Sustainable Fashion Scotland Magazine - Issue 2 by SFS

ISSUE 2

@sustfashscotland sustainablefashion.scot

Fashion led by community over consumption looks like...

Thank you to every person who shared a contribution for Issue 2 of the Sustainable Fashion Scotland Magazine, to every person reading and sharing, and to every person who has participated in and supported the emergence of a more connected sustainable fashion community in Scotland in 2021.

Sustainable Fashion Scotland (SFS) is a community-led nonprofit with the mission to connect the fashion community in Scotland and accelerate collective action for a sustainable fashion transformation.

SFS Magazine Issue 2 Copyright © 2022 by Sustainable Fashion Scotland All Rights Reserved Published 16th March 2022 Illustrations (including the front and back cover) by our brilliant volunteer Rachel Tame! Website: www.racheltame.com Instagram: @rtame_

Editor's Note When putting together the pages of Issue 1 of the SFS magazine, we realised we caused ourselves a lot of unnecessary stress. This was due to us using visual software that only Mairi (Creative Director) had access to, meaning the entire design was her responsibility.

EDITORS Mairi Lowe Liisa Lehtinen Jacki Clark MAGAZINE VOLUNTEERS Rachel Tame Kirsty Shearer Martyna Kocon Nicole Schneider Christie Phillips Eilidh Sawyers Sarah Johnson

This time, aligning with our values of collaboration, we did things differently. We invited our fantastic volunteers to help with the layout, using Canva. Things went a LOT more smoothly, and it was very motivating seeing others working on the same document although we were alone at our screens. When we work with like-minded people on important projects, we are energised. As a result of many minds working on the magazine we have wonderfully diverse layouts, much less stress, and some beautiful illustrations drawn by our volunteer Rachel. What we are trying to say is, unsurprisingly, collaboration really is crucial when we want to create impactful outcomes. Similarly, strong relationships and collective action are key for the sustainable fashion transformation we are creating in Scotland that values community over consumption. There are lots of scary uncertainties in the world just now. But, by supporting each other and the work we do, through collaboration and empowering local action, we are strengthening our bonds, our economies, and becoming more resilient. Each page the volunteers created and each connection you make - no matter how small - is a valued contribution. Together we are imagining and creating the sustainable fashion future we want to live in - thank you. - Mairi (Creative Director) - Liisa (Operations Director)

IN THIS ISSUE

7 Reflecting on 2021 9 The Power of Fashion Lucia Gašparidesová 11 Handling Change Giulia Maria Vavassori 12 Harris Tweed Dr Karen Cross 15 Textiles History in Scotland Jacki Clark 17 Ellipsis Nicole Christie 21 FOLD Craft and Design Store at the Barn Sarah Diver Lang

23 Meander Sarah Richardson 25 Community Calls 29 LAW Design Studio Gillian McNeill 32 House of Black David Black 35 Designer for #PositiveGrowth Hannah Clinch 37 Zero Waste Scotland Miriam Adcock

39 Nephtali Couture Belocine Musolo 41 Book Club > SFS Circles 42 Secondhand Fashion as Political Action Prof. Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas 45 Beira Antoinette Fionda-Douglas 47 Is Being Trendy Untrendy? Rachel Johnstone 49 Clueless Shopaholic Jacki Clark 52 Let's Take Back Control of How We Look Dr Elaine Ritch

53 Varelija Megan Clark 55 Jo-AMI Jolene Guthrie 58 Generation of Waste 61 Diary from COP26 Siobhan Duff 64 Dear COP27 Fashion Revolution Scotland Policy Team 68 Irregular Sleep Pattern Jolene and Mil 71 Slow Fashion Mette Baillie

85 Inspiring the Next Generation Emma and Leanne Duncan and Anna Watson 87 Wearfer Olga Cieslak 89 Reimagining the Future 93 Lessons Learned and Next Steps

73 Revivre Sara Rocha 75 Sara Fulton 77 Collective Action for Scotland's Sustainable Future 81 Fashion as a Service Lottie Mayer 83 Capsule Magazine Laura Tobin

SFS

Steering Group Since the launch of SFS in February 2020, the Steering Group has nurtured our communityled direction and impact. In 2021, SFS officially registered as a nonprofit CIC (Community Interest Company), and Founding Members Mairi and Liisa took on the role of Directors.

I am a Content Marketer, Systems Practitioner, MSc Social Innovation graduate, and deep thinker. Focusing on sustainable fashion in Scotland, my research and practice involves navigating complex challenges through a systems change perspective. I am particularly interested in the unstoppable power of community and relationships, and try to weave hope, joy, kindness, and equity into everything I do. The #SustFashScotland community welcomed me with open arms when my mental health was at its lowest, and every day I strive to do the same for others.

Mairi Lowe

We are forever grateful for the time and support volunteered by the Steering Group and look forward to strengthening our existing relationships as well as welcoming new voices in future. Thank you to all our previous Steering Group members who have shaped SFS: Izzie Eriksen Katy Wood and Cass who stepped down at the end of 2021.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like...

Creative Director (SFS), Content Marketer, Systems Practitioner mairilowe.com @mairilowe

Liisa Lehtinen

Operations Director (SFS), Circular Economy and Fashion Practitioner

I am a seamstress, lecturer, maker and a researcher with a Master’s degree in Social Innovation. I like to explore the incorporation of social aspects, such as accessibility and redistribution within circular economy and how to make our world a more equitable place for our and future generations. I enjoy learning about people’s stories and experiences, as it helps me understand the world and how it works a bit better. This is why you can often find me listening to an audiobook while sewing or curled up with my cats reading a book.

@byliil

Photo by @jessicajanephotographs conversations, connections, collaborations, coalitions, convenings - caring.

an accessible and inviting place for diverse creative activities.

I am a Co-founder and Managing Director at Beira. I am a thought-leading academic and entrepreneur, best known for my transformational work in the challenges of defining a luxury brand. I have used my extensive academic experience and market insight to co-create an innovative and disruptive fashion brand, Beira. Along with my business partner I have developed a sustainable luxury fashion business, which focuses on an honest approach to luxury through progressive ethical and transparent strategies.

Antoinette FiondaDouglas

Academic, Female Entrepreneur, Designer, Co-founder

Jacki Clark

Stylist I am a Glasgow-based stylist and follow the logic of buying well and making garments last. I feel that personal style is a better reflection of someone's personality rather than keeping up with constantly emerging trends. Reward shopping for fleeting trends is only a quick fix. I've got a growing interest in fashion/textiles history, loving continuity with the past and would like to see our cultural heritage re-established and progressed. I appreciate designers' work when they contemporise traditions.

I am a maker, designer, community educator, and social entrepreneur. I am the founder of The Stitchery Studio where I teach people to make their own clothes with a focus on zero waste design and making practices. I am also the co-founder of Zero Waste Design Online: an international collective that develops online educational resources in zero waste design and systems thinking for fashion. Originally from Western Canada, I live in Glasgow with my son August.

Cassandra Belanger

jackiclark-stylist.co.uk @jackiclarkstylist

beira.scot @b_e_i_r_a

Maker, Community Educator, Social Entrepreneur thestitcherystudio.com @stitcherystudio zerowastedesignonline.com @zwdo_collective

conscious collaboration and having the means to manufacture again and be a productive creative kindness. nation no longer relying on cheap labour and imports.

prioritising relationships and connection.

SFS

Magazine Volunteers

Rachel Tame

Kirsty Shearer

Martyna Kocon

Outfit Artist, Aberdeen

International Fashion Branding Student at GCU,

Graphic Design Student at City of Glasgow College,

Glasgow

Fashion led by community over consumption

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like:

Thriving communities selling in Scotland looks like: beautiful garments, sustainably sourced and Consideration of what you’re ethically made. Consumers in buying and where you’re Scotland falling back in love buying from, supporting local with the true craftsmanship artisans and collectively and art of fashion, pushing moving towards consuming the fashion industry in a more less. positive direction. Hopes for the future: Hopes for the future:

in Scotland looks like: Everyone working together to create a better future and make a positive impact. Hopes for the future: Interested

making

positive impact and creating a sustainable future.

