Cecil Beaton (Unknown date)

Cecil Beaton pretty much sums up what I aim to do in every design I produce. I look for what is trendy and could sell to consumers but also has a strong point of difference so as to stand out from the crowd. I believe a good design is well thought out, aesthetically pleasing, and driven by inspiration. The design process for my creations relies on a lot of drawing and experimentation. I like to know all my choices which is why in this assessment I ensured I examined every aspect of Lucinda Wolber’s art works to gain a full understanding of what my inspiration would be. Lucinda has a particular aesthetic that was something I wanted to utilize in my garment. The gothic edge, luxury fabrics and meaningful images continued to inspire me throughout the designing process. The main concept I used is the idea of celebrity as a religious figure which Lucinda created in the below art work. I believe that consumers follow the constructed image of celebrities through magazines and TV but the life and ideologies shown are not reality, they are damaged and dangerous. Therefore my garment is designed to be the type of dress a dysfunctional, dangerous, sexual and dirty deity would wear.

Lucinda’s art was my concept, mood bored and visual stimulation however I am continually inspired by the strength of female sexuality. I frequently look at how a woman can gain strength mentally and physically through using her sexuality and sensuality. It is a very powerful tool that can draw men in and keep them in your control. But it doesn’t have to be entirely sexual; I also can be the subtlest detail such as a low cut back, a small show of skin, a fitted cut or a tapered waist. It is the subtle, feminine and sexy details I like to incorporate into my designs.

I approach designing like my art: this is my passion and my career choice therefore it requires devotion and commitment as well as creativity and inspiration. I love to draw, I find that is my greatest skill so doing hand drawing is the best way for me to design and channel my creativity. The foundation of my design was Lucinda’s art, my creativity along with inspiring tears from magazines then created a fitting garment.

The most important link for me was the fabric choice. Lucinda uses a lot of velvet and lace which I decided were going to be my main fabrics. I am very versatile with fabric, I choose what fits my design and will best display my aesthetic but I love to use fabrics that accentuate the femininity and strength. Satins, lace, and sheer fabrics are very sensual as well as beautiful and strong. It was an advantage that velvet and lace are both luxurious, feminine fabrics also.

This assessment also brought the concept of sustainability which was extremely relevant for our fabric choice. The use of only op-shop garments as fabric proved a challenge that I took on fiercely. I managed to find a velvet dressing gown and a sheer black skirt which were the basis of my garment. I am not what would be considered an eco-designer; I don’t usually use enviro-friendly fabrics or dyes because I always felt myself restricted by the stereotyped ‘eco-friendly’ aesthetic. But through my work and research on my blog I have discovered this is not a restriction but a challenge. There are multiple ways to approach sustainability and now that I know what is available to me I am considering how I can include it into my final year line. My current design thoughts are on luxurious lingerie, so I will use my holidays to discover options of what can be eco as well as creating a luxurious feel for my target market.

I design for women who want to be sexy and feminine while still being fashionable and strong. She is educated and young with a passion for life in simple ways… she has a natural body that has seen diet and binge, exercise and fun… it is womanly. This woman loves to feel sexy in any way possible so I design to bring that femininity to her wardrobe.

In conclusion, this design brief combining ‘For us By us’, artists, designers and sustainability offered new and exciting possibilities. I feel I successfully channeled my artist Lucinda Wolber in my garment design while still being different and keeping my own personal aesthetic. I tried new methods of designing as well as gained a better understanding of my role in sustainable fashion design. I believe that I will seriously consider using eco practices and materials in my future designing even if it is simply op-shop garments because I see now the dramatic effect the fashion industry has on sustainable and ethical futures. Overall, this challenged my creativity but helped expand it allowing me to prepare for my final year.

