Wearing Circles.
Cycles are essential for the balance of our natural world.
So why would our clothes be any different?
In mother nature, cycles reign supreme. The earth rotates, seasons change, day turns to night and night to day. Every life form encounters a cycle; birth, growth, decay, renewal. The rhythm on which our planet relies is maintained by an ever-present cyclical pulse.
However, the systems in which the majority of clothes are designed is quite contradictory, functioning in a line, possessing a sole beginning and a definitive end.
In pursuit of the fashion industry’s chilling disconnect with the natural world, I spoke with upcoming designer Amber Joiner, based in Cornwall, UK, to discuss her take on winding into the circles of a linear dominated trade.
Zoë:
Do you feel that living in rural environments has affected your respect for nature and your desire to protect it?
Amber:
Yes. Definitely. Because it’s all around us. We see it everyday, its part of how we spend our time, so I think in everything we do we always have to consider our impact.
Zoë:
What does circular fashion mean to you? In both the relation to the clothes you wear and your designs.Especially starting out in the industry without the level of resources that others may have access to.
Amber:
To me it means rewriting an attitude to the clothes I already have. For example, if they’re worn out, stained, don’t fit - how can I make them serve me for longer... while also making it a fun creative process? I patch things, I alter them, I paint, I swap clothes with friends if I get bored with my own wardrobe...the list goes on.
I also ask myself: Do I really need this? Will I actually wear it? No impulse buys!
In terms of starting out in industry, ensuring everything is designed with non synthetic materials is important. Even though it might look better for a certain design, some things have to be chemically bonded rather than sewn so you can’t easily take them apart. It’s life would be restricted to one garment. For toiles, I use what I already have, like bed sheets.
I also accept the fact that I am in a process of learning, and forgiving myself for not being perfect is important too. I think: ‘what can I do right now?’ rather than getting caught up in the guilt of being in an industry that is inherently polluting our planet. Constantly rethinking! That’s my answer.
Zoë:
Do you think production and distribution companies should take full accountability?
Amber:
I think if they were into it, it would be alot easier for everyone else. I think there’s no point in blaming the big man upstairs because otherwise nothing would ever change, they make too much of a profit. We could start locally and then hopefully get enough people on board, and get quite creative with it! A shift in attitude that catches on would actually be quite fun, finding new ways of doing things and feeling more connected to mother nature as we collectively do so.