Not buying it
When I began working on fashion and streetstyle magazine i-D in 1982 we made, borrowed and found our clothes from jumble sales, friends who designed and theatrical outfitters in who had the best sales! Then we altered, adapted and finally self styled out look to say something about ourselves.
It was the best fun and we didn't care about hand-me-down catwalk trends. We cared about statement and attitude.
This is me (above) pledging not to buy new for a whole year from large chain stores and big design business as part of the extinction rebellion challenge. Of course I will still support small ethical and conscious design business, second hand/vintage business, upcycling wardrobe surgery brands like Annika N...and as most of my footwear these days come from Po-Zu, I'm covered. For those of you wanting more variety there are designer rental business like the brilliant Wear the Walk run by Zoe Partridge and wardrobe swapping: check out The Nu Wardrobe.
Founder of XR Boycott Fashion: Clare Farell, is a talented designer in her own right and is responsible for the amazing graphics. At a recent event in Hackney, where I was also a panellist she talked about her commitment to never making any new product - only working with existing garments to add screen printed graphics and having to chase internet copy cats who are stealing the design to put on cheap t-shirts and make a fast buck.
When we know there is a new way to experience clothes we can vote with out purse. Stop funding the bloated CEO's paying themselves a fortune, while their garment workers struggle to eat. Stop funding planetary assault. Yup fashion is a bigger polluter than maritime and flight travel industries put together. And the landfill issue, something I have talked about before on national news to promote Oxfam initiatives to tackle waste is at crisis point.
There are many young creatives out there working with found materials and existing garments to redesign our future. And there are many visionaries, activists and believers committed to change. What about you? My beautiful dress for the Extinction Rebellion portrait by Sarah Creswell, is designed by Asia Pritarska, graduate of Glasgow School of Art.