Currently trying to learn how To keep helping move the to sew, alter and mend my Contact fashion industry in a more own clothes to get more wear Instagram: @martyna.kocon positive direction and out of them. working alongside Illustrations like Sustainable Fashion Contact this (including the Scotland! In the future my LinkedIn: Kirsty Shearer front cover!) are dream job would be to design all drawn by prints and illustrations for Rachel :) sustainable textiles in Scotland. Contact Website: racheltame.com Instagram: @rtame_ @tame_arts

Nicole Schneider

Christie Phillips

MSc Fashion Management student, Aberdeen

Marketing Assistant, Dundee

Fashion led by community Fashion led by community over consumption

over consumption in Scotland looks like:

in Scotland looks like: Coming together to share Consuming less by buying ideas, growing as a products you genuinely love. community and working towards buying with purpose whilst supporting small businesses.

Hopes for the future: Currently working on developing my textile work, making a conscious effort to source more sustainable materials.

Hopes for the future: I'm looking forward to the future of fashion and learning new ways to live sustainably. Trying to work on my

Textile work by Nicole Schneider

mending/upcycling skills! Contact info: Instagram: @nicole.ma.studios

Contact info:

LinkedIn: Nicole Schneider

Instagram: @christiehphillips

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SFS

would also like to thank...

Eilidh Sawyers, Freelance Editor (Edinburgh)

Sarah Johnson, Creative Marketing Executive (Fort William), www.sarahcatrionaj.com

With many thanks to

2021 SFS Magazine Contributors Lucia Gašparidesová

Giulia Maria Vavassori Dr Karen Cross Jacki Clark Nicole Christie Sarah Diver Lang Sarah Richardson Gillian McNeill David Black Hannah Clinch Miriam Adcock Belocine Musolo Prof. Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas Antoinette Fiona-Douglas Rachel Johnstone Dr Elaine Ritch Megan Clark Jolene Guthrie Siobhan Duff Fashion Revolution Scotland Policy Team Jolene and Mil Mette Baillie Sara Rocha Sara Fulton Lottie Mayer Laura Tobin Emma and Leanne Duncan and Anna Watson Olga Cieslak

Reflecting on 2021

Liisa Lehtinen and Mairi Lowe, SFS Directors

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As all years do, 2021 had its busy periods (COP26) and quieter flows. We are proud that SFS was officially registered as a nonprofit Community Interest Company (CIC) in August and that we acquired funding to support our activities, community and impact.

In 2022, we are excited to work more with the #SustFashScotland community to help us understand how SFS will evolve and how together we can best nurture opportunities for inspiring collaborations and impactful change to emerge.

Below are a few of the Steering Group’s highlights of 2021:

The opportunity to ensure tions with In-person co-working! Strengthening connec fashion was on the climate the Fashion as ch su s er ak m ge an ch licy team Seeing returning faces at our agenda at COP26 Revolution Scotland po n events, and experiencing the and Scotland Re:Desig inspiring and thought-provoking

Being able to pay

community call discussions in our community Our Connected Inno vators funded hosts thanks to research project whic h highlighted Started working with our Magnusson funding the incredible divers ity of fashion wonderful Volunteers skills and creativity in Scotland Yo u n g p eople’s The conversations and e n t h u Seeing returning faces at our siasm fo r social connections that enabled a nd envir events, and experiencing the o n m en ta l us to grow personally and s u inspiring and thought-provoking stainabil it y professionally discussions in our community

346 475

SFS event participants

3 book clubs, 1 SFS circle, 7 community calls, 3+ workshops

newsletter subscribers

individuals gave their time to volunteer for SFS activities and events

£5266

of funding paid for our team’s work and redistributed in the #SustFashScotland community to contractors and event facilitators

1 exhibit at COP26 in collaboration with Beira and Zero Waste Design Online Collective, who all met through SFS

CONTRIBUTOR: Lucia Gašparidesová, Founder and Creative Designer at Prolong

THE POWER OF FASHION

My name is Lucia Gašparidesová and I am the owner of upcycling brand called Prolong based in Aberdeen, Scotland.

I turn unwanted clothing and donated items such as tents and parachuting cloths into brand new bags with a new purpose for use. I feel very lucky to own this upcycled dress made out of parachute from WWII. It’s one of the collected vintage pieces from @closetvintage.

What it really represents to me are some very early beginnings of upcycling. The reasons behind this were not so much about being sustainable, as fast fashion wasn’t even a thing back in the day. The trend to make bridal gowns from parachute silk got started well before the war ended. There was a shortage of silk as most of it got used to make the parachutes for the soldiers.

As early as 1943 newspaper articles were running stories about dedicated and fierce young women who were not letting anything go to waste, including the parachutes their husbands jumped from planes in! The act became not only a symbol of resourcefulness and industriousness but also an act to honor the service of these men.

A soldier’s parachute was a powerful symbol back then… Such a powerful symbol was the soldier’s parachute that one man even proposed to his future bride using his parachute instead of an engagement ring and she said “yes." But, it wasn’t just the fiancés of men in uniform. One image from a Bergen-Belsen survivor (Nazi concentration camp) shows a bride in a dress reportedly made from a German soldier’s parachute as a sign of victory.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... an honest and truly empowering movement for everyone. Consumption is presented by fast fashion which is not interested in communities but rather the pockets of those living in communities without acknowledging how they impact their lives and the way of perceiving the environment. Where community-led fashion brands are all about making great opportunities for the people in communities to be a part of something greater than just purchasing an item.

"Just imagine wearing the parachute fabric of someone who tried to wipe out your whole community!" And that’s really where the power of fashion is. What made it powerful wasn’t even the parachute itself. It was the woman who turned enemy into something beautiful and wore it as a wedding dress to celebrate the most significant day of her life with the man she loved so dearly, “embracing trauma with love”. Fast fashion brands will never have such a powerful back story.

IT’S YOU WHO HOLDS THE POWER!

CONNECT prolong.bigcartel.com @prolongscotland ProlongScotland

11 Giulia Vavassori

CONNECT

Handling Change During the pandemic I studied and experimented with different ways to design responsibly. Focusing not just on the design of products, but also trying to understand the entire process, from material sourcing to the product realization. That’s why I created my first capsule collection of 3 handmade bags using leather leftovers and parts of pre-loved bags.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… the best place for responsible growth.

CONTRIBUTOR: Giulia Maria Vavassori, Accessories Designer and Sustainability Advocate

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... Harris Tweed, an iconic cloth woven

sustainably by a community of home

weavers in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

HARRIS TWEED

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CONTRIBUTOR: Dr Karen Cross, Senior Lecturer & Subject Leader Fashion Management

The term ‘tweed’ originated in Scotland in the 1830s. Harris Tweed is an iconic cloth, intrinsic to the island life on Lewis and Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. Its sustainability credentials are strongly embedded in the slow fashion movement, utilising a local supply chain, natural materials, and with the cloth created on nonpowered looms in the homes of the weavers. As weaving is now a fully industrialised and automated industry on a huge scale, the survival story of this community of weavers and the Harris Tweed cloth is both romantic and remarkable.

The Harris Tweed industry almost collapsed in the 1980s against a backdrop of economic recession and cheap, mass-produced cloth, which would have seen skills handed down through generations lost. Fortunately, the industry was saved and is today the only cloth in the world to be protected by its own Act of Parliament, the 1993 Harris Tweed Act.

All Harris Tweed is now authenticated by the Harris Tweed Authority, stamped with the Orb mark of authenticity that verifies it is made from Cheviot wool produced in Scotland, spun and dyed in the Outer Hebrides and handwoven at the weaver’s home.

Today, the community of handweavers are supported by 3 mills, the largest of which is Harris Tweed Hebrides (HTH). HTH are exploring ways to provide sustainable, year-round work for the weavers, while enhancing their own sustainable practices. Current projects include a 2-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Robert Gordon University, to explore naturally coloured product ranges, innovative ways to deal with textile waste, and reduced sampling waste using digital software.

They are also part of the Augmented Fashion research project, which seeks to explore ways to educate the consumer about the craftsmanship, heritage, value and sustainability of traditional fashion and textile products using a variety of media, such as immersive technologies and Human-Computer Interactive applications, to interact and engage with new generations of audiences and consumers.

www.augmentedfashion.co.uk @augmented_fashion For more information about the Harris Tweed Hebrides Knowledge Transfer Partnership or the Augmented Fashion Project, contact k.a.cross@rgu.ac.uk.

CONNECT

Given the size of the islands and the stipulations of the Harris Tweed Act, Harris Tweed will never be mass produced. It will always be a special, slow fashion product to be cherished and worn well over time. If ever there was a textile that embodied community over consumption, the Harris Tweed brand is surely a Scottish tale of success.

