WARDROBE CRISIS is a fashion podcast about sustainability, ethical fashion and making a difference in the world. Your host is author and journalist Clare Press, who was the first ever Vogue sustainability editor. Each week, we bring you insightful interviews from the global fashion change makers, industry insiders, activists, artists, designers and scientists who are shaping fashion's future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 12, 2024
Happy Secondhand September! Six years ago Oxfam UK came up with the idea of using September to encourage people to: "Shop second hand to take a stance against fast fashion and dress for a fairer world." They say it's a moment to come together “to choose a more planet-friendly way to shop, and dress for the world you want to see."How does preloved help with that? We all know that fashion waste is a problem, that new clothing and textile production is a serious contributor to the climate crisis. According to ThredUp, if every consumer bought just one this year secondhand garment instead of a new one, it would he like equal to taking 76 million cars off the road for a day.Plus by shopping with Oxfam, and other charity shops, you’re investing in the vital work in local communities.This week Clare sits down with mega multi-tasker Eunice Olumide MBE - model, environmentalist, broadcaster, DJ, author, curator now filmmaker (phew!) - ahead of Oxfam’s London Fashion Week show, to discuss thrifting, her new documentary about the history of British hip hop, moving beyond performative activism, and the challenges of championing secondhand in a world still dominated by the business model of new...Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspressTHANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:25
Sep 04, 2024
Fashion month is about to kick off again, with all eyes on New York, London, Milan and Paris. But the obsession with the so-called fashion capitals has long seemed out of touch. Yes, that's where the money is (well, Paris is anyway), but in our globalised world, there are many more fashion capitals that should not be overlooked. There are fashion weeks all over the place, all year round. But while Lagos, Melbourne, Berlin and Copenhagen deserve their place in the fashion spotlight, what happens when you're well off the beaten fashion track?East Arnhem Land, for example...These days, rising Australian fashion star Liandra Gaykamangu calls Darwin home, but that's the big smoke compared to where she grew up in Milingimbi (Yurruwi) in the Crocodile Islands - albeit with a sojourn to the Wollongong surf coast. Now her print-led namesake brand is making waves in fancy places. This mum of three used to be a high school teacher and her fashion-forward design is winning her prizes.A beautiful, far-reaching conversation the covers a lot of ground, from creative life in Australia's remote north, caring for County, and tuning into nature (what are the frogs telling you?) to mentoring nex gen Indigenous entrepreneurs, and what it takes to break through when you're outside of circles of power.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspressTHANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:41
Aug 28, 2024
#underconsumptioncore is a thing! For this episode, we’re in London visiting British journalist Tiffanie Darke to talk about her viral wardrobe challenge, The Rule of Five. She’s also got a new book coming out in the US. What to Wear and Why, Your Guilt-Free Guide to Sustainable Fashion promises to get you "rethinking what clothes we buy, wear, and toss out, knowing that we can have a positive environmental impact while still looking good and dressing well”.It was during the pandemic, when Tiffanie was working at Harrod's, as the editor of that famed luxury department store's magazine, when she had a revelation. Mindless shopping felt meaningless.Then she read a shocking report by the Hot or Cool Institute - Unfit, Unfashionable, Unfair revealed that if we're serious about climate action, those of us in the global north/rich countries are going to have to have to drastically reduce our consumption. Of everything! So how much new fashion is sustainable if we want to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees? Buying just five new garments a year. Yikes!This is the story of how one woman set out to do that, and catalysed a movement along the way. Also up for discussion, who’s to blame for the mess we find ourselves in? Could it be Gen X, those formerly hedonistic Cool Britannia types? After all, they were the first fast fashion fans…Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspressTHANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:52
Aug 21, 2024
Welcome to the last of our Copenhagen Fashion Week interviews (if you missed the previous Eps, do go back & take a listen).This one is refreshingly honest conversation with Danish knitwear designer Amalie Røge Hove about her much-loved label, A. Roege Hove, and the ups and downs of being an independent fashion business.Widely celebrated as the next big thing, for the past few years A. Roege Hove was a CPHFW highlight. But last season, Amalie was not on the schedule, although her brilliant work was part of the Ganni NEWTALENT platform to amplify rising talents.So why no runway? Everybody loves A. Roege Hove. After launching in 2019, they were stocked by the likes of Matches and Selfridges, dressing all the It-girls and winning all the prizes, including 2023's International Woolmark Prize.That winter, however, the label went into administration.Alas, it's a depressingly common situation. With many independents going bankrupt in the last few years, or finally deciding to close their doors because of rising costs and other stresses - including, of course, those who put sustainability at the heart of what they do.How much of a problem is the wholesale model here? Can you grow too fast? Can you make it without financial backers? What happens if you can’t keep up? Or supply chains take a hit for reasons outside of your control? We thank Amalie for sharing her story so that others might benefit.*Since this interview was recorded in February, we are happy to report that A. Roge Hove has returned in a new form and showed again at the CPHFW Spring ‘25 collections.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspressTHANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:32
