Ah yes, the drama of the fashion scene. Remember those days when society would shun those who wear fur coats or crocodile skin handbags? Well now, buying from the likes of all your retail stores (technically not all lah) is considered an act of crime against Mother Nature. Who would have thought this day would come, but arrived it did.
I know some of you reading this are loomed with confusion as to why your harmless hoodies from a branded clothing line is actually killing the environment. Hold tight girls and boys because what we are about to tell you is just a wee bit hard to swallow. Jeng jeng...
So, in order to fully understand the weight of buying from these brands, we need to first understand the meaning of fast fashion. Fast fashion in simple terms means tiru the designs from high-end brands and mass producing them.
Back then, clothing stores introduced new designs according to the standard fashion calendar which is the Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer collection. With fast fashion emerging, brands have 52 seasons annually, while some deliver garments almost on a daily basis. Easy lah, just knock off the designs from runaways. Every time there are fashion shows, just tiru tiru like you did in the exam.
OK. So they’re knocking off big brands. Big deal. What does it have to do with destroying our environment? Glad you asked. Keeping in mind that we went from 4 collections per year to almost 52, did you know that it takes a staggering 10,330 litres of drinking water to make ONE cotton jacket? Yes. Do the maths. To guilt trip you even further, 342 million barrels of oil are used annually in the production of synthetic fibres alone. Yikes!
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Okay. Calm down. Don’t panic. We know it’s hard to resist the temptations of the Buy 1 Free 1 or the 3 for RM50 promo at Brands Outlet. We’re not saying you can’t shop for clothes anymore. Just do it ever so sparingly and choose to up-cycle garments instead. Bundle/Pre-loved shops are popping up just about anywhere. It's time you put your thrift-shopping skills to the test and mix and match your way to being a sustainable queen. What have you got to lose? You could get 8 outfits for the price of one RM200 jacket from the retail store.
To hype you up in your journey of becoming Malaysia’s next top conscious consumer, have a look at these eco amazing influencers transforming used clothes to chic brand new outfits. Pretty sure by the end of it you would be inspired to shop sustainably and give back to mother earth in style.
#1 Coolirpa
Out with Vera Wang, in with April Yang! Based in Southern California, April started making upcycling videos after a year of learning how to sew. Her youtube channel Coolirpa quickly gained fans when she introduced her “Thrifted Transformation” series. If you are keen to learn sewing, you should check out her “My Boyfriend Sews” series to get the beginner’s point of view on sewing lessons. Reimagining patterned fabric is totally up her alley. If the summer breezy look is something you always opt for then give her videos a shot.
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#2 With Wendy
DIY Youtube guru, Wendy gave up her mundane 9 to 5 job to pursue her successful sewing channel, With Wendy on Youtube full time. The Canadian native turns heads as her upcycle series Fashion Tops DIY, spots minimalist chic with bold colours. You’ll be scrolling for hours at her Insta feed just basking in the aesthetics. Wendy’s current direction on her channel is replicating red carpet looks at a low-cost. You guys should check out her latest video where she did a thrift flip of Billie Eilish’s signature looks.
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#3 Nava Rose
If you’re into the manic pixie, e-girl look, then you’re gonna love scrolling through Alexa Jade’s Instagram feed. Alexa shares weekly posts of DIY projects from fashion all the way to home décor on her Youtube channel, Nava Rose. She is now hosting a digital series for The Ellen Show dubbed Nava On the Fly featuring cool and creative DIY projects with other guest influencers. I’m telling you, her creative talent is through the roof! Watch how she transforms a bag into a full two piece outfit!
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#4 Annika Victoria
28-year old Annika Victoria not only supports ethical fashion by making her own wardrobe, she empowers physically disabled people everywhere to live their lives to the fullest and not to let your illnesses define who you are. In 2011, Annika was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease that could only allow her to walk for a few hundred meters unaided. But that didn’t stop her from flaunting her gorgeous DIY vintage outfits paired with her signature dark lips. If you’re one for the cute 60’s retro look, she’s one influencer you want to keep on a lookout.
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#5 Madebyaya
You can't help but to say kawaii when you watch Aya’s video. The youtuber from Japan shares her refashion projects on her channel, Madebyaya. The petite cutie often remakes old shabby garments into adorable blouses and skirts. She even makes her own hats and bags from scratch. If you fancy classic feminine looks with a dash of edginess from time to time, her videos are worth the watch.
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Are you feeling a little inspired now to make a more ethical fashion choice? You better be. We are talking about the fate of our planet here okay SMH. See, if you are someone who loves dressing up, the shift towards sustainable fashion should not be a problem at all. If anything, it challenges you to think out of the box. What else to do with this quarantine pun?
If you’re still on the fence, watch this episode of What’s The Feed: Fashion Killing Environment where fashion stylist, Min Luna and singer, Jaclyn Victor share opinions on restyling and hand me downs with host Denise Chan. Click, click, click for more deets!