Why Sustainable Fashion Matters to Us
We will always talk about the things we believe in and, whenever possible, express support and raise awareness through our photography work. Sustainability is surely one of those things that is becoming more and more important to us each day. Though we are personally still far from where we’d like to be, we are making small progress each day.
Why sustainable fashion matters to us
There is so much truth in R. Swan’s words: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” The reality is we cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the planet, one way or another. The choice is up to us. And in this reality, sustainability is the masterful balance of making choices that fullfil our own needs and desires without ruining future generations’ ability to do the same.
Every small step counts
Leaving meaningful stuff behind as we leave this planet and only as much garbage as the earth can handle. Reducing emotional shopping for piles of stuff we never really need. Not closing eyes and pretending it is not our problem once we throw things out the door. We admit it is often a tough ride, getting out of the old habits, but we are in it for the long run, step after step.
It is the same when it comes to clothes. Small daily choices, done by hundreds and thousands of people, can make a change for the better. Buying less, wearing more, choosing wisely and remembering that there is no such thing as simply “throwing stuff away” as this “away” is the very planet we live on.
Sustainable fashion as a trend
Sustainability has recently become a mega trend to which brands have reacted instantly. But it is so easy to throw this word here and there and brag how “trendy” and conscious we are because we are now buying from fashion brands that have proclaimed themselves to act sustainably. While these brands may appear “sustainable” through their marketing messages, their goals remain pretty much the same: sell us as many items as possible as often as possible.
There is nothing “instant” about living a sustainable lifestyle. Not much will change while we are still daily consuming and throwing away the same or even greater amounts of stuff we got tired of.
Rethink. Refuse. Repair. Reuse. Upcycle.
Not that long ago, wearing or let alone buying secondhand clothing was not something to be proud of. It was more sign of a lower social status than anything else. Recently however, the secondhand trend is becoming more and more popular. It is one of the key options to dressing well and being eco-friendly simultaneously. By choosing secondhand clothes we reduce the need to manufacture new items that would soon end up in landfills, thus saving nature and its resources. At the same time we are supporting local economy and creativity. That is why sustainable fashion really matters.
From our own experience we can say that old clothes can be as good, often even of much better quality than new. Out of this common belief, a series of great collaborations with Reinkarmika came to life. We met Karmen some time ago at a local fair. At that time she was just starting out with a lovely little store in Kobarid, Slovenia. Her vision was to run a concept store that represents a mixture of three: new designs, upcycling fashion and vintage / secondhand clothes. The moment you meet her you get to see that she is really passionate about what she does and how she loves to immerse in the stories that vintage pieces in her store carry.
Our idea was very simple – she called a couple of friends, styled them up with pieces from the store and we grabbed our cameras and took them to the local streets. Here’s a few impressions of how we brought these great pieces of clothes (back) to life.
