https://www.satellitejune.com/
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In this post, we'll try to explain why it shouldn't be anything other than hopeful and inspiring. The way we see it, circularity is the next, very important, step forward to a sustainable fashion future.
Circular fashion choices are basically next level sustainable fashion choices. In short; Sustainability focuses on the use of materials that are not harmful for the environment. Circular fashion is made from what is already there and then keeping these materials in a circular textile loop (so no new waste will be created either). Circularity is focused on solving fashion waste issues which resulted from the lineair take & make system.
This is much needed because we all know by now the enormous pressure fashion waste is putting on our planet and the people who live in places this landfill ends up. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truckload of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.
Let's take a deep dive, with a little case study of one of the circular items in our collection; the Bobby jumper.
To make this gorgeous raspberry red knitted jumper we collaborated with local circular fashion pioneer Loop.a.Life.This company managed to create a stream to work with the garments, which are thrown away in textile bins, in North Holland. These worn and discarded garments are collected, sorted, and then mechanically recycled into new high-quality yarns.
We fell in love with their beautiful 70% post-consumer recycled cotton/ 30% Tencel yarn. So yes, for the yarn of this jumper 30% Tencel was added for strength and softness. In theory, this is a newly made sustainable fabric, not circular. At this moment we still felt this was a great option. The fashion industry is one of the major contributors to plastic microfibres entering our oceans. Therefore we only want to work with natural fibers. Tencel is natural, recyclable, and biodegradable. And we did understand from Loop.a.Life that in the meantime they also manage to make 100% recycled yarns of high quality, so coming up next ;)
If we are very honest this first zero waste jumper also has zero margins for us as a company. This means that to develop this stream of our collection further investments and new developments in the industry are needed but you have to start somewhere right? And we truly believe that people proudly wearing this jumper because it's pretty and because they like to share the circular story behind it can result in a snowball effect - where more people get inspired to choose circular and join to close the loop together.
One more very important thing about circular fashion we would like to add. Future-proof fashion development can never exist without respect for craftsmanship. We do see more and more sustainability and circularity claims but are often missing information about where, by whom, and under which conditions, these garments are made (too cheap to be true but also no information = alarm bells!). We believe a garment can not be sustainable or circular when it isn't produced in a fair manner. So choose circular fashion that is made by people earning a fair living wage in a safe and respectful work environment.
]]>Dominic Sluiter and Olga Vokalova are the founders of a rather clever 3D sampling company. They are currently investigating how they can make their innovative technique available for smaller studios, like CharlieMary. We are happy to work on this pilot together and curious what the official name of their imperium will be. We had the chance to catch up with Dominic.
What are you most proud of in your work?
To be honest, at this very moment it is hard to be working in the fashion industry and feel a sense of pride. For way too long the fashion industry has been about more, cheaper and faster. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry on earth and responsible for so much waste…I would like to be able to say: I work in the fashion industry AND are really proud of it.
3d sampling makes it possible to sample much more efficiently and I feel blessed to be working on this ever-evolving technology. We keep making things better. It makes me happy and proud to be able to give access to this digital innovation to people who are not that technological savvy. 3D sampling requires a rather complex way of thinking about design, but with our tool, we make it easy to apply (and help people save lots of time).
What does your dream future in the fashion industry look like?
I dream of a fashion industry where craftsmanship is celebrated. Where a new generation of makers is consciously producing more digitally: they sell before they make, so there is hardly any waste. We get rid of the sale season and stop working on seasonal collections. The value is in the product and no longer in stock or worse: in the brands behind the product. Eventually, I would love to build a platform where a customer can just order one, unique fashion item.
If you could change two things about the fashion industry tomorrow, what would they be?
To make a clearer separation between the two leadings crafts in the industry: A producer really gets to focus on production. And by that, I mean the development of better materials, better production methods and stay up to date on the latest innovations. That way the producer becomes a real production expert, the source of information where designers can find the answer to all their production questions. Then designers can focus on great designs and good products. The designer can truly focus on making something that lasts – knowing that their producer really knows how to produce in the very best way.