In addition, in 2021 HTH adopted FibreTrace traceability technology to connect their consumers to British wool growers across their supply chain.

CONTRIBUTOR: Jacki Clark

Textiles History in Scotland

Group of mill girls in Slimon & Co Mill in Kirkintilloch

"The Scottish textile industry has been at the forefront of high-value manufacturing and global exporting since the 1700s and today textiles exports are 1.1% of Scotland's total international exports (£360 million in 2018)." - Scottish Enterprise learning zone. During the Industrial Revolution cotton, linen and jute alongside weaving were Scotland's premier industries. By the 1760s, linen manufacture was second only to agriculture and small towns had weaving factories, bleachfields, calico printing works, dye-works and spinning mills.

In 1782 Perthshire produced 1.7 million yards of linen, worth £81,000 (£10,031,000 in 2021). During the 1840s Kilbarchan had more than 800 looms and good communication and trade routes The world's largest linen manufacturer was the Dens Works complex in Dundee owned and operated by Baxter Brothers from around 1840 until 1890. Textile mills in Aberdeen made cotton, linen, woollen cloth and jute. The Grandholm Mill, founded in 1805 by the manufacturing family Crombie, was home to the worldfamous Crombie Cloths. There was established knowledge of handloom weaving in Ayrshire when lace making was introduced in 1876 and many large mills emerged. Coats threads go back to the Clark and Coats families who created the weaving and textile industries of Paisley, at the forefront of the mechanisation of the Scottish textile industries. Singer sewing machines, first produced in the US, opened in Glasgow (due to iron making industries, cheap labour and shipping capabilities) in 1867. Demand outstripped production and development of the Clydebank factory began in the 1880s.

Overwhelming competition contributed to the Scottish industry’s decline like that of Britain generally. Many factories, mills and weaving closed in the 70s and 80s, struggling to compete with emerging European and Asian economies. Local industries in Calton and Kilbarchan are long gone and mills such as New Lanark and Dundee’s jute mills are now museums. At its height Singer employed over 16,000 workers but within 10 years was down to 5,000. Financial problems and lack of orders forced the factory to close in June 1980.

Gathering flax at west Cullerlie, 1943

Fashion led by community

over consumption in Scotland looks like…

having the means to

manufacture again and be

a productive creative nation no longer relying on cheap

Craigton Bleach Works, Milngavie

The industry has all but disappeared leaving such strong production history behind and Scotland is now a service sector with far less innovation to sustain workforces. What remains generally known is Harris Tweed, Johnstons of Elgin, Fair Isle knitting, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Scottish Cashmere, and designers including Pam Hogg and Chris Kane. Instead of reinvestment in production, the new St James Quarter in Edinburgh is in conjunction with a retail course. Education is still strong in fashion and textiles but there is virtually no industry to take on graduates. They are swallowed up by mainstream brands as service providers to sell other people's work if they stay in Scotland. It’s my strong opinion that reinvestment in homegrown industry needs redevelopment so we are less reliant on products from other countries with a more independent economy.

labour and imports.

Images used with courtesy of EDLC Local Studies and Doric Columns

CONTRIBUTOR: Nicole Christie, Owner & Designer

All Barre One - Designer & Manufacturer: Nicole Christie (@nicolechristiee); Photographer: Alexander James-Aylin (@alexjamesaylin); Models: Catherine Whyte & Rosie Macdougall (@catherinewhyte1 @rosie_macdougall); Makeup Artist: Ambriene Sheikh (@ambriene_makeupartistry; Videographer: Hayleigh Gorman from Ace Tribe Creative (@hayleighgorman @acetribecreative)

Ellipsis is a Luxury Womenswear brand that believes in creating timeless elegant garments. All garments are designed and expertly hand-crafted in Scotland by myself, strengthening artisanal skills that have been lost in a mass-produced industry. We are a generation of disposability which is influenced by attractive low prices. I hope to use my platform to educate people about the importance of sustainability and knowing the process and the story behind every one of my garments. I don't expect the public to completely change their shopping habits but if we are able to get someone to double think if they really need new clothes every single time they go out then we have made another small step in slowing down fast fashion.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... like-minded people creating a movement and striving to make change.

How incredible is it that we are in a generation where we have small businesses at our fingertips? The ability to support and celebrate those who are on their journey to achieving their dreams. A small price for us is a huge milestone for them and we have the opportunity to make it come true. The quote ‘when you support a small business you support a big dream’ sums this up perfectly.

Nightwear - Designer & Manufacturer: Nicole Christie (@nicolechristiee); Photographer: Francesca Morrison (@fmphotosx); Models: Clara Hill & Elly Jay from Ace Tribe Dance Co (@clara_hillx @iamellyjay @acetribedanceco)

I strongly believe that everything in life has a meaning and purpose. The name of my brand derives from the fact that three is my lucky number and an ellipsis is the set of three dots at the end of a sentence, meaning more is yet to come. Through Ellipsis, I hope to make a mark on the industry by proving that sustainability can be fashionable and that there is a big market for great quality garments handmade in Scotland.

I love everything I do to have a meaning. A story. Just like the name Ellipsis, I couldn’t just have a brand name for the sake of it, it had to be personal to me with a story. My first collection All Barre One was manufactured in 100% Silk sourced within the UK. All garments were designed, pattern drafted and manufactured by myself, inspired by my previous dance training background. The collection features ties, gathering, flashes of skin and most importantly captures the fluidity of movement echoed by the body in the delicate luxurious fabrics inspired by dance. The hair bands within the collection have been crafted from off-cuts of Silk fabric that would once be discarded. This echoes the Ellipsis mission in sustainability by giving this luxurious fabric a new life.

Connect

www.ellipsis.online @ellipsis.fashiondesign ellipsis.fashiondesign @Ellipsisfashion

CONTRIBUTOR: Sarah Diver Lang, Designer Maker

FOLD CRAFT AND DESIGN STORE AT THE BARN Over the summer of 2021, I was commissioned to develop a range of sustainable textile products for FOLD Craft and Design Store located at the Barn, an arts organisation in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. These products represent their unique Hamewares brand. The commission was launched nationally to give the Scottish creative sector an opportunity to respond to the current consumption model in context to craft as many creatives are currently challenging how they think and work with materials. This was an ideal opportunity for me to further explore and develop aspects of my practice by using sustainable fabrics such as hemp, natural dyes and hand block printing which is slow and labour intensive. My design concept embraces this idea of time and place - each blcok represents a season and

these blocks are repeated together to represent years aiming to highlight textiles' use in the past of being treasured possessions inherited by generations. Inspired by spending time at the Barn and experiencing the two aspects of the natural environments surrounding the local area - the garden allotments and walled garden against the wild gardens and surrounding landscape; the overall designs of each piece attempted to reflect on the duality and complexity of our greenspaces. The block pattern shows a human relationship with time and nature - rigid, linear with an attempt to control it. The imperfect, dyed, abstract patchworks on the other side of the quilts show a deeper understanding of time which is unpredictable and layered. The two sides are joined together by the stitches so both are feeding into each other.

www.sarahdiverlang.com www.thebarnarts.co.uk

CONNECT

Photograph by the Barn, Banchory

These works incorporate the unmanaged beauty of natural dyeing and hand block printing and attempt to illustrate our complex relationships with crafts, commodity and value. The series of quilts, aprons and tool cases commissioned by the Barn are now on sale at FOLD and will be available to purchase online through the FOLD website in the near future. For me, opportunities such as this create chances to redefine and extend our understanding of textiles and consumption here in Scotland, by focusing on place, what it means to us and ultimately, how we intend to

protect and preserve it. Sustainable approaches to design and craft can be slow and initially costly, but these processes can help support the things we ultimately value, our place.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... conscious making reflective of place.

MEANDER Launched in 2018, Meander crafts premium functional clothing that’s designed to be versatile for enjoying life in the city and exploring the outdoors. Sustainability is at the core of what we do, from the fabrics we use, to the suppliers we work with and the packaging our clothes arrive in. As a Scottish based company, we make sure that we are protecting the environment around us by planting trees in Scottish woodland. We are members of 1% For The Planet and every year we give back by donating at least 2% of our sales. So far we have contributed to the WHO, the NHS Charities Together, the Marine Conservation Society and for Black Friday 2021 we donated 10% of each sale to organisations who are a part of the Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest.

