by Alina Rätsep
Focused on twinning fashion and sustainability, the course explores the design process in the context of major environmental, cultural and social impacts associated with fashion. And while the sound of the words “environment” and “social issues” might be enough to dangerously shorten any fashion-focused mind’s attention span, the graduate collections on display were fabulously different from an expected “summer school project” style. The collection SIX was presented with clearly placed FASHION first, with the story behind the garment – a much treasured second. The mentality Katharine Hamnett has been talking about – that sustainable fashion should look like fashion first to appeal to the broad audience – has now firmly taken root, and the next generation of fashion designers was very much on the right path.
From using end of the roll fabrics, to supporting the British wool industry, to using traditional fabrics and utilising local manufacturers – while the MA graduates employed a wide variety of fabrics and techniques, they were in unison on one point: that the ultimate goal is to bring the fashion industry to the level when ethical fashion is the natural way all fashion is produced and consumed. If these students get their way there’s no way that ethically and environmentally produced fashion will remain a niche market, or be referred to as a ‘movement’ for long.
Dilys Williams is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Course Director of MA Fashion and the Environment. Watch our interview with the MA Fashion and the Environment graduates here.
Fashion's Next GENERATION.
Early this February, SIX met up with the graduates of the London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion and The Environment course, which is now in its second generation, and was blown away by the imagination and individuality of the young newly qualified designers.
Focused on twinning fashion and sustainability, the course explores the design process in the context of major environmental, cultural and social impacts associated with fashion. And while the sound of the words “environment” and “social issues” might be enough to dangerously shorten any fashion-focused mind’s attention span, the graduate collections on display were fabulously different from an expected “summer school project” style. The collection SIX was presented with clearly placed FASHION first, with the story behind the garment – a much treasured second. The mentality Katharine Hamnett has been talking about – that sustainable fashion should look like fashion first to appeal to the broad audience – has now firmly taken root, and the next generation of fashion designers was very much on the right path.
From using end of the roll fabrics, to supporting the British wool industry, to using traditional fabrics and utilising local manufacturers – while the MA graduates employed a wide variety of fabrics and techniques, they were in unison on one point: that the ultimate goal is to bring the fashion industry to the level when ethical fashion is the natural way all fashion is produced and consumed. If these students get their way there’s no way that ethically and environmentally produced fashion will remain a niche market, or be referred to as a ‘movement’ for long.
Dilys Williams is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Course Director of MA Fashion and the Environment. Watch our interview with the MA Fashion and the Environment graduates here.
