In London, one of the city that well known as a central of fashion, my perspectives of fashion sustainability is getting wider and wider as I meet Anna-Maria Hesse, fashion designer and co-creator of sustainable brand, and Tamsin Blanchard, Fashion Features Director of Tank Magazine. Based on Anna experience in fashion industry, she wants to do the right thing by own a shop where she can notice the background of the clothing that everyone buy and in which way it produce. In any other way Tamsin Blanchard sees that consumers have to make a change, because it is the implication of the human nature to want things for a cheap price. It can be done by using our social media voices, asking the brand using hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes as the part of contributing to fashion revolution movement. Also, it is the brand duty to listen to them. Then, the consumers start to understand what is the supply chain and what is happening in the garment factory. My curiousity leads to what kind of perspectives that someone who runs a fashion retail or a fashion business will explain to me. For this reason, I met Merryn Leslie who always had an economic business that has something different which also has a genuine and unique selling point. Merryn Leslie and 69B Boutique collections © Adi Perkasa “I work in fashion for decades, I kind of develop a dislike the industry for what I saw. Practices of illegal human rights, and people behind the industry is dying.” Merryn said that for decades, the industry does cleaning itself up which is really positive. But, still have a lot of works to do. “Things that fashion retail need to realize is that consumers love sustainable product. They will get their investment back and more, it is very simple. Even if you are not passionate about sustainability you have to do it or you are actually missing out on a business opportunity with consumers,” said Merryn excited. She told me things with reasons. Merryn have been running 69B Boutique for more than 6 years, and have incredibly loyal customers with a very positive experience. Merryn also told me that their loyal customers do all of the marketing when somebody ask them, “I love your jacket, I love your bags, I love your hats, where did you get that?” They will definitely answer, “Well, I bought them from a shop called 69B and all of their product is sustainable. This made from a water bottles, this made by a company where the children of the workers have to get to school and they get a free tuition and backpack from the company.” And the person whom been told will be like, “Wow, sounds great! I will definitely be going there!” According to Merryn, only small amount of people that do not believe it. Because, it is a very positive business decision to do. It is kind of increasing the business’s margin, increasing the customer loyalty, and also the business selling a real story. Not a fake fashion lifestyle story, which consumers getting sick and tired of. Merryn guarantees that when her customers bought things from 69B Boutique, their purchase has been made in socially and environmentally responsible way. “We have a strict policy on transparency and accountability that all of our brands must adhere to. On our customers behalf, we ask them like who made your stuff?” 69B Boutique curated more than 76 brands that they sell on their boutique. They do not have a lot of waste stock at all and almost does not have returns product from the customers. “When we go buying we are very careful with numbers. We try everything on, we turn things inside out, we look at the quality, we engage with all of the products that end up here,” added Merryn. It concluded that 69B Boutique have a super low excess stock. In Merryn opinion all excess waste in fashion is a huge problem and she thinks that customers need an awareness about this, “Sometimes they also being fooled. Big brand cut their labels out when they have a lot of waste, then sell them out to someone who sells again to consumers.” A different perspective in fashion business comes from Sara Arnold, someone who originally studied fashion design and marketing. Who later had a master degree in business. At first she want to design and have her own brand. Because, she wanted it to be sustainable and she saw that there is a massive problem in the industry. “I realized that we do not need more things, we need solution to these issue,” Said Sara. As someone who spend childhood in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, Sara knew that a lot of people in London don’t own car not like in Jakarta. If we buy things to own it, it wasted resources. Because, almost of 80% Car spend times in car park. Also, the tax to own a car in London really-really high. Not include petrol and maintenance. So, in London we pay the car by a membership, for a rent. “If we can rent a car, why do not we rent clothes?” ask Sara. For her, it does not matter if the industry makes it in organic cotton, if they still make a thousand of them it is not sustainable. Sara Arnold while sharing her perspectives about fashion sustainability issues and her story behind her business © Adi Perkasa
When the industry persuading people to buy something that they do not really need, that is the root of problem. “I think mentality around ownership in the next 20 years is going to change a lot,” stated Sara. That is why Sara think about solutions to fashion sustainability issues, but also which can allow to creativity. Dressing someone in sustainable way, looks chic and creative at the same time is always be her goal to founding Higher Studio. Higher Studio is like a fashion library for a woman based in London. Just like library, we have to be a member first to borrow items. Every member has to return the item due to the deadline. Also, if they damaged or lost an item, they have to be responsible for the things that they have done. There are several choices of the designer’s work in Higher Studio “Beside renting, government can also provide solutions through these issues,” suggest Sara. For example, in Indonesia we have to pay our plastic bags when we are shop at the market. Sara noted this as a very good solution and the fastest way to really create change. Why? It comes from the government, so we also have to put pressure in the government to make laws. We can care about sustainability, but in the end of the day we have to feed our family. “What really creates action is when we see that kind of economic solution, when plastic bag now cost something. Then we will re-think again do we really need plastic bag? And most of the time we don’t,” added Sara Arnold. That is two different business perspectives in fashion sustainability. Everyone may have a different opinion, or it may be a way to see things. As long as it has good purposes, there are no right or wrong © Adi Perkasa for LookGoodFeelGoodId
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