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/1/27/21080107/fashion-environment-facts-statistics-impact

Net-zero emissions; all hail ethical fashion brands like Etiko

The Pulse of the Fashion Industry report once forecast that at the current rate, fashion emissions would grow 63% by 2030. In the quest to achieve net-zero emissions and make slow fashion the standard for all fashion manufacture, it’s absolutely necessary to give accolades to ethical clothing brands who strive to end fashion’s impact on climate change.

These brands have environmental best practice, living wages and human rights advocacy as the cornerstone of their businesses. Brands like Etiko are a guiding light for manufacturing optimum ethical standards where the planet and people are concerned.

In operation since 2005, Etiko was the first fashion brand in the southern hemisphere to have acquired fairtrade certification. They also have GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification and B Corp certifications. The inspiration for this business model came at a time when it was more challenging to find a company whose products were not made using child labour or unfair wages to workers in another country. They decided to be that brand. They ensure living wages are paid to their workers who are all based in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Australia.

Organic cotton

They make athleisure, basics, underwear, shoes and sports apparel. With an annual estimate of 55 million tonnes of pesticide being used on cotton crops, these toxic chemicals end up in local water bodies and oceans, endangering wildlife, humans and the eco system. For this reason, 100% GOTS organic cotton is what Etiko uses for their clothing and footwear.

Vegan friendly

According to the Food & Agriculture Orgnaisation of the U.N., 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are from animal agriculture. To minimise carbon footprint, their apparel, like their sneakers are vegan friendly.

Natural rubber

The rubber used comes from rubber trees in Sri Lanka. Natural rubber, unlike petroleum based rubber is naturally extracted from sustainably farmed trees that do not release harmful gases and chemicals. Moreover, natural rubber is 100% biodegradable.

Emissions

For several years, Etiko has been on track to achieving net-zero carbon emissions target for their entire supply chain by the end of this year. It’s not too difficult to see why they have won multiple awards in the sustainability & social impact space such as: A+ in Ethical Fashion Report  2013 – 2017, Human Rights Award 2016, Golden Greenies Award 2012 and the Telstra Business Awards 2008.

The more we acknowledge, support and endorse ethical brands, the sooner they will become standard in retail and furthermore, the possibility of having a fashion industry with net-zero emissions will become a reality.  

STYLING

Because I’m nearly obsessed with polka dots, I chose this skirt for this ensemble. I wore my signature ‘50s petticoat with the skirt then paired it with my black Etiko organic cotton t-shirt. No surprises that I’m wearing a waist belt as I often do with a ‘50s style skirt or dress. It really helps to synch in the waist. I completed the look with my red Etiko vegan sneakers.

Colour wise, the black on my t-shirt connects with the black dots on my skirt. The white text on my skirt connects with the white on my skirt (and also the white shoes laces and soles) and then the red on the t-shirt connects with the red of the sneakers. So basic!

Styling tips

True style is all about wearing pieces your own way and putting your own personal signature on them. You can wear a t-shirt and sneakers like these with almost anything. Nothing screams instant style confidence like wearing bold coloured sneakers with an otherwise plain or unflattering ensemble. Try it out for yourself!

Outfit sourced from:

Etiko Black ‘Wear No Evil’ Organic T-shirt – Etiko

White & Black Polka Dot Skirt – Gigi’s Fairy Fashion

Etiko Red Lowcut, Fairtrade, Vegan Sneakers - Etiko

Photography by Pepper Street Photography.

https://etiko.com.au/

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jun/23/five-ways-fashion-damages-the-planet

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf

♥ Nina Gbor

Giving the best gifts this holiday season

Expression of Love dress by Pure Pod. Australian-made with 100% organic cotton.

With Black Friday recently passed and Christmas around the corner, we’re knee-deep in the season of overconsumption. I read an article today that claims 2019 was the year that sustainability burst into fashion mainstream but a holistic shift to slow fashion doesn’t seem to be happening fast enough.

The good news is that there have been articles and culture-changing messages in the mainstream encouraging people to people to rethink the way we consume material things. For example, an article in The Guardian quotes Berlin rubbish collectors suggesting that people should give time, not stuff this Christmas. I absolutely agree with that notion, but whether it’s the holiday period or any other time, we sometimes still need to use or acquire material things. What we can do however, is to consume ethically and responsibly. And if you absolutely must give a gift for Christmas or even after, consider ethical gift suggestions from platforms like Flora & Fauna, Be Kind Coco or Australian Ethical.

Where clothing is concerned, brands who make quality clothes to last are the best option. Labels like Pure Pod, Remuse, Etiko Fairtrade and many others, go through tremendous effort to ensure as little environmental damage as possible in creating garments. They also exude this effort sincerely to the best of their ability to ensure every worker is paid a just and liveable wage in the supply chain. Wearing ethical labels gives you the confidence that you are actively supporting a positive shift to a healthier, better way of doing things. Plus, you can rest assured your money is not potentially supporting a business that engages in exploitation or environmental degradation of some kind. This is essentially the best gift you can give yourself, the gift receiver and everyone involved in making that product!

STYLING

This is Pure Pod’s Expression of Love dress. It’s Australian-made, using jersey fabric from fairtrade organic cotton fibre from India. I went with neutral colours in putting together this gorgeous ensemble. I styled the dress with a tan brown bag and tan colour chunky high heel sandals. The tan colour complements the grey colour. The heels add a dressed up flavour, but I would just as well wear this jersey dress with flat sandals or ballet flats to be more casual.

Outfit sourced from:

Expression of Love dress - Pure Pod

Tan handbag - The Green Shed Underground Op Shop

Tan chunky heel sandals - Salvos Stores Op Shop

Photography by Bryant Photographer

♥ Nina Gbor