Quote Reference:

Thinkexists. 1999-2010. Famous Fashion_ designer quotes. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/top/occupation/fashion_designer/ (Accessed August 22, 2010)

Anyway I decided I would create a drawing of my dress on a girl perched on a crucifix, not nailed or strung to it but standing free and looking like a higher deity… like a god. Arms spread wide, looking up, bathed in light. I got thinking about how I would draw it and realised I needed a real photo to replicate to ensure it looked realistic… I started googling and found some images but one caught my eye. It was a picture of Megan Fox. For some reason I think she is the perfect girl for my design to be drawn on because she is sexy and sexual but also a celebrity that is constructed in the media. So here are a few images I particularly liked:

I liked these, i thought they were very powerful and sexual. But now to draw them

The following are a few more of my inspiration images.. these are mag scraps from random magazines most likely Vogue, Cosmopolitan or Russh. These were the most important inspirations for me because of shape, fabric, colour, theme and aesthetic…

Reference list:

Cute-spot.com. n/d. Megan Fox Images. http://cute-spot.com/megan-fox.php (Accessed August 21st, 2010)

Kelly. 2008. Daily Stab: Megan Fox for Maxim February 2008. http://www.dailystab.com/megan-fox-maxim-february-2008/(Accessed August 21st, 2010)

MY FINAL VISUAL:

This is the final piece thatb i have created to represent my design in relation to my artist Lucinda Wolber

THE VIRGIN MEGAN (FOX)

The art work I have made manages to convey my interpretation of Lucinda’s art, my inspiration and my concept. The idea, as I have described before, is that of a celebrity as a religious figure, however this figure is neither reality nor a healthy deity to follow. Celebrities are heavily constructed by media into something that consumers will want to see; who they are in the public eye may not be who they truly are. Often they are dramatised as being glamorous, luxurious and perfect but then they have vices such as cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. They are shown as Skanky/promiscuous, sexy, addicts and generally messed up but still living this glamorous lifestyle.

To show this I used the Medias sexy yet dim celebrity Megan Fox. With tattoos (often seen in Lucinda’s works), and this sexual identity I felt she should wear my garment. I used a similar structure of the crucifix with lace trim as a religious symbol. I also used a black background as a symbol of the anti Christ. Finally the light coming from behind makes ‘the Virgin Megan’ appears as an idol, like light itself, the gaze is focused on her.

I really like how this turned out, but for now I must go present this to the class.

But here are some photos of todays work… got some good shapes thats for sure.

I had alot of work to do on the piece but lucky for me, everything just flowed… pieces fit nice and sew well… Good sewing day

Its such an intense idea if you ask me, kind of scary in the sense that it is a huge idea that is intimidating for me (since i’m only just a beginner at the whole fashion designing thing). There are so many components and issues involved, I feel very small compared to what would have to be done to make my clothing sustainable.

Sustainability is intriguing… I find it fascinating and complicated. I sometimes think it would be cool to try using only organic/sustainable fibres and see what kind of garments I could make, or using only enviro-friendly dyes to make prints… but I constantly push it aside in favour of affordability, availability and aesthetic. I like the idea of being eco friendly but unless it becomes more readily available for me I don’t know if I could build a label on environmental sustainability.

However with the ethical side I get angry. I think it is so wrong to allow people to work under such horrendous conditions… whether they be the farmers of the fibre, seamstresses, production workers or retail staff… they deserve the right to have fair trade. I understand that in other countries things work differently. Laws, practices and occupations work with different standards but I think that the fashion industry has been responsible for enough damage and should look at eliminating un-ethical practices. The un-sustainable effects of this industry are irreversible but the opportunity for change is possible.

I believe one of the most important steps in ethical sustainability is awareness. I was not fully aware of the effects of the industry I am involved in. I was not fully aware of the damage being caused. I was not fully aware of the options open to me. I was not fully aware… but I was aware in a way. I think this is part of the problem; I have some knowledge of the issues but not enough to take action. People need to be educated; they need the knowledge to understand what is happening within the fashion industry. Education needs to go as far as to be provided to the smallest roles and the highest, it needs to be facts of what is really happening and how to fix it. Knowledge is so powerful. This assessment has made me realise what the issues really are, I have had the ability to research areas I am particularly interested in and I have been able to educate myself further so that I can make a carefully considered and valid choice of how I want to design. Now I know ethical problems are of a great concern to me and for my future. I definitely know I will choose carefully when I either decide to work for an establishment (I will see what their practices are) or start my own brand. Ethical fashion is just a logical choice, I would not settle for unacceptable conditions or workplace for myself so why should people who work for me have to be exposed to that.

