This time last year, I decided I was going to do something about my impact in the world as an individual and end my suffering at my office job. 895 words; 4.5 min read In between seeing my grandma in Kuala Lumpur and hearing about her woes about her children's plan to sell her house and conversations about business with a special friend in my life in Krabi (who flew all the way from Turkey), I made the decision. I made the decision to quit my full-time job that paid me a six-figure salary but didn't give me the joy and fulfilment I was seeking. The climax to this story was how I felt the day I handed in my resignation letter. It was pure bliss. Excitement! CLARITY. I had so much clarity! Suddenly, I was able to zoom in on my imaginary roadmap. I had experienced a joy that was so – oddly enough – centred, just because I had taken that step. By August 2017, I had already packed up all my things (fully furnished two-bedroom apartment) and organised them to be stored in a storage unit. I didn't know what the future held for me at this point, but originally had planned to stay with grandma in KL for two months. During the two months, I confirmed that this was a path laid out for me, and that I was going to pursue my dreams, to make them come true. My dream is to really touch people's lives and leave a positive legacy for the Planet. Fast-forward to December 2017, I am now settled in KL (for now), with nothing but 15 boxes of clothes and belongings and my slick roadbike.. and a very comfy raw hide Italian leather sofa. I didn't think my reach was wide enough working in a corporate setting. In Krabi, somewhere between riding on the back of a 120 cc scooter whizzing through villages in the clean, fresh air and reaching the summit of the Tiger Cave Temple after 1,260 steps, I reached a self-actualisation moment. I must say, out of all the 'holiday' trips that I've been on all over the world, Krabi changed my life. I wasn't phased about the world around me. I concentrated on myself. It was the one trip where I paused for many idle moments. It rained on the beach one day, after our swim, we – I – just sat there, watching the waves crash. Listening to the rain and its powerful force for reflection. Feeling the mist of water bolstered by the wind that moistened my face. Writing this now I'm transported back to that moment. My eyes are swelling up with tears of gratitude. I am so glad April 2017 happened. It was a turning point in my life. Retrospection is a great thing. Quitting my job to give this endeavour a shot full-time was the best thing I ever did, since the last great thing that happened to me – migrating to Australia as a 17-year-old high school graduate. Yes, other things had happened. I had a difficult long-term relationship with my ex with whom I wanted to still have a relationship with – as friends, but that didn't end well. (Stalking was involved in a major way.) I made a bad decision to then enter into a new relationship that moved very quickly, and as a consequence I became someone's life coach and had acquired a pet dog quite early on. I had thought about environmental engineering and fashion since 2014, and since 2016 had been inspired to put more effort into what I thought was going to be my calling. But managing a full-on job with five days of sports and recreation, caring for a home, looking after myself, volunteering and being a support system for my family, I failed to reach an orderly system of focused thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I loved my job and the people I worked with, I was a trusted professional who could get anything done (most times overworked), but was not a fan of so-called management at the place. In the midst of the chaos that was that job, I was proud that I had built my role from scratch and had sustained its relevance to the organisation. (In times of economic regression, it's not uncommon that people like me are seen as overheads.) I love Perth, my home this last 5 and a half years. I love Willow, and miss her dearly, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy that I had to part ways with. But it was time for action. Everything in life that I've ever learned had led me to this moment. I'm still defining my being, but 12 months ago, I decided to really commandeer how that story evolves. Thank you, Krabi. I will always remember you. Thank you Mustafa, for opening my eyes to a world of possibilities. Thank you, world, for being kind to me. Thank you family, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers, for showing me so much love. I have received an enormous amount of it to keep me going for a while. Krabi and I haven't finished creating memories together just yet. And I'm not afraid of multiple climaxes. Join us in our Slow Fashion movement with the hashtag #ConscientiousFashionista and #wardrobetruths on Instagram, and follow us at @fashinfidelity.
