Australian Fashion Week is experiencing an equally extraordinary metamorphosis. Designers and consumers alike are stepping up to the plate to embrace sustainability, making strides by opting for thrifted and repurposed fashion. Marta Marcos, founder/designer of the sustainable fashion brand Mine Yours Theirs, is leading the charge on this front. Her brand is on a mission to repel the fast fashion industry’s negative impacts on the environment. Over the last year, it has crested a huge wave of momentum.
Marcos runs her studio in Surry Hills, Sydney, where she upcycles and repairs pre-loved items into works of art. She warns that the fashion industry’s contribution to the world’s environmental crisis is clear, but calls for immediate and collaborative movement to combat it. This puts Australia as one of the highest consumers of clothes per capita in the world. This reality only serves to make that transformation more imperative.
Marcos isn’t the only one using their position to advocate for sustainable fashion. Dr. Harriette Richards, a senior lecturer in fashion and textiles at RMIT University, echoes the importance of sustainability in the industry. She feels that it is imperative, through education, research and fostering innovation that a solid base can be achieved for fashion’s future in Australia. For the last five years, she’s noticed an incredible trend towards the popularity of thrifting.
The Rise of Second-Hand Shopping
Consumers are changing their attitudes towards how they purchase. In part, this explains the increasing popularity of the second-hand shopping trend in Australia and around the globe. Recent figures tell us that almost a quarter of wardrobes today are made up of second hand clothing. For instance, Priyanka’s wardrobe boasts that 80 percent of her clothing is sourced from platforms like Depop or thrift shops.
Marta Marcos is unapologetically challenging the developing fashion scene to adopt more sustainable practices. She told us that she hand stitches her customers’ names into the pieces each of her customers buy from her brand. Perhaps it’s this very special touch that gets her fans to feel the sense of ownership. It encourages buyers to send items back into resale, igniting a colorful circle of reuse.
Marcos articulates her vision clearly: “It’s made to be passed along because I stitch your name in the back and then you can sell it back to me.” This philosophy seeks to grow a community that values every work and ensures that it endures for future generations.
Government Initiatives for Sustainable Fashion
Though gaining momentum one effort at a time, international movements are afoot to make sustainability the new normal in fashion. Jay Walton, from Re-Loved Apparel, has been lobbying for a national rollout of clothing recycling bin and restoration infrastructure across Australia. His initiative aims to relieve the flood of clothing donations that charities such as Vinnies are currently unable to process.
“The fact that fast fashion exists is what made me create this brand and create it in this way,” said Walton. Against a stunning backdrop of natural beauty, he discusses the need for change in the industry and speaks up for intentional consumerism. “We don’t need more clothes, we need them to be more conscious,” he stated, highlighting the ongoing need for a cultural shift towards sustainable practices.
Walton further noted, “Every single person wears garments. Every single person either grows out of garments or they stay in them and they don’t want them anymore.” His thoughts highlight the importance of improving recycling solutions as a key ingredient in our battle against fast fashion’s harmful environmental footprint.
A Call for Collective Action
The fashion industry is responsible for more than 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to Dr. Harriette Richards, “I just think there’s too much evidence now of how much environmental degradation the fashion industry produces in terms of waste, energy use, and water use.” Her remarks are part of an emerging consensus among experts that sustainability needs to be the first consideration in fashion production.
CUDA Executive Director, Dr. Maeona Richards, holds that consumers are finally waking up to this reality. “There’s a huge growth in awareness of sustainability in terms of production,” she said. She calls this change not simply a fad but a necessary step in the direction of ethical consumerism.
Marta Marcos encapsulates this sentiment perfectly: “The fashion industry’s impact on the environment is undeniable, and it’s time for us to take collective action.” Her dedication to a greener future galvanizes young environmentalists across the globe. At Australian Fashion Week, attendees such as Risna and Priyanka proved just that by rocking almost entirely second-hand or family heirloom fits.