CONTRIBUTOR: Sarah Richardson, Marketing Assistant at Meander

Transparency within the clothing industry is a huge must for us. In our Meander Magazine we have a sustainability series where we aim to simplify sustainability jargon and dive into issues such as fabrics, chemicals and pollution caused by the fashion industry.

meanderapparel.com @meanderapparel

CONNECT

Creating a community of like-minded people who have a passion for outdoor adventure as well as caring for the planet is something we are striving for. Through our socials we have connected with so many great individuals that have joined us for interviews for the magazine. It is just one of the ways we like to keep in touch with our community and provide meaningful content. Last year in the summer months we started our Sunday Social events from the Edinburgh store, heading out for a cycle or a run every week. Getting to know our community has meant we can run events like our book launch for ‘The Art of Wild Swimming Scotland’ by Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, bringing together wild swimmers from all around the Edinburgh area. We see our stores as social places giving our customers places to sit and have a coffee. As a brand, we like to support other local brands and the majority of products you will see in our stores alongside our range are

from Scottish brands who share our values. 2021 ended with a very exciting new venture for us, our London store at Old Spitalfields Market. We are really excited to create the same community in London as we have in Edinburgh and are planning some very exciting events for this year!

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like...

independent, local brands thriving in a slow and circular economy.

Community Calls Community Call screenshot from February 2021

February 2021 Networking Community Call

SFS Community Calls were launched to create space for the #SustFashScotland community to connect with each other across the country, and for our team to keep the momentum going after the pandemic and lockdown hit. Since our first call in July 2020, these community-led events have become a constant for Sustainable Fashion Scotland and a brilliant opportunity for sustainable fashion creatives, researchers, and enthusiasts who would not usually meet to come together.

March 2021 Community Call 'How can we rebalance power and responsibility working with manufacturers?' Connecting with like-minded people doing great

things in sustainability can increase our feelings of empowerment and agency, whilst a positive solutions-oriented mindset can increase motivation and inspire action.

Led by Adam Adam Robertson and Nina Falk, Cofounders of Kalopsia

At each call, we invite somebody working within the #SustFashScotland community to share their creative practice, innovations, and sustainability knowledge - as well as their frustrations. After sharing a bit about their practice, the floor is open to anybody who wishes to contribute to a friendly discussion. We like to title each call with a ‘How can we…?’ question to signal that the desired change is possible, and that the problem we are addressing can be solved through collective action. We believe this forward-thinking mindset allows us to focus on the strengths of the community and fashion industry in Scotland, and encourages participants to dream big when imagining the potential of a sustainable fashion transformation on a national or systems level.

April 2021 Community Call 'How can we engage a wider community of change?' Led by Ros Studd and Elahe Alavi, Cofounders of Repair What You Wear

June 2021 Community Call 'How can we drive the fashion media towards greater accountability?' Led by Jennifer Crichton, Founder of The Flock

In 2021 we were grateful and proud to be awarded the Sir Alex Ferguson Award as part of Glasgow Caledonian University’s Magnusson Awards to develop SFS Community Calls. With this money, we have been able to pay guest speakers £100 per call - enabling more creatives to get involved who do not have capacity to do so unpaid, and redistributing wealth across the #SustFashScotland community which is vital for equitable systems change.

September 2021 Community Call 'How can we weave sustainability into higher education?' Led by Niki Taylor, Educator and Catherine Staines, Glasgow University Fashion Revolution

We have also been exploring how best to share our synthesised SFS Insights from each call, and thinking about who these would be most useful for (e.g. small business owners, policymakers, educators). We look forward to publicly releasing our insights this year and learning from more inspiring creatives at future Community Calls!

November 2021 Community Call 'How can we accelerate size inclusivity in fashion?' Led by Lydia Morrow, designer, stylist, model, fit consultant, and pseudo-influencer within ethical fashion.

"Slow fashion handmade to order in Scotland" Ethical fashion for the modern minimalist, crafted from sustainably sourced materials and packaging. Our styles are designed to be comfortable and long lasting for our changing bodies. Every piece is designed, drafted, constructed and packaged with care in our Glasgow studio.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... it is growing on a daily basis and will be a firm fixture on the fashion horizon in years to come

CONTRIBUTOR:

Gillian McNeill, Founder of LAW Design Studio

CONNECT www.lawdesignstudio.com @lawdesignstudio

HOUSE OF BLACK CONTRIBUTOR: David Black, Designer and Founder of House of Black Photography by Shaban Ali

My name is David Black. My brand House of Black is a sustainable fashion brand based in Glasgow, Scotland. I specialise in taking clothes that are damaged or unwanted and reworking them into something new. I love the idea of taking garments some may overlook or cast aside and turning them into something elevated and high fashion, celebrating and glamourising ordinary everyday objects. My aim is to create garments that challenge the idea of throwaway clothing and fast fashion.

I try to make use of the resources we already have rather than buying new fabrics, so I work with donated and unwanted garments. As I don’t pay for my fabric, my customers don’t either. Instead my garments are priced by only how many hours are spent producing them. The production time is also displayed for every garment. This unique pricing strategy makes my garments more affordable to customers, while also giving an insight into how long it takes to make each item. I think fashion can be sustainable and ethical without sacrificing style or fun. I try to maintain a good balance of affordable garments under £40 and more fashion-forward, experimental garments.

CONNECT Fashion led by community over

www.houseofblk.co.uk

consumption in Scotland looks like…

@houseofblk

a more individual & authentic place

15 Argyle Court, The Hidden Lane, 1103 Argyle St, Glasgow, Scotland, G3 8ND

Clothing & Styling: House of Black Photography: Shaban Ali @_shaban.ali_ Makeup: Kaytlin Scott @ksandmakeup Model: Heida Senkutė @wholesomeflesh_

CONTRIBUTOR:

Hannah Clinch, Designer for #PositiveGrowth

Designer for #PositiveGrowth #RandomJumpers came out of research into the design legacy of Robert Stewart. Robert Stewart was a prolific designer, artist and teacher in post-war Scotland. His creativity knew no bounds and during his long career, he was associated with a wide range of fashion brands including Liberties and Pringle. A multi-disciplinary designer, he produced silk scarves, cards, tiles, fashion, and homewares. Later in his career, he produced large scale tiled murals and textile pieces, many of which have been lost or are under threat.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… a warm, colourful well used and repaired patchwork blanket of place based textile reuse solutions, strengthened the threads of excellent communications across regions, the effective distribution of material, skills, knowledge and retail opportunities for new and used garments.

Stewart worked at Glasgow School of Art from the late 1950s and led the design school for many years. He was groundbreaking in his teaching, creating collaborations with industry and facilitating student visits to remote parts of Scotland to inspire their work. The impact of Stewart’s practice is still celebrated at Glasgow School of Art. A small selection of Stewart’s textile designs are produced by the CAT centre and his sketches and prints regularly feature in exhibitions. What is less well known is that Stewart lived most of his working life away from Glasgow on the Cowal Peninsula, overlooking the stunning Loch Striven. He travelled into Glasgow from his home, a long and sometimes treacherous journey by car, boat, and train followed by a short walk up to the art school. Stewart and his wife Sheila had six children.

He was well community and pieces of his communities.

known in the regularly gifted work to local

When I relocated to Dunoon from Glasgow, I was given a copy of Liz Arthur’s book, Robert Stewart: Design 1946-95. The book made me think about the absence of 'the designer' in rural places and why Stewart’s association with this area, the place he lived, worked, and drew inspiration from for over 40 years was not more widely acknowledged. Today, Dunoon Burgh Hall, a local arts centre, display a tiled mural made by Robert Stewart in their entrance hall. The mural is a riot of colour and form, produced using a freehand technique Stewart developed for making ceramic commissions. Inspired by this work and in the absence of a studio and equipment myself, I started making #RandomJumpers using hand cut flock a few years ago. Each jumper is different and the technique and pattern making produces no print waste, although there is some plastic waste generated by the flock’s backing. In the next year I hope to look further into how this small product range can be developed and how waste flock could be sourced from other places to make the patten, reducing the small amount of textile waste from the system.

CONNECT

www.tacit-tacit.co.uk www.popshop.scot

Random Jumpers is a slow design project. Jumpers are made in small batches and I hope to sell them to support an ongoing project to establish a sustainable design and making facility in Dunoon.