Tags: #selfactualisation #conscientiousfashionista #fastfashion #slowfashion #ethicalfashion #ecofashion #sustainablefashion #greenfashion #sustainability #wardrobetruths #fashioneducation #fashionisnolongertrendy #fashion #wardrobetruths #saynotofastfashion #kualalumpur #krabi #malaysia #thailand
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Before #organic food became a trend, did you ever think about chemicals in your veggies? Before eggs were labelled "cage-free", did anyone wonder about the well-being of the hens? Before cars had fuel-efficiency stickers and carbon emissions information on their windscreens at the dealership, did you consider these as a purchasing factor? Before we had fluorescent lightbulbs, did you understand the relationship between wattage and power consumption? The point I'm trying to make is, the industry – or let's just call it, the #apparel or #clothing industry, has been slow to catch up with the realities of the world. We live in the 21st century now. We are proud to announce the origins of the wood in our furniture, our whitegoods and electronic goods come with energy or water consumption labelling, and we know halogen lights suck power like there's no tomorrow (you can switch them for LED ones that maintain the aesthetics – way more efficient.) Today, when we buy a piece of clothing, there is no label that says exactly what raw materials, resources, and labour had gone into making it. I reckon it's about time they exist. Valentino and Karl (Lagerfeld)In 2010, I stumbled upon the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor. I remembered the fashion house designer was stressed about his latest collection, one of his last before he retires. We see him hurrying his seamstresses to meet deadlines for this very important fashion show to commemorate his 45th anniversary in fashion. I remember thinking, what will happen to all the beautiful fresh flowers and decorations adorning the event venue? What shocked me the most was the fact that Valentino would jet-set from one fashion show to another, bringing the same dresses on his private plane. Today, when we buy a piece of clothing, there is no label that says exactly what raw materials, resources, and labour had gone into making it. I reckon it's about time they exist. It opened my eyes to how wasteful this industry is. The clothes themselves are painstakingly made once, for the runway, and this in itself was not excessive. (Even if you might argue it's incredibly pedantic.) The process valued the artisans, the heritage, the skills that came with sewing, stitching and beading and the way the fabrics fell on the floor. But the glitz and glamour and the excess of the shows themselves were not cool. I even remembered how the guests received a goodie bag each filled with expensive items. My head was sore from shaking so much! But why? These people are rich, and they can afford to buy their own nice things! My brain started to wander. I Woke UpIn May 2011, one of my closest friends, Rebecca Jean Wright, died from a horrific car accident. I saw her three days prior to her death, and wrote to her just the night before. (She died on a Wednesday morning on the way to work.) In February 2012, I moved to Perth from Melbourne, with my then boyfriend, seeking a new life. In 2013, something big was brewing inside of me. I was unhappy in my relationship and my job. In April, the Rana Plaza Collapse happened. I'm sure there were other disasters that commanded the news that year, but for me, this was big, and it was heartbreaking. On Valentine's Day 2014, I told my boyfriend I wanted to end our relationship. We were discussing options of relocating to the UK, because he had been made redundant in his job. This was the opportunity to do something with my life, I thought. So, I went crazy on Twitter and started checking out the scene. I spammed a few Twitter profiles I found, and guess what? One of them, Lucy Siegle, asked me to email her. This is what I wrote: The crazier thing was, Lucy wrote back! But there was more – she had actually wrote a book about all the things that was bothering me about fashion, no joke! It's called "To Die For – Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?", published in 2011. I won't go into the details of it, but in 2016, Deconstructing My Wardrobe was born. Suffice to say, I did not move to the UK, nor did my boyfriend and I ended up staying together. But the passion for something else – solving problems in fashion – was definitely burning bright. Frustration starts thingsI started Deconstructing My Wardrobe because I got frustrated with the lack of information I was going to get when shopping for clothes. (Yeah, you heard me right. I anticipated this every time I entered a shopping centre. I even stopped window shopping. I knew I was not going to get what I wanted once I walked into a store and flicked through the item that caught my eye, after having looked at its price and material.) I got frustrated that I had to do all the work. I was frustrated some of the so-called 'ethical' or 'sustainable' fashion brands from overseas would cost me an arm and a leg when you take into account the exorbitant shipping costs to Australia. The reason I am championing for environmental