If I come back to the environmental part of sustainability I have to add that i’m not opposed to using enviro friendly practices, actually I would love to use more organic fabrics and dyes. I have a vegan friend (Making reference to u Kar !!) who is very careful and upholds her beliefs to the smallest detail. Being around her has opened my eyes… I now check my fabrics carefully especially with possible leather or silk items… I choose the imitations. But now i’m thinking about this and there is issues with choosing the imitations because they can be just as damaging to the environment through use of chemicals and other things, so its kind of bad either way but least i’m helping the animals. But as a designer I like the idea of being eco-friendly except when I look at fabrics that will best display my design… those enviro fabrics aren’t there to choose from or just aren’t appropriate. This kind of leads me back to a past blog: is fashion limited aesthetically by sustainable practices/options, seems like a nice challenge for future projects! Also I come back to what was said earlier about what stops me going eco: affordability, availability and aesthetic! I’ve just explained why I have difficulty aesthetic wise, sometimes eco fabrics don’t match what I am designing or who i’m designing for. So far, i’ve notices most enviro-friendly brands cater to a specific customer and aesthetic. Affordability and availability are the other problems for me. Right now I am a poor uni student… I eat noodles and i’m always low on funds so when I shop for fabrics and items for my designing I choose what will be most cost effective as well as available. Most often I use fabrics I get from my grandma who gets them donated to her from her friends…. Waste not!!!

I understand that the sustainable option is there and that it is becoming very important for the industry. I want to get involved! I have started thinking about what I can and can’t do and who or what can help me get there. The research I have done into sustainability has allowed me to gain so much knowledge that will stay with me as I continue my career in the fashion industry.

References:

Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London college of Fashion. 2009. Fashioning an Ethical Industry. http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/?page_id=251 (Accessed August 16, 2010)

When I started this assignment I honestly thought I would have a lot of trouble deciding what I wanted to make and how. I could just see myself sitting for hours sketching and drawing and designing with no success… but this has actually come together very quickly. I like to think about my designs, consider my concept and experiment with toile’s and patterns but this time i’m just going for it. The scary thing is I honestly thought that I would never be putting pieces on the mannequin and having them to work first time round!To put it visually… this is what I have made… 

So what I have created is a dress with simple breast panels with a full, draped skirt made from the fabric of a dressing gown, lace trim and skirt lining. I have placed the breast, quilted section from the dressing gown on the hips so the darts create an emphasised hip. The front drape is the skirt of the dressing gown with the skirt lining as side drapes. The back of the dress is only a short skirt made from more of the robe. The front breast panels are more skirt lining that is gathered then lace ribbon placed over the top. I plan on adding a band going around the neck to hold the top up then another 4 branching off the back to hold the breast panels and the back of the skirt.The structure of the skirt really just developed from the fact I wanted draping and that I love the top idea. The top half of the skirt, or the breast panels, are something I always liked to design, I think the shape is very feminine and innocent but still naughty. The skirt was always going to be draped because it is something that both displays my concept and is a new skill for me to learn. This whole dress has broadened my horizons. I never imagined it would be so easy to make something, all the pieces just seemed to fit into place… I just worked them where I thought they would look good and above is what I produced.