Aug 14, 2024
Our Copenhagen Fashion Week special continues! Clare sits down with Finnish menswear designer Rolf Ektroth.Last season, his hand-knits, made with Finnish yarn manufacturer Novita, were made available as pattern and yarn kits, so that home knitters could recreate his runway pieces. He loves macramé and hand embroidery, yet his collections have a modern street vibe that feels very polished. Perhaps it's because he's not actually a new name - Rolf Ekroth has been celebrated before, with glowing reviews in magazines and shows at Pitti Uomo before the pandemic. His label has had its ups and downs, he lost his backers at one point, but he kept at it. So, in part this is conversation about a career as a progression and taking the long view. It's about perseverance, figuring out what really matters to you and how we are all the sum of our experiences. It's also highly amusing - Rolf is crackup funny. And brilliant! Learn his name - we predict, it's going to be everywhere.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:28
Aug 08, 2024
If you're not in Copenhagen for fashion week, here's your (virtual) ticket :)Last week, we talked to Ane from Alpha about studying fashion in the Nordics and how to make it as an artistic designer.Over the next three episodes, we’ve got interviews with some of the most exciting names to watch from the region.First up is Alectra Rothschild, whose show for her Masculina label was one of the most anticipated, thanks to last season's electric on-schedule debut.Vogue noted it was "probably history-making' - because Alectra was the first openly trans woman to show at Copenhagen, and because of the her iconic community casting. Listen out in this chat for the part about what a positive force that representation has been - she gets so many messages from fans around the world saying they feel seen. And want to place orders.Another big theme in this interview is sustainable business models, and what works when you're a small designer. How do you scale? Do you want to? Do you even try? Maybe you plan to go and work for an established house instead? Or, is there a way to stay independent, cater to your community and keep things bespoke?For Alectra (who trained as a tailor, worked at Mugler and did her MA at Central St Martins in London), it's about seeing herself as a "designer, but also maker, artist and costume designer" and focusing - for now at least - on commissioned pieces.Ask her to sum up her clothes and she says, “flamboyant, high femme, and quite shameless”. She’s done with being put in a box and categorised - we contain multitudes. Above all she wants to enjoy herself. She makes clothes for night life. Her runways are a party, calling to mind the 1980s when the most exciting fashion scene was DIY, driven by club culture and community. Good times ahead.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:31
Aug 01, 2024
We hear it all the time: fashion students are overwhelmed by overproduction and the ruthless churn of creative directors at the big luxury houses. How can they forge a creative path without contributing to the problem? If they decide to operate outside the system - crafting extravagant one offs, for example, or only making to order - how will they survive financially? What is the point of fashion if you can’t wear it?Ana Lynge-Jorlén is the Danish fashion academic behind Alpha, a fashion incubator for directional design talent from the Nordics. The Alpha showcase at Copenhagen Fashion Week is always exhilarating, but as you will hear that's not all they do - they've got a big exhibition coming up in Norway's National Museum at the end of the year, and they do a bunch of industry mentorships working with the likes of The Row, Browns London and 1 Granary.But really this interview with Ane is about, as she puts it, "fashion's cultural value" - fashion is technically in the realm of applied art, as opposed to the fine one. But whatever you want to call it, fashion as artistic expression has value beyond the commercial. Can you wear it on the bus? That depends on how daring you are. Ane probably would!Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:50
Jul 24, 2024