CONTRIBUTOR:

Miriam Adcock, Communications Consultant as Zero Waste Scotland

Zero Waste Scotland "In an ideal world, we would be able to help reduce our impact on the environment and strengthen our communities at the same time." Luckily for us, we can. Here at Zero Waste Scotland, we know that around 80% of our national carbon footprint comes from overconsumption.

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One of the worst culprits in the battle against carbon emissions is new products, as brand-new materials can have a high carbon footprint due to the emissions involved in extracting materials and processing them. In our latest Carbon Metric Report, we found that, in 2020, textiles made up 4% of Scottish household waste by weight yet accounted for a startling 32% of the country’s carbon impact. This means when we throw away old clothes, we are harming the planet a lot more than we may think. Making the most of what we already have is our best bet in reducing this impact. The

most sustainable piece of clothing you have is the one you already own. But sometimes we need to replace old clothes and buying is our only option. This is when we need to ask ourselves: what does fashion led by community, rather than consumption, look like? The answer is simple. It’s unique, wellloved, and sustainable items. That dress you never wear anymore, that was once your go-to for Saturday night dinners, rather than throwing it away, why not pass it on to a new owner that will make new memories and love it just as much as you once did? Donating to

secondhand clothing stores brings life back to your old clothes whilst reducing your carbon footprint, as it keeps them in circulation for longer. Buying secondhand allows you to find quality items you’ll fall in love with for a fraction of their original price, whilst doing your bit for the planet. It’s a win-win! If you aren’t looking to buy, you can also hire all kinds of everyday clothing from firms which Zero Waste Scotland has supported, including Sioda, which rents women’s clothing in Stirling, and Graceful Changes renting babywear in Edinburgh.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… unique, well-loved, and sustainable items.

Our own quality guarantee scheme for preloved goods, Revolve, is a great way to pick up a bargain which saves your pocket as well as the planet, and importantly brings the community together through shopping secondhand. Our own quality guarantee scheme for preloved goods, Revolve, is a great way to pick up a bargain which saves your pocket as well as the planet, and importantly brings the community together through shopping secondhand.

CONNECT

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@howtowasteless @ZeroWasteScot www.zerowastescotland.org.uk

CONTRIBUTOR: Belocine Musolo, Founder of Nephtali Couture

Nephtali Couture Introducing colourful African fabric in Scottish Fashion. Nephtali Couture is a slow fashion brand that offers African inspired fashion to the Scottish world. We make clothing for men and women, accessories like headbands or bow ties, and we also offer custom made services to bring your wishes into life, and workshops so you can be creative with us.

CONNECT @nephtali.couture Nephtali.Couture Nephtali Couture www.nephtali-couture.com

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like…

an investment in local economy. There is a quote saying, “When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance” and this could not be more true!

Being in a world of fast fashion consumption and social irresponsibility, Nephtali Couture strives to work ethically. To do so, we source our fabric material from the markets of Cotonou, in Benin (Africa).

Founded by Belocine Musolo, a French and Congolese self-taught fashion designer, Nephtali Couture was created with the aim of sharing her African heritage and bringing JOY to you through the bold colours and patterns of her garments. Every product is handmade with high quality and care, from her living room in Ayr since February 2018.

At Nephtali Couture, we are constantly working towards improving our business practices towards a greener future. We are in a learning journey to sustainability, and we decided to make a greater effort to achieve it. Anne Marie Bonneau, the French zero waste chef, said it well: “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”⁠

"So in 2022, we will adopt a zero-waste philosophy. We will cut our fabric in a better way for example, and use the scrap fabric to create new accessories. We will also use eco-friendly packaging with compostable mailer bags, Kraft paper bag or even cotton dust bags made from cut-offs of our production."

Book Club SFS Circles

We always looked forward to the SFS Book Club, a key event for us in the first part of 2021. Initiated by Kat Rulach from KYE Studio, the book club provided a friendly online space for learning together, and a much needed push to read those books that gather dust on our shelves. We had brilliant facilitators from the fashion community in Scotland including our very own Cassandra Belanger and India Wills from Wild Hues.

In January 2021, Kat hosted a discussion about the links between economics and fashion based on Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth.

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Book club then evolved into SFS Circles: conversations or events where we can discuss topics we are passionate about, share knowledge and learn together, and collate resources such as books, podcasts, and other types for future learning. Our first SFS Circle was held in September 2021 by brilliant professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas who shared her love for secondhand and vintage fashion. Natascha was joined by Suzi Warren, the founder of Stitch It Don’t Ditch It, to share about the peaceful protest movement. You can March saw Cass host watch the event recording on beloved book Folk Fashion by the SFS YouTube channel. Amy Twigger-Holroyd, and we were delighted to be joined by Amy on the call to answer our questions! In May, India stepped up for an enthralling conversation around Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess, helping expand our understanding of local opportunities for fashion supply chains. The conversations and our collective knowledge helped us collate resources on all the topics to explore them beyond the books. However, we quickly realised that time is a rare resource, and although we weren’t always able to read an entire book in 2 months we all still wanted to join in on conversations on selected topics.

We are excited to develop future Circles to be held online and in person by inspired individuals in their communities across Scotland.

As well as a personal passion, secondhand fashion is a key part of my academic work as Professor of Marketing and Sustainable Business at the British School of Fashion, Glasgow Caledonian University London. So I was delighted to host the first online SFS Circle, held during Secondhand September, as an informal sharing and stitch-along session exploring all things secondhand.

CONTRIBUTOR: Prof. Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas British School of Fashion, GCU London

Secondhand Fashion as Political Action

Attendees from the SFS Community were encouraged to work on a mending project during the session and to dig out a treasured secondhand find or a family heirloom and to share its story. And we were treated to a lively and inspiring session with special guest Suzi Warren, craftivist and Founder of the @StreetStitching mending movement. My personal secondhand fashion story is so entwined with memories of dressing up and making clothes that it was important to use photos, garments and items from my personal collection to illustrate the links between making, wearing and repairing. I’ve always been fascinated with fashion history and shopping in charity stores or making my own clothes from vintage sewing patterns

was the solution for a fashion-mad teen with limited funds who wanted to dress in retro styles. One of my favourite secondhand finds, a black woollen 1940’s Utility coat was originally made under the restrictions of wartime Britain. The coat was bought secondhand by my mother from a nearby antique secondhand shop, before finding its way into my wardrobe where the elegant design and quality materials make it a timeless classic which exemplifies the message of #LoveNotWaste. Suzi became the unexpected leader of a global mending movement when she decided to rebel against the notion of fast fashion as disposable clothing.

CONNECT

Natscha Radclyffe-Thomas @fashionnatascha @fashionnatascha Academic achievements

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... a personal and political act - wearing, repairing and sharing our loved clothes. Already a craftivist, Suzi took a chair, a needle and thread and sat alone outside Primark in London’s Oxford Street darning an old cardigan with the message #StitchItDontDitchIt. Suzi shared with the SFS community how this public mending activism inspired her to create Street Stitching, now a global movement where menders gather in fast fashion shopping areas, sitting in socially-distanced lines, each silently absorbed in contemplative, meditative repair. The pleasure and power of communityled sustainable fashion was tangible in the stories of favourite secondhand finds and innovative mending projects shared

by the SFS Community who joined from across Scotland and as far away as South Africa and even New Zealand! To join the fun, you can watch the recording of our Secondhand September and Street Stitching SFS Circle on the SFS YouTube channel. Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like this!

CONTRIBUTOR:

BEIRA

Antoinette Fionda-Douglas, Co-founder of Beira

Beira was born sustainable in 2019 after witnessing the overflow of landfills and frighteningly progressive climate change, we knew the fashion industry needed a reawakening. We use Italian craftsmanship and the finest materials to create limited edition womenswear. Beira sources all the raw materials through embracing the circular economy by using waste materials from the luxury fashion industry with the help co-founder and Italian luxury manufacturer Flavio Forlani, to create investment pieces for the conscious consumer. This provides approximately 85% reduction in our carbon footprint compared to traditional sourcing practices. Beira has also adopted a radical approach to pricing transparency that allows its customers to see what makes up the cost of each beautiful crafted piece of the collection.