One of the plus’s of my garment is the fact I’m making it out of op-shop items. I am reusing clothing items that would previously have been disposed of adding to the already damaging waste produced by the fashion industry. Second hand or op-shop garments are usually decent quality and can be altered easily to make into something completely new. By reusing and recycling/upcycling we can eliminate some of the waste, for now. The great thing about second hand, in my belief, is that it already has some history or a story… the marks, the wear and the wearer all played a part in the history of the garment. I think it makes it special in a way, to think what this garment has been through previously.The other areas of sustainability for me I think are the use of thread for sewing, if I wanted to go really sustainable I could find organic cotton thread knowing that it is more sustainable than ordinary thread. The ethical element of the piece is a little harder… since I’m the one constructing, designing and processing the garment the ethical treatment of workers is not really counted… unless you point out that I’m not getting paid for what I’m doing (lol), so unfair!But what I’m curious about is the construction of the garments I am using to make my new garment. The op-shop items I am using have no record of how they were constructed and what practices went into making them. Where they ethically made? Where the workers paid fairly and did they have decent working conditions? What exactly is the fabric? How was it made? There are so many questions! That is why I’m going to document exactly how this piece was constructed and what went into it:

FABRICS:                    Velvet                                  Antique Lace                          Sheer fabric ?

PREVIOUS STATE:   Dressing Gown                   Ribbon                                     Skirt Lining

QUALITY:                   Second hand                        Second Hand                          Second hand

NEW USE:                    Dress                            Top fabric of Bust                 Bust Lining/drape

FABRIC CONTENT: Acetate/Rayon/silk           Unknown                                 Unknown

CARE:                         Cool Handwash                   Cool Handwash                      Cool Handwash

                                        Do not Iron                          Do not Iron                             Do not Iron

                                     Don’t tumble dry              Don’t tumble dry                Don’t tumble dry

                                        Drycleanable                       Unknown                                 Unknown

The above details are what I can gather from the garments I have because they do not have labels (I’m assuming both the skirt and dressing gown were homemade). I have drawn my own care instructions based on what I think would be safest, especially since the final dress I have designed is quite delicate and would require a gentle handwash if necessary.My sustainable practices will be more important when I start producing more garments but for now it is a great place to start and learn what is good experience and knowledge for the future.

References:

Brandon. K. n/d. Fabric properties and Distinctions by textile fabric consultants, Inc: The luxury, the indulgence that is Velvet. http://www.fabrics.net/amyvelvet.asp (Accessed August 15, 2010)

The op-shop scrummage was the day the For us by us guys introduced the design brief. Later in the afternoon the Salvation army came with about 6 massive bags full of unsorted clothing donated to their stores. This clothing was pretty much all ours, whatever appealed to us, first in best dressed… was very funny to witness all these girls just digging through piles of dirty clothing and hugging it possessively to their chests. We were given only one task by the Salvo Manager, which was to create a new garment with anything from the op-shop bags in 30min… was supposed to be fun but it was more disorderly and annoying. I think all us fashion design girls are getting a bit more competitive and very stressed in concern to time limit, what i’m getting at is that working in groups to create a new garment in 30min equals a lot of arguing, annoyance and competitiveness. But also all we wished to do was to get started on our brief and examine the garments we had grabbed… we really didn’t have the time to be messing around. I do understand it was for fun, and it kind of was but we also are very passionate and eager to get into our assessments.Anyway my garments that I managed to pull out of the scrummage were ok but not really inspirational. I mainly focused on grabbing white shirts and basic colours and textures, I had already decided I wanted to incorporate velvet and lace into my final design and neither were anywhere in the op-shop bags provided. But I love actual second hand shopping, so I have a lot of items at home already. Soon as I travelled back to the Sunshine Coast that 1st weekend my mum, sister and I hit up the local op-shops to great success. I found a full length deep red velvet dressing-gown and a short lace shift dress. The colours complimented each other well so I was ecstatic. Other than those 2 items I also had an old black skirt which did not fit any longer so I removed the 2 panels of black sheer fabric which later became very useful.

I have some photos below of the velvet dressing-gown and the shift dress… please excuse the colour quality.

