As an alternative to the current, so called, Bristol Fashion week (all Malls, high street brands and celebrities) a collection of Bristol Female Fashionistas including myself, the lovely former buyer & stylist Gemma from the newly opened To The Moon Boutique/ Bar & sustainable fashion queen Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing are settling up a collaborative of Bristol based designers including, sustainable fashion label Antiform, to come together with other Bristol based fashion designers & creatives to promote all things Bristol Fashion, including sustainable fashion & streetwear to get Bristol on the Fashion map. Its not all about London after all...
Where Bristol Fashion is currently failing is not in creatively or talent, its a bubble of creativity and originality, the problem is, if we are going to compete with London as a leading city of Fashion, Bristol designers & creatives need to be supported by Bristol. London Fashion week is not all about high street fashion, it is about the independent designers themselves, London supports new and local talent, giving them a showcase to share their work and creativity with others. If Bristol Fashion designers were given the support from Bristol, the way London supports London Fashion, whether this would be through grants or independent sponsors, then it currently stands a chance at becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Fashion world.
The Independent Fashion Focus at To The Moon in Bristol is the first step in the process to getting Bristol noticed, the plan is to start up a Bristol Fashion Scene, arranging meet ups & events that's will bring everybody together & help with promotion & fashion events, which will lead up to a Bristol Fashion week that is real Bristol Fashion by Bristol Fashion designers and creatives. I think it is true to say that nothing at the current Bristol Fashion Week has anything to do with Bristol, except that it is based in a Mall in Bristol. All the garments in the Fashion show are from corporate high street brands, garments that are designed & made outside of Bristol & are massed produced to every high street around the world. Where is the creativity in that? Where is the Bristol in this fashion week???
Lizzie Harrison from Antiform is a perfect example of what is happening in the (currently secret) world of Bristol Fashion. Lizzie sources waste fabrics & off cuts from UK fabric manufacturers including lacemakers and knitwear companies, many of whom have supplied to great British Fashion institutions like Vivienne Westwood & Liberty, these are British craftsmen at their best. Some of these off cuts have been rejected by quality control for having small imperfections in them which would go to waste, luckily for Lizzie & Antiform, these manufacturers save many of their unused rolls of fabric which Lizzie then creates something new from a wasted product. The whole of the Antiform collections are made from sourced waste fabrics and trims, they are given a new lease of life, as well as being great for the environment, the nature of using small off cuts means that each garment will be unique & different, the cut of the garments will remain the same but each piece will be unique!
No Debutante buddy Helen Brown from Kecks Clothing also did one of her eye-opening talks on upcycling and reuse. Helen works closely with Bristol Textiles Recycling (BTR) promoting reuse by showing how we can all get involved with upcycling & generally saving the planet! Helen holds talks & workshops on upcycling & presents them at sustainable fashion events & also in schools, encouraging everyone to be aware & how to get involved. On this occasion Helen brought along a case full of wasted t-shirts that she had picked up from BTR who coincidentally receive over 4000 wasted tshirts a week! Which is shocking! Helen has many ideas on how you can reuse a tshirt on this occasion she showed us how you can turn a tshirt into a ball of yarn, which was fantastic! Helen also has a fashion line of upcycled & vintage items that she has creatively upcycled & rescued from landfill. These items are currently available at Emmaus in Bristol where Helen also has her studio.
Creatively & sustainably there is a lot going on in Bristol. Help us get Bristol on that fashion map by following all Bristol fashion designers & creatives on social media under #bristol #bristolfashion #fashiondesigners and Like and Share what they are doing. You don't have to be from Bristol to support Bristol fashion! Support Bristol Fashion!
If you would like to join us, get involved or help promote Bristol Fashion or know anybody rolling in money who may wish to help us out then please do get in touch.
Thanks so much to Gemma and Chris at To The Moon for holding the event & creating awareness to all things sustainable, shipshaped & Bristol fashion!!
Lizzie from Antiform introducing the new collection
Tiny strips of unused UK sourced trim make up the pattern on this Antiform Peasant Dress
No D in Glitter knit Antiform top & vintage trousers from To The Moon Boutique
Party Guests styling up To The Moon items for a Fashion challenge #tothemooninstyle
Ottowin Shoes handmade in Bristol...No D wants them in a bright pink!
Helen from Kecks Clothing draws a crowd of Bristol & Bath fashion students for an upcycling presentation
My ladeez.....Gemma & Helen
All photography by No Debutante
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Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx
ND xx
