While researching
different companies using The Guardian's UK ethical fashion directory
(http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ethical-fashion-directory-uk-clothing-brands-fairtrade-vegan),
I found a really exciting sustainable fashion brand called Lu Flux.
This company makes beautiful limited edition pieces using mostly
salvaged fabrics and yarns, and caught my attention immediately.
Browsing the sight I
noticed a few things that seem to be recurring patterns in
sustainable fashion brands, things that could point to some of the
reasons that more people do not shop for upcycled/repurposed
clothing:
The clothes tend to
be “quirky”. Quirky being strange colour palettes, unusual
shapes and lots of clashing patterns. This can either work
beautifully, or make the garment look a bit of a shambles. From what
I've gathered of my own experience when trying to design with the
limitations of using only repurposed materials, and from what I can
see of other brands like Lu Flux attempting to do the same, it is
very difficult to create a colour palette and stick to it when only
using what you can find. The design process has to be lead by the
materials themselves in a way that doesn't really occur when
designing with limitless options of fabrics and yarns. I find that if
this is done carefully and tastefully, as Lu Flux demonstrate with
the majority of their designs, the results are just the right amount
of bizarre that works for my taste in fashion. Unfortunately many
consumers aren't interested in this kind of style – it is very
niche, and doesn't often have anything in common with standard high
street clothing. I feel that this works both in its favour and
against it, and could be why more people are not so keen to make the
jump to upcycled fashion, despite the benefits for the environment.
The prices are also
quite high. I believe that high priced handmade clothing is
completely acceptable and understandable – the designers and
dressmakers are generally earning a fare wage, and the consumer is
buying into quality handmade pieces. However, because garments made
from upcycled clothes and repurposed materials have to be carefully
produced individually as there is not usually enough material for
mass production, the price is automatically going to be a problem for
some consumers. Many people simply can't afford to pay the fair price
required with these kinds of clothes, even if it is viewed as a long
term investment in a good quality garment, and with cheap fast
fashion readily available for much less money it would be very
difficult to shift the majority of consumers over to upcycled
fashion. I've found when attempting to price my own work that the
price far exceeds anything I would be able to afford, and while that
doesn't make it unsellable as there are plenty of consumers who do
pay more for handmade, they are in the minority.
This has made me
realise that if I were to pursue sustainable clothing as an
independent designer, I would absolutely have to take these things
into account and decide whether to work with them or attempt to work
around them – is it wise to avoid the more off-the-wall designs
that tend to come out of upcycled fabrics or to relish in them? Is it
better or worse for upcycled fashion to have carved quite a small
niche as opposed to being a bigger part of mainstream fashion? Things
worth considering. I have contacted Lu Flux in the hope that they can
answer some questions for me and help with my research.
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