Empathy, kindness, wellbeing, caring, sharing, repairing - not traditionally the first words that spring to mind when I say "FASHION!" But things are changing. Are we moving towards a new paradigm where who cares, wins? If we accept that the old ways (overproduction, exploitation, rampant shareholder capitalism, waste) don't serve us, why not redesign the whole thing along radical new lines? What might that look like?If you're intro underground fabulousness pushing disruptive fashion forwards, you might have noticed that in Arnhem, the Netherlands, the State of Fashion Biennale 2024 happened over the summer. The theme was 'Ties that Bind', and it explored ideas around ‘dismantling tradition’, ‘political bodies’ and ‘the fabric of shelter’.This Episode was recorded at the previous event in 2022 - and saved up because some of these stories are in Clare’s latest book Wear Next.Says Clare: “Come back in time with us to that glorious summer. These conversations explore timeless themes. If anything, what we discuss feels even more relevant today. Also, if you've been feeling a bit blah about conventional fashion weeks and events, this should shake you up. It proves that not everything has to be about business and brands!”With the central theme Ways of Caring, the 2022 State of Fashion Biennale set out to discover ways to make the fashion industry more sustainable and caring. Participants were chosen from an open call, and over five weeks, more than 70 designers, artists and makers from all over the world, and the public bubbled with ideas on how to repair “the broken relationship between the production of fashion and the wearer”.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:58
Jul 10, 2024
Complete this sentence: The future of fashion will be…Welcome to Series 10 of Wardrobe Crisis! We're kicking off with a conversation about the future of fashion, recorded live earlier this year when Wear Next came out in the UK.Clare is in conversation Tamara Cincik, Professor of Fashion & Sustainability at Bath Spa University, at the first ever event of the UK's new National Centre for Sustainable Fashion, which is based there. A robust discussion beginning with regenerative fashion, and swooping energetically through slowing down fast fashion and what’s the point of fashion week to fibre sovereignty, the creative wellbeing economy, fashion burnout and mental health. We also talk about representation and inclusion, and ask: who gets to make the policy decisions that shape fashion's future?P.S. Intrigued by Clare’s reference to the State of Fashion Biennale in Arnhem? Tune in next week for more.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:47
May 15, 2024
What does it take to make it as an independent, small, local ethical business in a global world that favours big brands? How can we work together to ensure that our local businesses and creatives are literally sustainable - in that they thrive and stick around, and continue to give us the awesomeness that, at times, we maybe take for granted? It's not just fashion this applies to, but all the beautiful, unique, heartfelt local businesses that make our neighbourhoods sing - the cafes and family-owned restaurants, the fruiters, newsagents, hairdressers and book stores. Don't forget the circular services (like the one we featured last week - Clare's local cobbler, Roger Shoe Repairs). In the interview hot seat are Rowena and Angela Foong - two of the three sisters behind an ethically-driven, family fashion business called High Tea With Mrs Woo, based in Newcastle, Australia - which just so happens to be the world's biggest coal port BTW (listen out for a super interesting discussion on how being amongst all that fosters a special kind of community action around building alternatives). Mrs Woo (for short) is a studio of many things - natural fibre fabrics, unique designs, and the craft of pattern-making and sewing in house, but also mending workshops, community activations and collaborations with innovative textile upcyclers. As they say, you need to wear many hats to make it these days, but that's also part of the joy. Not that it's easy. In this frank interview the sisters' share their challenges and strategies - which include "co-retailing" - fun! Practical! To all those struggling with crazy rents, listen up. This episode is a love letter to all the small sustainable businesses out there.We appreciate you! But it's also a provocation to customers: if you value this stuff, you need to support it - otherwise one day you might turn around and find it gone.Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to the crowdfunder for my documentary about trees. You are the best, and I very grateful.If you haven't heard about this, or seen the crowdfunder, I'd really love your help. Discover here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:57
May 01, 2024
Forget brands for a minute, the real circular fashion economy is the repair shop on your high street…Do you have a fab local cobbler or clothing alterations service? This episode is a reminder to thank them for being here and fixing our stuff.They are cornerstones of the circular fashion economy, and not some distant future dream - they’re already here, and in many cases have been for decades. Honing skills that simply can’t be learned overnight. They’re the best! Here’s to them! Keep giving them your business, and make sure you tell them you appreciate them. Everyone loves to be appreciated.My local cobbler, Roger of the (locally) famed Roger Shoe Repairs is gold. And this classic Roger conversation is a treat. That’s all. Enjoy!Clare xP.S. Here are the links to the crowdfunder for my documentary, Urban Forest.Your support is much appreciated.https://www.pozible.com/project/urban-forest-a-documentaryGot something to tell me? Find me on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:28
Apr 18, 2024