We are proud to share that we pay our artisans €28 an hour and we know everyone of their names. Dr. Antoinette Fionda-Douglas, the creator of the brand has long been inspired by Scottish folklore. Beira was the Goddess of Winter and the Mother of all the Gods and Goddesses in Scotland. The brand’s uniqueness and conscious business practices are demonstrated in every element of the business from design, to end of life.

CONNECT @b_e_i_r_a @b_e_i_r_a Beira Moda

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like...

beira.scot

experiential collaborative retail where born sustainable brands work together with supportive, visionary and responsible landlords to halt decimation of our high streets. Fashion over consumption has deep social and cultural roots that we must address from a holistic perspective and not as singular brands. The future is collaboration to address change in the industry.

CONTRIBUTOR: Rachel Johnstone, Fashion Management Student

Is being TRENDY untrendy?

Fashion has seen a complete upheaval during the coronavirus pandemic, with many hailing it as a ‘coping mechanism’ or ‘distraction’ from the realities of the past year (and a half). As we all spent almost 100% of our time indoors with very little to do, it's no surprise that the rise of social media has occurred. Whether by choice or as a coincidence, I'm sure most of us have seen and potentially been part of one of the many ‘trend’ crazes, take the Slazenger skort for example. Social media has accelerated our trend cycle enormously. The idea that “I must have this item”, has led to our generation becoming what I would call ‘fashion competitive’, working as members of different teams trying to reach the same goal. How can we get these members to join forces as part of the same team, sharing resources and ideas to reach a common goal?

IMAGE CREDITS: Vika Kirillova from Pexels

As I mentioned previously, the product life cycle is getting increasingly faster and garment styles are travelling through the stages quicker and quicker, thus increasing our consumption. If trends were eliminated or even our reliance on them was decreased, would there be a need to produce at such high speed and therefore a need for fast fashion? Decreasing our association with trends would also have a positive impact on our consumption of slow and secondhand fashion as we are no longer looking for a particular item, and rather items that we as an individual would like to wear. There is no rush for a particular item and we are therefore able to take time for ethical production. We are more likely to begin purchasing unique one-off items that often force us to think outside the box on how to style them.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… everyone working collaboratively rather than competitively to decrease our reliance on trend based shopping.

CONNECT Rachel Johnstone

"Social media has accelerated our trend cycle enormously."

IMAGE CREDITS: Vika Kirillova from Pexels

Overall, trends have always been a core part of the fashion industry and will remain to be for the rest of our lives and after all, as long as we wear clothes, trends will occur, even if we don’t want them to. Instead, it’s about how we view them and ultimately how we channel them into our buying habits, not just irrationally buying every item you see on your feed, and pausing to think about how you will wear it, how many times you will wear it and where it has come from.

CLUELESS SHOPAHOLIC

IN THE CITY CONTRIBUTOR: Jacki Clark

Model: Eva McKerracher Photography: Stefania Calderara Hair & Make Up: Megan Carroll Styling: Jacki Clark

51 The story behind the shoot is overconsumption as a parody of the shopaholic theme. Layering up with lots of pieces from each new fashion drop to high street stores, making it seem that the model is wearing outfits made up from each trend from the last six weeks: a satire of the 'shop till you drop' attitude.

Connect

jackiclark-stylist.co.uk @jackiclarkstylist

It's a humorous way to give cultural and social awareness of the problem of high street fashion consumption and waste, being representative of the huge quantity of clothing thrown away in the UK, and sent to other countries.

CONTRIBUTOR: Dr Elaine Ritch, Senior Lecturer in Marketing

"Let's take back control of how we look"

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like the dressing up box that I had as a kid — my friends and I would play and experiment with whatever was in there. Because I’m fed up with the homogeneous looks that are dictated by fast fashion brands. They direct what fashion is and from our research we can see this has led to young people feeling insecure about their styling capabilities and that they have to look a certain way to be deemed fashionable. But it wasn’t always this way. Back in the 90s there was a bigger movement of street fashion that had a history going back to the 50s. This emerged from subcultures like teddy boys and punk rockers, which then moved into the punk era giving Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren a platform. Fashion was influenced by a number of club scenes. These subcultures had links with music and politics, and were driven by experimentation and peer encouragement. Fashion was hedonistic and creative. Take for example the 1980s club scene, led by Boy George and Marilyn, that challenged societal norms; this was an eclectic mix of fashion, music, and pushing the boundaries of gendered expectations. This is an example of taking control of societal narratives.

CONNECT Dr Elaine Ritch Academic Achievements

Street fashion was more authentic and expressive. Fashion designers were influenced by street fashion and fashion was a mismatch of styles trickling down from designers and up from subculture. What we see now is bereft of creativity. Fast fashion retailers have hijacked style and utilise this exploitative model to pedal capitalism. Looks are created and marketing tactics encourage impulsive and frequent consumption. This is about sales, profit, and manipulation. So, let’s not accept this status quo. Let’s take back control of how we look, and more importantly what we wear and buy. Community can empower people to experiment and express their creativity. This can include large community dress up boxes, where garments can be shared and styled with one another. It could also include upcycling and skills classes, where community comes together to share time, skills, experience, and stories. It could also be about championing fashion designers that have creative talent, as opposed to the capitalist machines of the fashion industry. It can be whatever as long as we are directing how we look and we are sharing garments, skills and warmth with one another. That way, we can replace the hedonism experienced through consumption with something that is more meaningful and does not rely on exploitation as a means to make money.

CONTRIBUTOR: Megan Clark, Artist and Founder of Varelija Photography by Elina Bry

VARELIJA Varelija is a handmade unisex clothing brand that reimagines the sport uniform through the examination of early sportswear and the use of historical techniques. Pairing natural fibres and plastic-free materials with modern silhouettes, Varelija imbues a sense of timeless appeal into otherwise utilitarian garments. As an artist I founded Varelija with a lot of opinions about making clothing sustainably in Scotland but quickly learned why it can be so difficult when the focus is only on perfecting materials and design.

www.varelija.com

Woollen football shirts had careful badge embellishment and handsewn jersey numbers. Many of the garments were homemade and repaired continuously, some of which were hardly more than rags. The sense of community was palpable as I could easily imagine the numerous hands each garment passed through. In addition to avoiding microplastics, it has always felt important to support Scotland’s garment and textile industries. I only work with local tailors, pattern cutters and textile experts to manufacture the garments, which directly contributes to our economy and the wellbeing of tangible people within the community.

CONNECT

Sustainability is a word that has become almost meaningless - it isn’t always what we think it is, and there are many ways of making that are inherently ecological without the buzzwords to label them as such. I knew I wanted to make pieces that wouldn’t contribute to the microplastics problem, so a lot of remnant and repurposed materials were off the table from the start. Consequently, I spent a lot of time studying early 20th century sportswear in the Glasgow museums’ archives to better understand how clothing was made before elastic and synthetic materials were available. During the time spent in the archives I was able to examine clothing as livedin objects containing very personal stories.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... an ongoing examination of the very definition of sustainability. Supporting local economies establishes long-lasting relationships and moves the sustainability conversation beyond blanket platitudes to a place of ingenuity and inclusivity.

CONTRIBUTOR: Jolene Guthrie, Founder of Jo-AMI

Jo-AMI creates cool, comfy and considered clothing and accessories, designed and ethically made in small batches in Scotland. All our knitwear and crochet designs have been carefully considered through their sustainable materials; reusing reclaimed, recycled and natural high quality yarns. Each design is developed with heritage influences in mind to ensure a long lasting life and either manufactured by Jolene or locally to support other highly skilled local businesses.

Jo-AMI celebrates Jolene’s personal connection to the Scottish Knitwear industry - in which her great great Uncle’s family owned Donbros Knitwear in Alloa throughout the 1960’s.

Photography by Kathryn Rattray

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... collaboration, consideration and creativity all coming together! Community-led fashion celebrates locally skilled production and ethical practices.

Connect @joamistudio_

www.jo-ami.com

We are a #GenerationOfWaste: SFS at COP26

Image credit: Simon Forsythe, Lateral North

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"We are all extremely proud and glad to have had the opportunity to make sure fashion was represented on the climate agenda."

The stage was set and the application sent for an official exhibition space at COP26 in Glasgow, November 2021. That was March…

Fast forward to mid-August when an email lands in our inbox, informing us that our proposed creative installation had been selected by the UK Cabinet Office to take off. Out of over 4000 applications and only around 25 selected across fields - we now had the responsibility of representing fashion and the industry’s textile waste crisis at one of the world’s most crucial climate conferences.

