Fast fashion has become and environmental and economic crisis worldwide, yet the issues have been silenced by those highest to protect themselves from financial instability. Corporations have moved their factories overseas to developing countries that have lower minimum wages and competitive material costs to maximise their personal profits and continue to relocate to achieve the maximum potential income for there companies. Over time, mandatory costs are increasing and as a result, employees at the factories are being placed in unsafe situations receiving severely low wages in order to obtain work.

From the environmental aspect of the movement, the creation of the garments produces toxic materials that are resealed into the air and water flow that we all rely on for our existence. Waste clothing fills our man made land wholes that we burry beneath in order to hide the consequences of our actions. Although much of the economy feels undeserving of the blame, everyone who purchases from the brands contributes to the issue at large.

In 2016, the domestic market value of the fashion industry was 66 billion pounds with an employment rate of 555,000 people, with only 39,000 working in the manufacturing business. The statistics demonstrate the lack of national support to locally sourced materials and production due to the higher living standards, and by doing so we have lost a huge industry for both employment and investment.

Missoni produces quality products that offer employees a fair wage, exemplary working conditions and produce all materials within their own factory using sustainable methods. Although the brand now works along side other companies, they have kept a solid foundation within its structure and still are very much a family business. The principles Missoni follow are ethical and viable to its environment, support local workers and help develop Italy’s constantly progressive economy.

Neutro translates to natural in Italian, and finds its purpose as a logical resolution to a problem becoming undeniably hard to ignore. The second hand market is becoming increasingly valuable to youth who are rediscovering a garments life after its previous consumers have lost interest with it. The reselling community such as Depop and Ebay have opened up the possibility for individuals to own something that they would not have had the possibility to own/wear before. This new market has not be targeted by an already existing fashion brand, however I feel it will be essential for all brands to be able to adapt for this feature in the coming years.

Neutro rehabilitates valuable second hand items, taking them into local workshops where they can be transformed into other garments or repaired and resold. The cost of my brand will be around 20-100 pounds depending on the item and will be relabelled as its own brand. This production will hopefully encourage the recycling of materials within the western culture and provide a number of employment opportunities for local staff. Inspired by the future generations and there innovative approach to progressive fashion, Neutro hopes to provide its customers with quality garments at a reasonable price while using sustainable production methods and increasing jobs in the manufacturing business.

My spread:

final lookbook missoni final -199wu53

After research int the affects of fast fashion, I want to use sustainability as my trend and explore how many ways I can create different methods of renewable clothing.  My first shoot was based on uniform and creating durable clothing. 

Tied to the aesthetic innovation and technical invention that have always changed the identity of knitwear, Missoni is one of the best known, loved and recognized fashion and design brands in the world. Missoni style is the result of a partnership between two people. In 1953 Ottavio and Rosita decided to set up a knitwear business, and were soon at the cutting edge of Italian fashion. Missoni inaugurated and affirmed an unmistakable way of dressing and living: with a colorful “put-together” of zigzag motifs, stripes, waves and slub yarns in a patchwork of geometric and floral jacquard. The couple started a family and their children Vittorio, Luca and Angela, the brand’s creative director since 1996, grew up in direct contact with their parents’ work. Closely involved with the business, they took on increasingly responsible roles, becoming co-creators in a project that continues to seduce and excite today. Missoni is now one of the best representatives of Italian fashion and design excellence around the world. With its pioneering multicolored aesthetic vision, it continues to influence the contemporary lifestyle, thanks also to the success of the Missoni Home line.

Fresh of the New Gen program, Marta Jakubowski, a polish designer has already proved she has the potential to progress into a rising designer. Her experience interning for Alexander Wang has positively created sportswear vibes into her designs, and freedom of movement in her work that I am really excited to explore.

So far in my research into Marta Jakubowski, I have discovered many interesting inspirations that lead her to her final looks. Her connection to hospitals as a child have really clear conceptual ideas flowing within her style, I love the idea of uniform and referencing to the prison system, something I am very much interested in myself. When looking into my theme for a mega trend, much of my research lead me to the idea of exploring the prison system and how this could be improved and explored through artistic mediums in the same way that she has. The fitting and stretch of the fabrics across the models bodies give an element of comfort combined with the idea of elegance, like how uniforms function is practicality combined with professional appearance.