What does your favourite Slowdown Sunday look like?
That is a day without a plan. With no agenda. The best days are the days when you don’t know in advance how they will end.
]]>Slowing down is often easier said than done. That's why we like to get inspired by women around us on how they manage and/ or juggle to keep the balance. This month we had a nice chat with Florine Duif, mother of 3 children, founder of The Mompany, designer of meditation pillows and author of the book Moeder Genoeg (Mother Enough). Dive in for Florine's Slow Living hacks and get inspired by her love for (Sustainable) Fashion.
What does a day in the life of Florine look like?
Every day is different, but the first thing that comes to mind is Mompany. A company I started in 2017 and am very passionate about. Secondly, I guide people in writing intuitive letters, which is extremely satisfying, I design meditation pillows and of course, there is my family.
In everything I do, I hope to give women more self-confidence. I hope to find a way for every woman to show on the outside how they feel on the inside, radiating confidence.
Also I am such a fan of Joy Dressing. After a year of being home and wearing so much neutral, the shift towards clothing that’s bright, colourful and literally sparks joy feels only natural.
I currently also feel like I’m at the start of a turning point and it’s time to slow down a little.
What does a day of ‘doing nothing’ look like for you?
Being away from Social Media. I truly love the community and I have had the most amazing conversations with so many different people because of social media. But I’m ready for some more inward movement. I will probably take a few months in the new year to do exactly that.
What role does fashion play in your life?
To me, fashion has always been a way to express myself. Back in the day I never wanted to participate in current trends. But I will admit I have always been intrigued by Anna Wintour.
I adore the way she ties her work to her appearance and expression. I think it makes her very authentic. She may seem cool on the outside but I really believe she is actually full of humour. So on one side clothing is protection, almost like a mask, and on the other side, it's a great tool of expression. I will always wonder what the motivation behind fashion decisions are for different people. Look at Steve Jobs, easily identifiable with his black turtleneck. It was almost a part of his identity. I'm inspired by so many but some worthy names include Iris Apfel, Oumayma Elboumeshouli, Grece Ghanem and last but not least Lydia Tsegay from Femmblk.
Look at this last year and a half, I think I’m not alone when I say I spent most of my time in my sweatpants, this is definitely why Joy Dressing has become so interesting to me. In the past year, I learned that I experience so much happiness when I dress in clothes that I love.
With the experience the last year or so has given us, I think it is so important to find things that you enjoy. For me, that's fashion.
What is it about fashion that intrigues you so?
At this point in time, the change that is happening in Fashion is very interesting. Mass consumption has been so “normal” to so many. But there is a shift, a sustainable shift. The clothes are still fun and fashionable, just not as harmful to our environment.
I really focus on where my clothes come from and how they became those cool pieces of clothing. Sustainability plays an important role in my choice of where to shop.
The kind of styles I'm looking for when shopping varies per season. Right now I love a statement shoulder, which I can find in a thrift store too. I just love clothes with a story and usability as well as wearability are a must!
We’d love to hear your tips or maybe even a golden rule for slower living?
I think this is very personal. For me, I need to be less ‘out there’ to slow down. And I’m not just talking about social media, but every part of life asks you to be ‘out there’. So, to slow down I try to enjoy the little things, the simple things. I used to have such big dreams and now I notice myself wondering why. I know it’s because of a lack of abundance in my youth. I felt the need to prove to myself that I could have all the money and all the success. Now I realise how valuable the little things are. I feel privileged to have discovered this and I understand it’s not for everyone.
I worked so hard for so long and sometimes I wonder whether it was all worth it. But then I think back to that time and I just feel content. I actually did all that, why shouldn’t I slow down a bit? It has made me appreciate life so much. I think everyone has some life lessons to learn, whether you want to or not and I feel I have certainly learned some of the ones that were put on my plate.