Image credit: Simon Forsythe, Lateral North

‘We’ being the team behind the Generation of Waste exhibit: Sustainable Fashion Scotland, Beira, and ZWDO Collective. We are 3 Scotland-based, women-led organisations all founded to drive sustainability in fashion, and all who were connected through SFS.

SFS AT COP26

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Creative Director Mairi spoke on a Stop Ecocide panel alongside her academic idol Kate Fletcher

In a whirlwind two months (August-October) the team worked incredibly hard to design, develop, acquire £33,010.50 in sponsorship (huge thanks to Cass’ son August for the kind £10.50 donation from his pocket money!), build the eight physical pillars representing stages across the textile value chain (thanks to Lateral North for all of their skill and support), coordinate with our global connections to co-create a robust holistic message influenced by diverse perspectives, and more! It was an incredibly stressful project for our small team due to the short timeline, many unexpected obstacles, and all this on top of our normal workload. However, we are all extremely proud and glad to have had the opportunity to make sure fashion was represented on the climate agenda.

We held 'Reimagining the Highstreet' workshops with high school and college students as part of ACS's Climate Festival!

Thank you to the Generation of Waste team, our sponsors, contributors, volunteers, and everybody that supported and has engaged with the project. To learn more, watch the educational videos, and explore the exhibit, visit generationofwaste.com. Image credit: Simon

Forsythe, Lateral North

CONTRIBUTOR:

Siobhan Duff, Sustainable Events Coordinator at ACS

Diary From COP 26.. I started my first job in the sustainable fashion industry last year at ACS. My role is Sustainable Events Coordination and I was responsible for project managing our activities throughout COP26; wow, I have learnt a lot. My highlight of this role was getting to work with others in the community and making change as a collective.

I started fresh out of another lockdown and ideas were bubbling away for COP26. From the many meetings and community calls, I gathered that too often the fashion industry isn’t taken seriously as an environmental issue. It was evident that working collectively and supporting each other would achieve the most impact.

During my role as Sustainable Event Coordinator I got to be part of #MyFashionPath for COP26, which is a ACS partnership with Developing the Young Workforce My Climate Path programme.

My Fashion Path is a 4-phase programme created to inspire young people, educating them on current issues in the fashion industry and highlighting the great work happening in Scotland already.

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Pupils got to learn about mending, fabric knowledge, reimagine the future of fashion, tour the facility and hear from sustainable fashion leaders. Thanks to SFS, Repair What You Wear, the Stitchery, Andrew Rough, Anthony Burns, Rachael Waller, Ruth MacGilp, Ken Maxwell, and Michell Gabriel for their support with this event.

Schools throughout the central belt got an introductory session from Zero Waste Scotland and My Climate Path. This was followed by welcoming over 500 school pupils onsite to ACS to experience five interactive workshops in a real life behind-the-scenes circular fashion business.

Re-Clothing the Future conference at GCU was a massive success and a great end to the two weeks of activities, with over 350 young people engaged in creating a mindset shift towards sustainable fashion. The fourth phase focuses on legacy and continuing the efforts all of us had during COP26 and inspiring change throughout Scotland.

--Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like... good vibes for everyone

COP26 introduced me to other inspiring events outside of #MyFashionPath as well. It was so lovely to meet people in person at the AXC Presents Scotland’s Fair Fashion event. We left with some successful clothing swaps! From conference to catwalk, our rental wear partner Hirestreet had us ready for the runway. Nearing the end of COP26 I was tired but working on Creative Ignition: Art and Fashion, A Spark for Change brought much energy and excitement. The creativity stood out from any other event I have been at, and it was great seeing ReJean, Second Cashmere, Revolve Clothing and many more with stalls at our event.

CONNECT With https://www.acsclothing.co.uk ACS Clothing Ltd

With Siobhan @flipit_n_reverseit Siobhan Duff

CONTRIBUTOR: Fashion Revolution Scotland Policy Team

DEAR COP27... Sorry.

I had big dreams of passing on a wonderful legacy to you. I began my journey believing that I was capable of birthing a whole new way of solving Earth’s problems. I thought if I used the same language and models that my participants use to consider economic issues or the development of policy that they would easily engage in the more important demands of continuing life on earth. My blue zone was there to host business and policy delegates, so I used a trade show model. In retrospect I realise that I was using a competitive, individualistic business model to find ways of solving an organic, collective problem. The dice were loaded from the start… Even my green zone, which I tried to make more interactive to attract participants to stop and have a conversation, gave the most prominent space to corporate sponsors. I urge you to learn, my dearest COP27, that the current COP system is broken, don’t try to fix it. No amount of money spent on your branding will hide the blood of future generations on your hands.

65 But I can offer some sparse glimmers of hope as I admit to sneaking out… ...past the oppressive presence of so many police. ...past the members of the public who organised ceilidh dancing at the borders of the blue zone (they seemed to be having fun, dancing, laughing with each other, having productive conversations) and out to the fringe events held all over Glasgow (and beyond within online communities). In those spaces people sat in circles, speaking and just as importantly listening to each other; working out what could be done to prevent further environmental grief and disaster. It was on the public marches that I saw the passion to treat Earth better. And it was in those spaces which used music, film and poetry that I saw new ways of thinking emerge. As you prepare for your own event COP27 I would simply encourage you to do two things:

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Facilitate open, collaborative conversation: do what you can to encourage honest, non-competitive conversation. Design the spaces and involve facilitators to make this happen. Encourage the full participation of the arts: cognitive approaches to the climate crisis will not work on their own, they need the support of creative thinking and that only happens when the arts are given an equal place at the table. Is it fair to place all this responsibility on your young shoulders? Perhaps if I’d listened more intently to the youth of yesterday, I wouldn’t have to place this burden on you. Sorry. Best wishes, COP26

masses of individuals who enjoy each other, love to be creative through their clothes, and protect nature from the ravages of greed. - Karen Finn a harmonious, creative, caring, sharing community of co-creators, helping the planet and people to thrive! - Niki Taylor

CONNECT

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like…

@fash_rev_scotland Fashion Revolution Scotland @Fash_Rev_scot Scotland Fashion Revolution

Carry Somers, Co-founder of Fashion Revolution; Mairi Lowe, Creative Director at Sustainable Fashion Scotland; Niki Taylor, Country Coordinator of Fashion Revolution Scotland (at time of COP26)

CONTRIBUTORS: Jolene and Mil, Co-founders of Irregular Sleep Pattern

69 We ended up launching our purposedriven brand of bedding and sleepwear, Irregular Sleep Pattern during the pandemic in Sep 2020, by accident rather than design, as we had been doing R&D for two years. As well as having a very strong idea about what our products would look like, we also knew how we wanted people to feel when they purchased them, and this was good! Good about how the products look, but also how they are made, what they are made from, and how they are projected out into the world.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… a tribe bound together by common values who are part of the global grassroots movement helping to change one of the most polluting and unjust sectors in the world. This launch timing definitely shaped how we have done things, as across the globe people were stuck at home and keen to reach out to like-minded people online, sharing things and building friendships. We were forced to be creative with how we designed our website (which features our friends), on our Instagram feed and stories which is very much driven by Mil and I and things we like/believe in/are learning, and also how we are running our business which is in a very emotionally led way. As people who have launched a brand in mid-life, it’s essential for us that we feel good about what we are doing and how we are doing it!

Our garments are manufactured in eco-fabrics (currently organic cotton and Tencel), in factories where workers are paid fairly. We have tried to design them to last (with twin needle construction like workwear), and encourage our customers to make considered purchases. We shipped our very minimal fabric scraps back to the UK and created some freelance work for a local maker who fashioned them into cushions and ties and received 100% of the profits. At Christmas, we produced a short run of organic/ethical t-shirts with a local social enterprise business and gave all the profits to Rape Crisis Scotland.

Connect

www.irregularsleeppattern.com @irregularsleeppattern

However, the truth is, despite having sold A LOT of goods all over the world, we are a long way off even one of us having a wage due to the fact our profit margins are way below industry standard. We are financially sustained by Mil’s two jobs, and my part-time job. We are currently in the process of trying to shift production to another factory that will enable us to have a financially sustainable business, as well as one that is sustainable to people and planet.