Comme Des Garcons was founded by Rei Kawakubo in 1969, and satisfies its purpose as the exception to the rule in the fashion industry. In a world where genders are separated to such extremes, Kawakubo cultural surroundings have given her the ability to see past these barriers that stand tall in the western world, and encapsulate a modern woman. ‘Like Boys’ translated in English, Initially started out with just one womenswear collection, but due to its innovative approach has expanded into nearly twenty separate lines that include menswear and fragrance but more acclaimed, their collaborations such as Play Comme Des Garcons X converse which instantly became an international success back in 2009. Most recently, the company has taken on new sub brand by designer Gosha Rubchinskiy that deals with themes of the struggling youth culture in modern day post soviet Russia. Come Des Garcons is Co owned by Rei’s husband Adrian Joffe, and together they have expanded its status to an universally renowned fashion label, and together have launched number of international stores such as their London based Dover Street Market. 

I have chosen Comme Des Garcons for its unique approach to design and its immense impact it has on both international fashion and art. Red Kawakubo’s designs cannot be compared to any other designer; In an interview for The New Yorker in 2005, Kawakubo stated

“I never intended to start a revolution,” .. “I only came to Paris with the intention of showing what I thought was strong and beautiful. It just so happened that my notion was different from everybody else’s”.

“…Rubchinsky has dealt with themes of youth culture struggling in post Soviet, modern-day Russia and this time, there’s a more solitary outlook that more or less translates to the soulful sportswear that we have seen from previous seasons.”

Source: http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/6925/1/gosha-rubchinsky-a-w-10-11

Gosha Rubchinskiy has taken his influence from observing and studying his countries history and allowed a developed understanding into its current state and produced a beautiful brand that embodies this. The unique movement has created an entirely new style born from a period of great depression that has inspired the fashion world on a great scale; the idea has become merged with the western state scene and the trends are spreading into all subcultures, however the designer wants its market to understand the brand values and what it is a product of, not just a fashion piece.

The Tate have successfully curated a mind blowing exhibition that celebrates Rauschenberg’s six decades of contribution as an artist; his death in 2008 triggered a much needed reminisce of his donation to the arts and preeforamnce industry. Becoming surrounded by so much influential work from one life allowed the audience to become observers and educated its them on the possibility of everyday objects refining its culture. Much of his work references the streets of New York, an area where he spend much of his time as a growing artist and one that became extremely influential to himself.

What stood out most to its viewers was his comprehensive ability to explore mediums in his work. From framed drawings that  have been rubbed out and paper that bears its scars, to a stuffed goat placed on top of a horizontal painting, Raschenburg has explored every aspect that he possibly could to define his take on Americas growing society. His work gets its term ‘Combine’ from his technique of bringing together paint with sculpture, collage, drawing, layering, documenting and making us question what are these preconceived notions and can these be changed.

A number of reviewers have commented what works about his unconventional approach is his refusal to accepted the conventional standards of what is and isn’t art; this constant need to find new ways to establish a message is what has given him a status of one of the greatest dominating artist of the century.

The venue chosen to house the Chanel ID project was an unlikely location for a installation, behind a successful multi-storey nightclub that I often visit myself, however a contemporary one. Being unaware of the artist who designed it, my drive to go was based on its sensory aspect, one that I have not been exposed to before. ID Magazine had united with Chanel and commissioned Es Devlin to produce a space that responded to her take on the perfume, and give its audience the change to freely come and explore her creation.

With a brief of “‘you can create anything you like as long as it has something to do with scent’,” says Devlin, She chose to explore the way that scent can be a way of recollecting past events. There are four rooms to the project, the first a video created by the artist that explores her inspiration for designing the maze, about reflection, angles and questions.

‘Devlin says the maze was inspired by her experience of being backstage at stadiums. “It’s really an expression of how I feel when I’m wandering around backstage trying to find my way, often on the phone, and realising I’ve gotten entirely disorientated,” she says.’  Quoted from a blog review

Within the maze, small rooms were found with surrounding screens that projected videos that encapsulated many aspects of life, from news to her family to the streets of London.

Finally I entered a concrete room filled with red light and constant scent filling the space. The artist had her own Chanel scent created by the head of Chanel scent for the project and you could only purchase it during the five days the exhibition was held on. “ It’ll only exist in the memories of anyone who bothered to come to Peckham [to see the installation]”.

“Hopefully when you walk into that space with the water and the very personal footage, which is all from my own batch of memories … you have that sensation of remembered things,”

The essence of the instillation provides you with a sense of nostalgia; she validates her life, personal memories, key events and everyday components and created a scent inspired by these aspects that will allow its viewer to feel a sense of nostalgia of her own life.