footprinting affixed to your item of clothing is because – it will help me make the right decisions for myself. Just as it helps me when I pick up my eggs at the market, purchasing a washing machine, choosing the right yoghurt, and investing in a car. I don't have time to curate my wardrobe. Some people do, hats off to you. Some brands don't have the styles that suit me. Some brands that I might have an affinity towards, don't have a store near me so I can try their clothes on for size. I don't have the friggin' time to do a lot of things, nowadays. We're all busy people, right? I believe that when the information is presented to us, we will take notice. Just as we took notice of our eggs, the ingredients in our food, and how we can save energy when we know what wattage meant. Style and personal taste. Ethics and personal values. These all vary so much from one individual to another and are highly ingrained. When you present us with information at point of purchase, we can make our own decisions, thankyouverymuch. The reason I am championing for environmental footprinting affixed to your item of clothing is because – it will help me make the right decisions for myself. ManifestoToday, 23 April, is the start of Fashion Revolution Week. All across the world, in more than 100 countries, #fashion lovers will be asking their favourite brands 'Who Made My Clothes?' on social media, and taking part in some of the many talks, film screenings, and clothes swaps there are to choose from in their respective cities. Fashion Revolution has also today launched their manifesto – you can read it on their website. This year is exactly five years since the devastating Rana Plaza disaster. Many of us will be looking back at how far our movement has come, and the real change that's starting to happen in the industry. I, for one, am a less frustrated person. I have many options in terms of new clothes, if I needed to buy any. (I haven't bought new clothes since November 2016.) I'm discovering new ethical and sustainable brands, everyday. They disclose information about their products. We still don't have legislation that puts a minimum requirement on mandatory environmental labelling, but #FashRev has kept pressure on the fashion industry. It will keep doing more. We will always demand, 'Who Made My Clothes?' I will still be here, fighting, and taking action. Transparency can't come soon enough. Kuala Lumpur happeningsI'm excited to watch a screening of RiverBlue on Saturday, 28 April, hosted by Fashion Revolution Malaysia and take part in conversations with lots of people throughout the week. Check out my Instagram Highlights at @fashinfidelity to see my outfits throughout the month, as part of my campaign, Say Yes to Wearing It Twice! to support #FashRev. It's not too late to take part, too ;-) Join us in our Slow Fashion movement with the hashtag #ConscientiousFashionista and #wardrobetruths on Instagram, and follow us at @fashinfidelity.
Tags: #fashrev #fashionrevolution #haulternative #conscientiousfashionista #fastfashion #slowfashion #ethicalfashion #ecofashion #sustainablefashion #greenfashion #sustainability #wardrobetruths #fashioneducation #fashionisnolongertrendy #fashion #wardrobetruths #saynotofastfashion #kualalumpur Fashion Revolution Week is here! |
Truth be told, there already exists a mascot – underpaid garment workers. And worse - the deaths of underpaid, overused, unappreciated garment workers...
Stories of little, or even big wins in the defence of the environment, fights for human rights, and government corruption crackdowns don’t get as much coverage in the mainstream news.
For the one day that you are empowered enough to contribute to a cause and take action, there will be many more days where there are so many crises involving injustices in this world that seem out of reach and unsolvable for the average person.
The elephant in the room has everything to do with sustainable consumption, and not just the way we produce clothes in Asia.
Apart from the two biggest costs to producing clothes – the manufacturer and the fabric – there’s the cost of compliance.
When I was in Katunayake, I didn’t feel like I was in an unindustrialised nation.
....the churning of the quantities in lighting speed time and at the cheapest possible cost – is still the preferred way to do business.
"....We can’t have economists measure the success of businesses by how much they sell products that consumers don’t actually need."
"Fashion, more than any other industry in the world, embraces obsolescence as a primary goal; fast fashion simply raises the stakes.”
“We live not according to reason, but according to fashion.” – Seneca
"Maybe all your clothes should past the Grandma test."
Inherently, all clothes carry an environmental footprint. Natural fibres are not always the better choice.
What I am championing for, in this day and age, is that clothes are labelled for its environmental and social footprint.
Adding substance to the Conscious Fashion chatter.
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[wardrobetruths] newsletter ed 1 | 18 April 2018 | |
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[wardrobetruths] newsletter ed2 | 9 July 2018 | |
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