The following are the deconstruction of the dressing gown. I tried to keep as much of the panels in tact as possible because I want to work with the already made sections. I love the quilted section on the front breast area… its quite interesting and could become a design feature. There is a lot of fabric in the gown which also is a plus.

So far I think this is working out ok, i’m not that comfortable in the process of just constructing something on the mannequin but its definitely a learning experience. I’m much more comfortable with setting out a pattern and working piece by piece but its nice to try something a bit more free. ‘Be free’ Jane said, so im trying it out… in the designing sense

Designing is a very experimental process for me, I like to design and sketch as much as possible then take images or components I like and transfer them to more sketches… until I have a few art folios full. This time i’m going to try something a bit different. I have been sketching but I’m leaning away from the whole perfect design with an actual pattern clearly set out… I want to try something a bit more outside of my comfort zone. It’s funny because this has occurred over 1week, which I was told by the for us by us guys today.I’ll begin at the start. I have been designing for a few weeks, haven’t felt inspired, but I was very keen on the sheer/see-through idea with visible lingerie. I’ve always been really interested in trying to make lingerie. I think it is a very intimate and sexual garment that offers women a way to be sexy, stylish, simple, comfortable and very, very powerful in the art of seduction. Because I am also very interested in the power available to women through their sexuality and sensuality I feel it is a great area of fashion to experiment with. My designs, till about 5 days ago, revolved around the lingerie. I couldn’t wait to try making some sexy velvet underwear… but I wasn’t sure for some reason. I’ve had a lot of doubts about my designs lately, not being impressed by what I’m producing for unknown reasons (could be the fact I’m a perfectionist). But then came the religious figure idea.I had been playing with the ‘celebrity as a religious idol’ concept from Lucinda’s works. I liked how she believed that celebrities are looked up to and followed like a religious deity in this culture. Celebrities are so faulted though, so they are not the perfect religious symbol and that’s why I liked the idea of a tainted or trashy god. I thought about a nun’s habit and making it sheer so you could see suspenders and corseting or even a full robe and head dress with holes in it or very tightly cut. Lots of fun could be had. Unfortunately I can’t find any playful images but I found some great goddess style images even an illustration by Laura Laine which just captures the flow and beauty of a goddess style dress…

(Braukamper 2009)                                          (Sackda.fr 2009)                                                (Tetorka 2010)

These images I particularly like because of their structure and design. They show movement and luxury… they are a show; they speak of lush fabrics that fall down the body and are full of volume yet just hang loose to make them so complex. Both fitted or not, the goddess or Grecian style is designed for women of godly beauty such as Grace Kelly… I find this image one of my favourites

 (Macaulay 2009)

On Tuesday last week I spoke to Marc, from For Us by us, about how I was totally going to take the lingerie angle and that it meant this and that… but that was till Thursday. Marc Neighbour came to see how I was going with my designs and offered me some advice, Why not play with the shapes in the op-shop garments rather than just placing a pattern on it. So I began to look at shapes and parts of the velvet dressing-gown I have… and that was the end of the bra idea.

I have a few sketches of what I’m thinking…                                       (Vaughan 2008)

I’m liking the draping idea which is very reminiscent of the Greek Gods and Goddesses, Venus de Milo and the religious outfits of Christianity for example…

  (Nudity and Art n/d)                                   (YouGotJesus.com 2007)

The flow and drape of the garments is something I really link with religious idols and it is something I will definitely use in my design. By using luxurious fabrics… in this case second hand velvet and lace… I should hopefully be able to channel a godly theme.Today I did work on developing my idea by pinning some fabric to the mannequin… I was really surprised how each piece just seemed to fit how I wanted and I could construct something from nothing…

References:

Braukamper. T. 2009. Fashioning.com: Fashion Exposed: Tilley Row at Debut http://www.fashionising.com/clothing/b–Fashion-Exposed-Tilley-Row-at-Debut-1606.html (Accessed August 10, 2010)

