When COVID-19 took off in 2020, Melanie Flintoft had a tough decision to make.
Key points:
ADL fashion week is on this weekAn Adelaide brand is focusing on making the clothes it sells carbon neutralWork has been done with a fertilizer company to improve its compostability
At the helm of seven fast fashion brands, which relied heavily on wholesale customers and department stores, the difficult decision was made to put the company into administration and put it up for sale.
But it was the beginning of something new.
“On reflection, we had struggled to find our ‘why’ and purpose with fast fashion, only realizing the catastrophic consequences of the fast fashion industry in the few years prior to COVID, which proved to be a catalyst for what was to come,” Flintoft said.
“We understood that the fashion industry is the second most destructive to people and the planet, and we had time to deeply consider whether we should go back.”
“As we saw, the world didn’t need another trend-driven seasonal fashion brand. So the question was, ‘what do we do now, with our years of experience, this is all we know?'”
They decided to make the switch from “poly and plastic bags, massive overproduction, wasteful inventory” to something different.
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Now the creative director of Adelaide-based resort wear brand Sunset Lover, the brand’s main goal is to have a zero carbon footprint.
An Australian Fashion Council report published earlier this year found that Australians bought 14.8 kilograms of clothing each year, or 56 new items, at an average cost of $6.50 each.
Much of it ends up in landfills, which is equivalent to about 10 kg per person per year.
Landfill impact is a key part of Melanie Flintoft’s goals for the brand.
“Building a brand from the ground up means we’re looking at every aspect of what we do to make sure it’s as sustainable as possible, from the labels to the packaging to the garments themselves, and at the end of their life they can simply be composted and back to nature unharmed,” he said.
“Currently, I would say that we are mostly compostable and sustainable, but we have challenges with some components, like a part of our buttons and zippers, that are not.
“The many components of a garment, rather than just the fabric, present sustainability challenges that need to be considered, such as sewing thread, lining, padding, stretch, printing, dyes, buttons and fabrics. zippers.
“We are touring the world and working with scientists and universities to help with this.
“Our goal is 100% compostable and sustainable luxury fashion, which is unique and has its challenges, but we are committed to seeing this through and making it happen.”
The brand, which is showcasing its designs at this week’s ADL Fashion Week, is also working with scientists to test how compostable its items are.
“Whatever we take from the earth, we want to put it back into the earth to maintain circularity,” said Ms Flintoft.
“We are working with scientists from Neutrog, a natural biofertilizer company, which tests the compostability of our fabrics.
“As an example, one of the fabrics was 97 percent certified organic cotton with 3 percent elastane.
“When we buried it in compost for six weeks, we saw that the cotton had completely disappeared and turned into usable compost, but leaving only the stretchy elastane, which was perfect and will take hundreds of years to break down.
“Once we saw this, the goal was clear and set for zero plastic.”
A spokesman for the Adelaide Economic Development Agency said ADL Fashion Week was an opportunity to stimulate economic activity in the city and showcase South Australia’s top talent.
“We are very excited to be able to offer an opportunity for South Australian designers to showcase their incredible creativity in an iconic location rich in history from South Australia and beyond,” the spokesperson said.
ADL Fashion Week replaces the Adelaide Fashion Festival, which was dropped in 2019.
Source: news.google.com