4 TAKEAWAYS that Hong Kong sustainable fashion TAUGHT ME!
Photo Credit: Levina Maida
Sustainable Fashion did not come about as yet another trend in the ever changing fashion industry, instead this came out of a real need. Vogue (May 27, 2007) mentioned it in the article "Earth to Fashion", sustainable fashion "does not appear to be a short-term trend but one that could last multiple seasons, the very word season being up for grabs in a climate-affected word". When we started Connected Threads Asia almost a year ago our mission was, and still is, to educate consumers about the negative social and environmental impacts of the industry and providing them alternatives to support the sustainability movement in fashion. And of course, becoming a platform for sustainable brands to tell their stories and bring them together to create a ripple effect.
We are always on the lookout for new things and inspirations to produce timely and relevant initiatives to give the community what it needs. Hence, my journey brought me to Hong Kong, where I got insights and inspirations on how we can grow the movement in Singapore. I was extremely fortunate to have met the change makers in Hong Kong and pick their brains over a cup of coffee. Here are four takeaways that I got from the conversations.
P.S I got caffeine overdose over the past three days, but it was all worth it!
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Lovely brunch with Ren Wan, Co-founder of JupYeah
1. The Power of Stories
JupYeah started as fun activity among friends to swap clothes whenever they felt their closet needed refurbishing. It was a big leap for them to open the idea to the public, due to the fear and doubts that people might not respond because of the second-handed and pre-worn mindset. But, they were proven wrong, as people started queuing and demanding for the next swap. It seemed that everyone was just waiting for someone to make this happen. According to Ren “If no one is doing it—it doesn’t mean that there is no demand for it”. You just have to go out and do it.
They certainly came a long way, one major thing that help them build a strong base of supporters is the way they tell their stories. Sharing the story of how they came about the concept and why they are doing it made it easier for the people to understand the organization and it encourages them to not simply participate in the movement but to be proactive. The stories allow them to have more engaging platform for the people to feel more involved and part of the movement.
Takeaway: You should not be afraid to get personal in telling your story, because this is one of the best way for people to understand you and your brand better and feel more emotionally involved. Stories get people attention and a great way to educate them about the cause that you are into without being intrusive.
2. Perseverance Is Key
Redress was established in 2007, long before Fashion Revolution began. They focus on reducing waste in the fashion industry using three methods: Education/ Nurturing emerging fashion designers, Inspiring and informing fashion consumers and Catalyzing and changing the fashion industry.
Walking into the office of Redress, I could feel the energy of hope and enthusiasm that changes are happening when I met the team. You could tell that the team was focus and working hard to make things happen. It was a lovely chat with Jill Grinda, Executive Director of Redress. We had a dialogue of our plans to disrupt the industry, the challenges that we face as NGOs and to encourage everyone to have a collaborative spirit to make fashion a force for good, as what they say “Together everyone achieves more”.
Takeaway: Yes, it was never an easy path for Redress to get where they are today. It takes a gazillion effort to educate and promote sustainable fashion, especially when you are the pioneer. But they did not let the hardships and setbacks define who they are. They persevere until they spread awareness to the public and had them take action for a positive change in the industry. Indeed, we still have a long way to go in making sustainable fashion the norm, but what Redress did is significantly valuable to the industry. Because of them we have consumers who are well informed about the issues and the alternatives and young designers who are slowly making a mark in the industry which incorporates sustainability in their business.
Caught in action, Jasmine Smith Creative Director of Dress Me Blog Me
3. The Power Of Clothes
It was a lively chat with Jasmine Smith the Creative Director of Dress Me Blog Me at her office - The Hive HK. It was great getting a history lesson on Hong Kong fashion over her 10 years stay, especially on how much HK has thrived and became the brand hub for South East Asia. Due to the US economic meltdown, big name fashion personalities started exploring Asia as the next destination, helping Hong Kong fashion scene flourish. According to Jasmine, Hong Kong consumers are becoming smarter with their choices. They tend to care more than just how they will benefit from the product, but on how the product impacts our environment and society. Though, majority of the consumers are still in the process of changing mindset, she can see that it is slowly moving towards the direction of sustainability in fashion.
Takeaway: People must be reminded how powerful our clothes are and we must not be ruled by it. We use fashion as a form of communication without uttering a single word. We need to take charge of how we want to communicate through what we wear. We need to consciously be dressed in something that truly represents our personality and character and not because it’s what we saw in a magazine or social media. We need to start dressing up to be our self and not to be someone else that we are not.
Selfie with Toby Lam, Founder of Last But Not Least
4. Reigniting The True Value Of Clothes
When I first started learning how to upcycle clothes, I always refer to Toby’s work under her brand Last But Not Least. The way Toby transforms each piece was just extraordinary and a work of a true artist. I was stunned when I met her and hearing her stories from how she started and what she wishes to accomplished was simply inspiring.
Before Toby started her upcycling brand, she worked as fashion designer in other brands. After working in the industry for a while she saw how it was evolving and how much we disregard the value of creativity and workmanship. We tend to judge clothing through its price tag and if it is in trend or not. We forget that clothing involves a lot of effort, from conceptualizing the design to producing it. So, through her work she wishes to rekindle the connection that we once had with our clothes and value them once again.
Takeaway: We need to educate consumers that clothes doesn’t just come out of nowhere and it requires tonnes of resources and effort. With that understanding from the consumer, they will get why we should be paying more than what the fast fashion is offering us. Remember, “We are what we wear”, so don’t be cheap and fast.
I also met Kit of Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium, to understand more about the works that they have been contributing in building sustainability in the industry. It was good to know that they are looking at fashion supply chain and providing alternatives to the businesses and designers to ensure that they truly know their production partners they engage. Lastly, Barbara Yu Larsson the CEO and founder of PAKT who aims to create a sustainable ecosystem to care, store, share, trade and donate clothes. As space is one of the main challenges in Hong Kong, Barbara wants to provide solutions to all women on how they can make use of the clothes that are just seating in their closet.
Clearly, the change that we aspire is not an overnight process it will take a collective effort from everyone to make it happen. After this trip, it is comforting to know that we have an army that is slowly making sustainable fashion the norm. After all, we should only have one fashion and it should be sustainable fashion!
