A Slow Wardrobe
Malta’s country coordinator for the Fashion Revolution movement, Tammy Fenech, explains how the slow fashion movement is gaining momentum and lists some brands that are effectively contributing to the shift away from fast fashion.
Words by: Tammy Fenech
Moving and functioning at a fast pace in life is considered to be somewhat normal in today’s speedy world. From the moment we wake up in the morning, our busy to-do list is something that the majority of society tends to get some kind of self-gratification from.
We are made to believe that if we do not operate in a speedy manner, we will be unable to achieve the demands of that never-ending to-do list. Ultimately, deeming us with an overall unsuccessful day.
This way of life has also been transferred to the way in which we consume goods. When it comes to the fashion industry, this is no different. Changing items in our wardrobe on a very regular basis has become part of our modern day culture.
The faster and the more we consume, then the more stylish we believe we can be, considering the vast amount of items that our wardrobe ends up with. Slow fashion is the antithesis to this very idea. Inspired by the slow-food movement, it promotes the idea that “less is more” while also encouraging consumers to aspire for a more minimal approach to fashion.
By consuming fashion in a more curated way, the slow fashion movement believes that consumers would automatically value their clothes in a different way, allowing for a longer lasting wardrobe that also engages in more creative stylish outcomes.
Today, the slow fashion movement is ironically gaining fast momentum. Not only are independent designers engaging in more creative ways of aligning with slow fashion ideals, but mainstream brands like Monsoon are also embracing the movement more and more.
Through their artisan roots, Monsoon has always promoted the idea of quality over quantity while inspiring their customers to connect with the value of the clothing that they purchase through their transparent communication. All in all, consumers nowadays are given more opportunities to buy into the movement and to engage in the belief that less is indeed more.
Here we will take a look at four different brands that are considered to be in line with the slow fashion movement, hoping to open you up to more possibilities of connecting with the concept:
Anekdot Boutique
Based in: Berlin
Brand Type: Lingerie & swimwear
Price Range: €€
Slow Factors: Slowing down material flow & generating higher value for consumers
Website: www.anekdotboutique.com
Brand Ethos: Anekdot Boutique is a Berlin-based brand that aims in slowing down the material flow in the fashion industry. By sourcing fabrics from production leftovers, end of line rolls, off-cuts, ‘dead stock’ and vintage trimmings from factories all around Europe, the brand focuses on up-cycling these materials that are otherwise destined for the landfill, into high-quality pieces.
By designing all pieces based on the material that has been sourced, the brand naturally focuses on small batch productions, while also allowing to give each piece the handcrafted attention that is needed to have a high-quality outcome. Contributing to the element of one-of-a-kind pieces, consumers are automatically instilled with a sense of higher value with each purchase made.
Matt & Nat
Based in: Canada (available in Europe)
Brand Type: Accessories & Footwear
Price Range: €€
Slow Factors: Material Diversity & Timeless design
Website: www. mattandnat.com
Brand Ethos: Matt & Nat is a Montreal based brand that focuses on exploring the synergy between materials and nature, being inspired by its textures and hues and ways on how to better protect it. By committing to not using leather or any other animal-based materials, the brand is contributing to slowing down the high demand for leather, while constantly exploring new innovative ways to remain sustainable and eco-friendly.
In experimenting with different, creative, and already existing recycled materials like recycled nylons, cardboard, cork, plastic bottles and, more recently, bicycle tyres, Matt & Nat are clear contributors to slowing down material flows within the fashion industry. Through their timeless designs, the brand also facilitates consumers in slowing down their wardrobe intake by providing designs that can be passed down from generation to generation; ideally never going out of “fashion”. OH, and for all the Vegans out there, Matt & Nat are vegan certified!
Norrfolks
Based in: Sweden
Brand Type: Jewellery
Price Range: €€€
Slow Factors: Slowing down the demand for mined diamonds and the material flow of gold
Website: www.norrfolks.com
Brand Ethos: Norrfolks believes in producing jewellery that is in balance with Mother Nature. On a mission to change an out-dated industry, the brand uses the power of green technology merged with exceptional craftsmanship to create favourite jewellery essentials in the most responsible way.
Not only does the brand use recycled gold sourced from consumer waste – which automatically slows down the material flow of the yellow precious metal – but it also innovatively uses modern technology that allows growing real diamonds sustainably and responsibly in a controlled laboratory above the ground. Having an identical DNA as mined diamonds, their lab-grown diamonds are ultimately conflict-free, certified and come without any ethical and environmental issues surrounding traditional diamond mining.
All in all, this innovative brand aims in creating a new normal for the industry through its unique slow approach while allowing consumers to generate a more distinctive value with each purchase.
Silent Goods
Based in: United Kingdom
Brand Type: Bags & Accessories
Price Range: €€€
Slow Factors: Lifetime warranty & conscious materials
Website: www.silentgoods.com
Brand Ethos: Paying close attention to the materials chosen, Silent Goods creates premium leather pieces made from organically farmed and plant-extract tanned Swedish cowhide leather that is exclusively locally sourced from just 3 farms in the region. By creating a new standard of luxury, the brand’s mission is to generate genuine value in the product that is sold and bought – aiming to “make the best bags, not the best brand.”
So much so, that you will never find a label or a logo on their creations, giving customers the opportunity to choose pieces for what they are and how they are made, instead of for the actual brand itself. Unique to their business model that works hand-in-hand with the idea of genuine value, is their goal to make things that will not be discarded.
Facilitated through a lifetime warranty, all designs are based on a modular nature that allows for each component to be individually repaired. While the natural leather will endure for generations as it only improves over time, you’re sure to keep their creations for a lifetime.
While the Slow Fashion movement is becoming more widespread, its ultimate power primarily lies in the hands of the consumer. By choosing what and what not to purchase, we, as consumers have the ability to cast a vote in our world. By understanding this very power that sees fashion as an investment rather than another means of consumption, we have the capacity to alter the speed at which we fill our wardrobes. The influence is in our control.