Macaulay. C. 2009. My Modernity: Ladies – a bad thing?. http://blogit.colgate.edu/blogs/classes/S09/core152s/2009/03/ladies-a-bad-thing.html (Accessed August 10, 2010)

Nudity and Art. n/d. http://www.godartist.com/Exb/femme/thesis/Nude_art.htm (Accessed August 10, 2010)

Sackda.fr. 2009. Sackda’s Blog: Laura Laine. http://www.sackda.fr/2009/11/18/laura-laine/ (Accessed August 10, 2010)

Tetorka. E. 2010. Conde Nast store Blog: The Revolving Door: Goddess Style. http://blog.condenaststore.com/2010/02/16/goddess-style/ (Accessed August 10, 2010)

Vaughan. H. 2008. Worn through: Wow Factor. http://www.wornthrough.com/2008/07/24/wow-factor/ (Accessed August 10, 2010)

YouGotJesus.com. 2007. Jesus Images http://www.yougotjesus.com/jesus_images_8.htm (Accessed August 10, 2010)

I have thought about what angle I want to go with in concern to design. Lucinda displays her message that media exploits and exposes celebrities like a freak show by drawing celebs as circus freak show acts on a stage. Her images are hand drawn with velvet stages and wooden frames. The concept of celebrity as a religious figure is shown in a similar way but they are ruined/trashed stars drawn as religious people on crucifixes. From this I have thought about how I see celebrities. To me the media fully exposes stars; it shows everything even if it is lies… it’s as if the celeb is completely exposed for all to see like characters in a circus. This led to my idea that the garment I design could have an innocent exterior that is made of something sheer so u can see straight through to either the models body or underwear. This is to display the full exposure…. I have some images to explain what I mean

This drawing was a collaboration of a few sketches. I think the innocent fairytale type dress would be seen through with velvet underwear. It is similar to the image I researched of Courtney love. 

(Walker 2007-2010)

For some odd reason I think Courtney love is a great celebrity to show innocence in a really trashed and ruined way. I personally like the whole sheer, see through thing because I feel on a woman’s body it is very sensual and powerful to pull of the confidence to wear it. In this case it is more to indicate the stripping down for the sake of attention.

Other ideas I’ve had are based on the circus act… but I really haven’t been inspired. Found some great images though…

(Joanna 2010)

This shoot is gorgeous, so playful and elegant at the same time. Karne Elson (the model) really is beautiful. Her clothing is dramatic and showy yet simple and stunning. Luxurious fabrics and design are like a show, they are an act in fashion… this is what I want to design… something that is like a performance.

 I have been playing with maybe a Jodhpur style pants or play suit like a ring keeper but it doesn’t feel right! Here are a few more sketches:

The following are a photo shoot I really love. It plays on this idea of circus freak show using rather dark themes and characters. This also has garments that put on a show… great inspiration for me. I like this dark gothic theme on such a fun circus idea.

(Verburg n/d)

While this circus theme is good, its not my thing. I want to try something different so instead I’m working on the religious idol concept using the sheer idea and lots of draping…

Resources:

Joanna. 2010. Fashion Gone Rogue: Morning Beauty: Karen Elson by Steven Meisel. http://fashiongonerogue.com/morning-beauty-karen-elson-steven-meisel/ (accessed July 28, 2010)

 Quincampoix. M. 2009. Flair Modepass magazines: Circus Fashion Trend. (Accessed August 2, 2010)

  Verburg. J. n/d. Behance network: Buffalo Russian Circus editorial. http://www.behance.net/gallery/Buffalo-Russian-Circus-editorial/227097 (Accessed August 5, 2010)

Walker. M. 2007-2010. Melissa Walker: Guest Blog: Stephanie Kuehnert on fashion punks and pink hair. http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/2008/07/guest_blog_stephanie_kuehnert.html (accessed August 10, 2010)

1.  Gorman: (Fashion Review Blog 2007-10) Gorman is an Australia based clothing label that supports sustainable and eco friendly practices. Lisa Gorman (Designer) made a fully organic line in 2007 and is known for her enviro-friendly designs that are both eco conscious and aesthetically fashionable. Her styles are beautifully designed with interesting colours and prints that both use trends yet remain fully original and individual. She uses green production methods, has an environmental advisor, supports Friends of the Earth foundation and uses organic fibres. I believe Gorman really angles itself at a particular customer because the designs are very consistent and her store is set up in a way that displays the eco message, next to brands such as Zimmermann (in Brisbane). Her ability to combine her own stying with eco-conscious practices makes her quite inspiring.