Bobby Kolade is the designer behind Ugandan fashion label Buzigahill - which puts the politics of upcycling and waste colonialism at its core with the brilliant, provocative concept: Return to Sender.Buzigahill's collections are made from items of secondhand clothing donated in the global north, and increasingly being dumped on the global south in unsustainable numbers. Why “return to sender”? Because much of Buzigahill’s clientele is in Europe and North America.Like Kantamanto in Accra, Ghana; Owino Market in Kampala receives huge numbers of bales of second-hand clothing every week, from countries in Europe, from the US and Canada. As a result, in 2023 second-hand accounted for 80% of all domestic clothing sales in Uganda.But how much is too much? Who is monitoring for quality and consistency? Are we right to keep talking about "donations" in the context of this undeniably big business? As Bobby says, it's not charity - it's a trade, and too often an unequal one with many impacts on local economies as well as the environment when it becomes textile waste. So surely it's good, right, when a receiving country finally says: "No more! We don't want your cast-offs." Or is it? As usual, there’s no simple answer...This enthralling conversation was recorded before Uganda’s government announced a ban on second-hand clothing towards the end of last year. A situation that continues to evolve.Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:44
Apr 12, 2024
What do your clothes say about you? Dear listener, I bet you've thought about this before. Fashion is a language in itself. But, what about the language we use to describe - and by extension to include, or to exclude - the people who wear it? Or don't get to wear it? The people we're marketing it to, or employing.Fashion communication isn't just about the clothes. It's about how we talk to each other.Meet Lou Croff Blake, a Berlin-based non-binary fashion practitioner, scholar, artist and community organiser. Their work merges queer theory with community-building, advocating for intersectional equity and amplifying the visibility of marginalised genders. Which sounds like a of words! Because it is. Carefully considered words chosen to challenge the dominant narrative.Open to learn? Join us on a deep dive on DIEB - diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging - as we consider the existential question: do we really want to build a more ethical fashion industry? If so, doesn't that have to be one where everyone can feel a true sense of belonging? Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:45
Mar 27, 2024
Can fashion lift its inclusivity game? When 28-year-old British model Junior Bishop - who just so happens to be a wheelchair user - spoke at the Houses of Parliament recently, she called on the fashion industry to do more to tackle its disability access issues. Levelling the playing field is integral to the wellbeing economy - what’s the point of only some of us get to have our wellbeing considered?“When looking at fashion and media today,” said Junior, diversity and representation are gradually improving. That’s important. “We hope to simply see people who look like us - our ‘imperfections’, our ‘flaws’, the little things that make us who we are.” Also, purely from the economic rationale, how do brands expect to sell to people who don’t see themselves in campaigns?As Junior acknowledged: “The excitement of being able to see someone who is a wheelchair user, a cane user despite their age, has a limb difference, has Down syndrome, has albinism, the list goes on… Having those with disabilities or their family members tearfully say ‘I didn’t know people like us could do that kind of thing’; that is why this movement needs to continue to grow." Representation is an important first step, but we can’t stop there.This inspiring conversation, packed with practical advice and emotional intelligence, comes with a call to action: want to do better on this stuff? Ask disabled people what they need!Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:51
Mar 13, 2024
Rich, white and privileged - the creative arts sector has a class problem. Particularly in class-obsessed Britain, where middle-class people are twice as likely to work in creative jobs than their working class contemporaries. According to the Evening Standard, "the worlds of TV, film, music and the arts are dominated by straight, able-bodied white men living in London, despite them only accounting for 3.5% of the [UK] population." Not that this is purely a UK problem. In New York, 85% of artists represented by commercial galleries are white. In Australia, where one in four of us were born overseas, culturally and linguistically diverse creatives are still barely represented in fashion at all. And consider the global luxury brands, with their spate of recent cookie-cutter creative director hires - can anyone actually tell the difference between these men from their photos alone? But, "What about the new editor at Vogue?" I hear you say. Too often, the celebrated hire is still the only Black or brown person in the room.I bet you can think of a thousand places where career progress is affected by your postcode, where you went to school and what your parents did. And lurking behind all that: race, gender, sexuality, difference, not to mention how much cash you've got...It's time for a power shift.Meet Rahemur Rahman, a British-Bengali artist, educator and designer who is determined to change the system, not simply tinker round the edges of representation.He studied fashion and Central Saint Martins, where he now teaches. Designs from his debut London Fashion Week collection menswear collection were acquired by the V&A Museum. Now, he's the director of training and development at Bari, a new incubator supporting South Asian creatives in East London as part of the British Bangladeshi Fashion Council.This is a lively conversation about what it takes to practically turn things around, not just talk about it. Hint: no true diversity and inclusion without addressing the class barrier! We're also talking creative innovation meets heritage craft, social impact fashion, holidays with friends, and the joy of working on what matters.Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:55
Mar 06, 2024