We want to thank Florine for this wonderful chat, we feel instantly inspired and hope you do too! Want to follow Florine in all her future endeavours? Head to her Instagram here.
Feeling inspired to 'Joydress' ? Our Slowdown Collection will not disappoint.
]]>Image: Harmen de Jong for Het Parool (Anna is wearing our Rosa top in blue)
Anna Gimbrère is one of our favourite women on Dutch tv right now. She keeps herself very busy with making tv shows about science and we love that. Everything she sets her mind to has a purpose, with the main goal to make science more popular and relatable for everyone. We are big fans and so we loved seeing her wearing some of our pieces in the past few months. As we were very curious about her vision on Fashion we jumped on a call with Anna - and asked her about how she slows down on her Sundays too.
What role does fashion have in your life?
I love trying new things. I have been exploring so many different styles and I enjoy having a lot of different outings in what I wear. I loved experimenting with my style and outfits as a teenager and I still really enjoy the flexibility of it. Clothing changes how the world perceives you, so when I get dressed for tv or a party I ask myself: “who do I want to be today?”. Now that I am on television my style has become more subtle because I want to be taken seriously as a journalist. Also, the scope of brands I buy has shrunk because I only buy or rent sustainable and ethical brands now.
Has being on TV changed your sense of fashion?
Absolutely. I definitely spend more time thinking about how my clothing will be perceived by the audience. I’ll dress completely different when it’s a show for kids than when it’s an evening talk show. And you know what, I even swore never to wear a bathing suit on TV, because I didn’t want to sexualize myself on tv like that. But then this past summer, I had to do an experiment in the water for a show for teenagers, it was warm and it made the most sense to wear a bathing suit to shoot the scene. And so I did and I actually felt quite like a badass at that moment! Like, I really did that and did not care!
You’ve mentioned to us before that you only shop ethically responsible brands, can you explain to us why that is important to you?
I’ve always been concerned about how we treat our planet and what we do to protect it. And I feel that currently how we consume is hurting the planet way too much. Unfortunately, a big part of that is fashion. I feel a great responsibility to choose a better future for our environment. There may not be many ways for us as individuals to help, but fashion is certainly one of them. Fashion is an enormous polluter, so I hope more brands will shift to sustainable production like CharlieMary, while keeping their designs fashion-forward and unique. I feel that, as a tv host, I have to give the right example. So I try to rent more than I buy and only buy from ethical brands.
You have so many big ideas, we love to hear them. So, let’s say tomorrow you wake up and you can change two things in the world, what would they be?
First off, the capitalist system, with big companies only making more money for their shareholders and being able to pollute the planet, without taking responsibility. I think system changes are vital! Right now people make a stupid amount of money while destroying the planet and that is really something I would want to change. If we attached more value to the planet and less value to money, I think society will have a bright future ahead. We could do that by giving rights to nature and being able to sue the ones that take advantage of it. Like an ecocide-law or simply giving rights to rivers and forests.
So that’s number one, then my second big change would be the amount of trash we produce. We put so much pressure on nature. There isn’t much time left to change our ways, once biodiversity is gone or lessened it is extremely hard to get it back. So I would definitely change our relationship with nature for the better. I think we can start by putting taxes on any form of pollution, like CO2 and plastic, but also oil spills. That would give companies an incentive to start designing better and cleaner products.
We love your energy, and it has made us extremely curious what your Sunday would look like with no plans, your Slow Sunday?
Well... I love the morning, but I also love to sleep. So if I do get a good night sleep, I get up happy, fresh and early and will go for coffee and a croissant with my boyfriend. While munching we read the newspaper together and fill in the Crypto in the NRC. We love a good puzzle! He is a nerd too. Then I would like to enjoy the outdoors, for a walk, a bike ride, as long as I’m outside. After which, of course, I finish the day with wine and some friends. If I’m not too tired I’ll also watch a comedy, my all-time favourite is Anchorman. I’m not sure if this is considered a Slow Sunday, but it’s definitely my favourite kind of Sunday!
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