 2.  Linda Loudermilk: (Linda Loudermilk n/d) Described by Elle magazine as “Vivienne Westwood of Eco”, Loudermilk combines luxurious, edgy and sexy with eco-friendly. I personally had never seen her designs but from what was written about her I expected really amazing stuff… was a little un-amazed. To get back to the basics, she uses organically sources fibres such as bamboo, corn and seaweed, as well as crapes and recycled goods. She tries to channel the ‘goodness’ of the earth’s natural being into her works. But despite the designs being different and ‘luxury’ they still have that ‘pieced together’ vibe. Her couture is beautiful and her other lines are just as interesting each being different and charismatic. 

3.  Mother Maria: (Mother Maria n/d) is another Australian brand designing for sustainability. Katie Gannon (designer) uses vintage, recycled, and organic cotton fabrics to create her one-off pieces that have an earthy and natural vibe yet are very feminine and girly. I personally like this aesthetic, I feel it really is glamorous and cute but also has a history behind each garment because of its pre-owned value. Using ethical methods of production, these garments are re-using history for a sustainable future… similar to my current project for Design studio.

These brands I feel each bring something different to the eco and ethical friendly fashion scene. All use different methods and design to their aesthetic but have an enviro-concious aim. One of the websites I found really useful was ‘Earth made me’, it sets out an excellent set of eco-friendly labels that they look for in designers and brands:

ORGANIC

Created using organic, pesticide-free ingredients

REBORN

Contains reclaimed, recycled or repurposed materials

EARTH FRIENDLY

Created using sustainable or biodegradable materials

FAIRTRADE

Promotes the payment of fair price and good social and environmental standards

HANDCRAFTED

Made by hand

LOCAL

Created in our local community

CRUELTY FREE

No animal testing is used in the manufacturing process

ENLIGHTENING

Raises awareness of or educates in environmental or social issues

(Earth made me 2009)

I think design and aesthetic can definitely be part of sustainable fashion. You’re only limited by how creative you can be as an individual. I’m seeing this for myself now as I start thinking how I can make a simple velvet dressing gown into something elegant, sensual and creative. But this is to be discussed next… till then

References:

Earth made me. 2009. Philosophy. http://www.earthmademe.com.au/philosophy.html (Accessed August 8, 2010)

Fashion Review Blog – Fashion Designers, Labels & Brands. 2007-10. Gorman: Sustainable clothing and fashion label. http://www.fashionreview.com.au/gorman-clothing/ (Accessed August 9, 2010)

Linda Loudermilk. n/d. http://www.lindaloudermilk.com/loudermilkinc.html (Accessed August 8, 2010)

Mother Maria. n/d. http://www.mothermaria.com.au/our%20story.html (Accessed August 9, 2010)

Images: 

Gorman: Concrete and Honey. 2009. Concrete and Honey: Organic Gorman.  http://concretehoney.blogspot.com/2009/03/organic-gorman.html (Accessed August 9, 2010)

LouderMilk: The liveeco team. 2009. Live Eco: Eco Luxury from Linda Loudermilk. http://www.liveeco.co.za/?m=5&idkey=1129(Accessed August 9, 2010)

Mother Maria: Klein. V. 2010. Mother Maria Brings Eco-Fashion to Australia (By Way of Paris). http://www.ecouterre.com/17448/mother-maria-brings-eco-fashion-to-australia-by-way-of-paris/(Accessed August 9, 2010)