We all know clothes have meaning, beyond just looking nice. We’ve often talked on this podcast about the importance of how they are made. This week, we’re considering how fashion’s meaning stretches beyond supply chains and our wardrobes, to shape our culture and the way we see ourselves collectively. How does fashion see itself when it comes to race and privilege? How about the male gaze?Clare sits down with Caryn Franklin, journalist, style icon, fashion citizen (not consumer, please!), one-time presenter of The Clothes Show and all-time national treasure. These days her work centres on education and activism - she’s a visiting professor of diverse selfhood at Kingston School of Art, in London, and gained her MSc in applied psychology specialising in selfhood, objectification, inclusivity and gender bias.Partly, this interview is a personal one about a life in clothes but it’s also a provocation: How can we use fashion as a vehicle for positive self-esteem, rather than allowing it to make too many of us feel small, too much of the time?All up, rollocking good chat with Caryn Franklin, MBE. Enjoy!Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:01:10
Feb 26, 2024
How much is enough? How can creatives incorporate the idea of sufficiency in their output? If you make physical objects, what does it really mean to be sustainable in your practice? And, how can you, as my guest this week, Richard Malone, puts it, "do your own thing and stick to it" in the context of fashion's relentless push for newness?Also, where does class and privilege play into all this? Does Fashion with a capital ‘F’ actually want to be more inclusive and welcoming? Or is all the talk of breaking down the barriers just lipservice? The fact is: many of the people who “make it” in fashion have an had a head start. You only have to look at the current obsession with Gen Z nepo babies. Let's not pretend the playing field is level.Richard Malone is queer London-based, Irish fashion designer, artist and maker, whose work challenges subtly a system that's built on unfair advantages. A thought-provoking conversation about everything from colonisation and the loss of Irish craft traditions, to what fashion shows are really for!Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:17
Feb 01, 2024
Why does fashion have such a problem in accepting all bodies they way they are, and recognising the beauty in different shapes and sizes? I know, I know, we’ve heard it all before, yet depressingly little changes.Our guest this week has had enough! Self-described as “that body morphing b*tch”, Michaela Starck is a super-talented London-based Aussie creative director/designer/dreamboat who’s beautiful work includes her own glorious self, as well as Paris-worthy, bow-bedecked frillies.A frank convo on fat-shaming, where the body positivity movement fails, and the magical powers of backing your own vision. Even when people in your life keep telling you you’ll never make it? Especially then! Take that, naysayers!Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:01
Jan 24, 2024
If you’re interested in natural dyes, or want to know more about hands-on textile techniques, this episode is a joy. It's also a great one if you are into ideas around seasonality and connection to Nature. Aren't we all?!Continuing our Pacific theme (don’t miss last week’s Episode with Fiji Fashion Week’s Ellen Whippy-Knight) these two stories are also from Fiji, but a long way from its capital Suva. They’re both about different aspects of Indigenous practices, and living in balance with the the land, the oceans, the skies and biodiversity.First, meet Letila Mitchell, a renowned artist, designer and performer from Rotuma. Her work in the fashion space grew out of costume, & has developed into a practice that’s all about revitalising traditional Rotuman textile making, and re-finding cultural knowledge disrupted by colonisation.Our second interview is with Noleen Billings, from Savusavu, on Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu. Noleen isn't famous or a fancy expert in anything other than common sense but her simple message is a powerful one: In the busy modern world, it’s easy to forget the Nature usually knows best. Indigenous wisdom is deeply connected with reading Nature’s signals, and we can all learn from that. There are universal lessons in here, as well as some thought-provoking questions. For example, what does it mean to be wise? Where does schooled knowledge, written down in books, fit in - and why do we have to so rigid about it? Knowledge that’s shared and passed down in different ways is just as important…Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ?Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple orSpotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:43
Jan 17, 2024
When Anna Wintour was introduced to Ellen Whippy-Knight as the founder of Fiji Fashion Week, the Vogue editor-in-chief exclaimed, “Fiji has a fashion week?!” Sure does, Anna. It turned 16 last year, and is an established force in a small yet burgeoning Pacific fashion scene.White sands and turquoise waters. Surf breaks. Rugby. Fiji is rightly famous for these things, it’s also an international garment-manufacturing country with an independent design community, mainly focused on the local market and the Fijian diaspora.Now Ellen, a formidable fashion force in her own right, is determined to bring sustainability and technical design education into the picture...Check the shownotes for links & further reading.Tell us what you think!Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free.If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you!Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
00:00:39