If You Enjoy Farm-to-Table Dining, You Should Research Farm-to-Runway Fashion
On the surface farmers and fashion lovers might seem an unlikely combination but at the Guelph Organic Conference held in late January, the Farm to Fashion Runway panel, made connecting farming to sustainable and ethical fashion its priority.
The panel of three included Jennifer Osborn of Upper Canada Fibreshed and AllSorts Acre for her insight on farming practice and how it pertains to growing fibres for clothing; Deborah Livingston-Lowe from Upper Canada Weaving who gave a weavers perspective on ethical and environmental barriers. And Peggy Sue Deaven-Smiltnieks from Peggy Sue Collection, who discussed the challenges of sourcing local raw materials and sustainable fashion. All her pieces are composed of North American fibers.
Together the three presented a compelling case on why we don’t always have to compromise ethics and sustainability when it comes to our dress. Consumers can choose to pick something that’s ethically produced and attractive.
“Consume only out of need, and treat your purchase as an investment,” said Deaven-Smiltnieks when advising people on how to shop smart. She said consumers have gotten too used to tossing out clothes every season and have forgotten about the longevity of their garments.
The rise in popularity of “capsule collection” challenges which makes repeat wearing of clothes less of a fashion faux pas is helping.
So is ‘repair culture,’ one of Livingstone-Lowe’s favourite topics and something she touched on when talking about her own “OOTD.”
“[I’m wearing] A Gap linen shirt that I bought probably in the 80s and I wore it for so long that the back ripped out,” said Livingstone-Lowe. “So I sewed on some linen fabric. I also have an old pair of Penman’s jeans with a patch. I’ve been inspired by this whole repair culture.”
By repairing her clothes, Livingstone-Lowe says she was able to reinvent her favourite items while making the most of what she already owns.
Osborn of Upper Canada Fibreshed said she’s always had a love for animals and her philosophy in raising them revolves around keeping them happy. Osborn specializes in felt items that use wool from her own farm. She believes it’s crucial to keep her sheep healthy and stress-free. That means if you care even remotely about cruelty to animals, and have say embraced vegetarianism, you should be even more interested in sustainable fashion.
By using non-woven natural fibre with no chemicals, she creates pieces that are unique and essentially “contained chaos.”
Alternative materials is another popular topic in the sustainable fashion industry said Osborn. “These days we also have Alpaca, which is kind of our substitute for Merino because Merino sheep are very hard to raise. They are a hot, dry sheep and better in the west… and no matter what anyone says it’s not hot and dry here.”
Sustainable fashion allows people from each part of the cycle to be connected and it also acknowledges that it takes more than just one designer to complete one piece of clothing. It’s about time we started giving credit where credit is due by recognizing that some of our favourite outfits are actually a large team effort.
Deaven-Smiltnieks said sustainable fashion helps people appreciate the process and the people behind it.
“When you see the lives of the people you love being honoured and being appreciated and validated, then as an artist it feels like you might actually be doing something that’s worthy. Fashion just for the sake of fashion is pretty worthless after a while,” she said.
And she’s right, as much as we all adore fashion, it’s time we realize that our favourite clothes come at a bigger cost than just the price tag. That’s why “conscious consumerism,” is becoming such a buzz word. When people are taken through the supply chain process from field to runway, it proves to people that they can be part of the industry and they can help change it.
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