CONTRIBUTOR: Mette Baillie, Founder of Freja Designer Dressmaking

Slow Fashion

Sustainable clothing is such a massive subject. I have worked in my own business creating fashion for 22 years, always with the purpose of making ‘slow fashion’. This is to design and make beautiful garments for the individual to keep, cherish and enjoy for years. There are so many sides to it, and here is my advice. We have a small collection of jackets made from Scottish wools. The sheep have good outdoor lives and the wool is processed locally. The jackets are designed and produced in our beautiful Edinburgh studio, by members of staff on at least living wages.

These garments are a bit of an investment, however they last for years. My jacket I made back in 1998 has been worn again and again and only recently got a new lining. The wool itself looks brand new. Here are starting points you could ask of your supplier of fashion: Where is it produced? How many ‘clothing-miles’ are involved? What are the work conditions like where the clothing is produced? Taking to social media is a great way to start a dialogue with the big companies.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… choosing local to help the community.

Fern Photography

The next thing you can do is look after your clothes. Educate yourself on your washing machine. Perhaps using a gentler wash and then hanging your clothes to dry. Cottons or linen are vegetable fibres so they need a basic solution (high pH value) when you wash them. Check your washing detergent to see if it is suitable. Using a good stain remover can sort out clothing and help you get plenty more wear out of it. Wool jumpers, cashmere, angora and silk clothing, are all animal fibres. They need an acidic environment when washed. Make sure you have the right detergent for these fibres. You can essentially use the tiniest drop of shampoo if you don’t have the right washing detergent. Wash these garments as little as you can get away with as many of these are almost selfcleaning. Should you get a little hole in your items, lose a button, or catch a stitch in your jumper - these can be repaired. There are great YouTube tutorials. Learning will save you money and reduce what goes to landfill.

Kirsty Stroma Photography Last, consider if you can invest in some good pieces, and then top up with secondhand. There are amazing apps around where you can pick up lovely clothes for very little money, helping keep the garment in use and out of landfill. I hope I have given you some ideas of how to do a little thing every day to help your journey to a more sustainable way of living.

Connect freja-fashion.co.uk @frejadesignerdressmaking

CONTRIBUTOR: Sara Rocha, Founder and Creative Director

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… By being transparent with our supply practices and by continuing to better ourselves every day, we as a community can provide the right guidance for likeminded people who value looking good, feeling good and doing good.

REVIVRE

CONNECT www.revivre.co.uk

@revivre_collection

"Revivre is a Scottish-registered company, headquartered out of Edinburgh. Our partners are Scottish where possible, such as website companies, branding experts and PR, and our August campaign was on Tyninghame Beach in East Lothian using a Scottish model. We’re also closely connected with other aspiring and established Scottish brands and are passionate about sustainability both close to home and on a global level."

Revivre translates to ‘live again’ in French, and that’s exactly what we're doing, giving pre and post consumer waste a second chance. By partnering with environmental campaigners, we re-purpose industrial fishing nets which, among other waste, are salvaged from our ocean’s floors and turned into infinitely recyclable yarn. Then, by using Italian fabrics and French finishes, we create timeless, considerate swimwear that can be recycled time and time again. We not only believe in the ‘buy less, buy better’ movement, we also focus on finding value in versatile, quality-made garments created to outlast the seasons.

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CONTRIBUTOR: Sara Fulton, Designer

CONNECT

@sewing_in_glasgow

SARA FULTON Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… A shared space that recognises the value of people, respects the land and uses a variety of creative and innovative methods to reduce our impact on the planet.

"My aim is to take things that people don’t really know what to do with anymore and do something with them."

I am one of many sustainable designers living in Scotland. I make one-off garments and accessories using hand sewing, machine sewing, embroidery and mending techniques. I use worn clothing, offcuts and vintage fabrics. My aim is to take things that people don’t really know what to do with anymore and do something with them. I see making something out of a discarded item as a metaphor that represents how we value objects and people. My designs are mostly soft, relaxed shapes with adjustable features and fit a range of sizes. A lot of my work is asymmetrical, I think this relates to my messy brain. I tend to drape and use a kind of cut and paste method using offcuts as pockets and patchwork details as a springboard for my next design, this keeps waste to a minimum. Using a needle and thread brings me a lot of joy, I like how slow the process is and the fact it is such an old craft. I feel like visible stitches are like a little signature that connects the wearer with the maker. Scotland has a great community of skill sharing. I have participated in lots of free and low-priced workshops that enable people to create, mend and up-cycle their own garments at any level. These practices give everyone the chance to participate,

regardless of size, gender or background; it also keeps old traditions alive. There are an immense number of articles, workshops and podcasts produced in Scotland; these resources have been vital in helping me and create an opportunity to share research, knowledge and skills with one another to create a group of people who are working towards the same thing. This approach empowers communities to believe in regrowth and renewal rather than consumerism and is an important step for the future. I have felt embraced and encouraged by the sustainable fashion community in Scotland, it is a diverse and ever-growing space. It is so inspiring to see the range of techniques that are being used to tackle the problems surrounding fashion and climate change. It is a constant learning experience and I am proud to be a part of it.

Collective Action for Scotland’s Sustainable Fashion Transformation

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In December 2020, Sustainable Fashion Scotland was selected as one of Creative Edinburgh’s Round 2 Connected Innovators, a funding strand supporting emerging leaders who want to incorporate social impact into their practice and carry out research and development using data. Being able to pay our small but dedicated team for the work we do gave us one of the most important resources: time. Time to effectively drive forward a community-led sustainable fashion transformation led by data. As it often happens at SFS, we set out with ambitious aims for this research project, titled Collective Action for Scotland’s Sustainable Fashion Transformation:

To gain a systemic understanding of the current fashion landscape and community in Scotland,

and to identify and communicate the most impactful opportunities for collective action and systems change.

One of the most fruitful parts of the project was an Actor Mapping workshop we held in May 2021. During this we aimed to co-create a visual map of the organisations and individuals working in fashion across Scotland (beyond just the Central Belt) and begin to identify impactful opportunities to accelerate collective action.

One key lesson gained from the actor mapping workshop and the research as a whole is that in order to strategise effectively for systems change, we must map out a deep and wide understanding of the fashion landscape in Scotland.

This led our team to realise that we had been hugely ambitious with our two research aims, especially for a one-year project! As well as taking action now (which is crucial to combat the climate crisis), we must also invest in mapping the landscape, understand who is working for change within the system, and focus on strengthening these relationships to enable collective action to flourish.

While we have many more learnings to share from this research project (report coming in 2022), two more we want to emphasise now are: 1. Investment is required to map the fashion landscape in Scotland. Fashion is undervalued as an industry leading to data gaps which impedes sustainability progress. 2. Systems change is a process, not just an outcome. While submitting our mid-project report to Creative Edinburgh, we recognised the multitude of connections and conversations we had initiated as part of the research. To pave the way to new sustainability futures,

we must lay down different values and ways of thinking today. For fashion, this means a shift from competition to collaboration, from secrecy to transparency, amongst others. Building strong collaborative relationships is an important part of the work.

We are incredibly grateful to have had time funded to focus on this data-driven work, and the findings are providing a strong foundation for the future of Sustainable Fashion Scotland to be built on. Thank you to our inspiring research team: Liisa Lehtinen, Mairi Lowe, Cassandra Belanger, Fiona Ford, Kirsty Shearer.

CONTRIBUTOR:

Lottie Mayer, Strategist

Cars, bikes, houses and even films have all gone from being just a product, to a service. With the ability to borrow, rent and repair, clothing can also join these players in the service-based economy. The direction of circular models in fashion is somewhere I get excited about, however in reality your average consumer is far from renting and buying secondhand as their go-to. What I would like to see happening now is a more considered approach to clothes. One of appreciation, attention and enjoyment. An understanding from your average consumer of the amount of work, travel, time, effort that goes into a garment. From mindlessly buying clothes to taking time and pleasure in beautiful fashion consumption again. And with better access to aftercare, the belief that clothes can stay in service to you, and others, forever. IMAGE CREDITS: Úrsula Madariaga

Fashion as a service. Not just a product.

A second way to move from a purely product-based business is by bringing life back into retail. Rather than eshopping where you can’t feel, check the label of or even the true colour of a garment - I believe clothes are best purchased IRL. Retail has been struggling with an abundance of discounted product, overflowing rails, busy staff and an underwhelming ambience. So it’s no surprise the experience has been traded in for doing it on your sofa. There is hope for retail though and the possibility of refreshing the shopping trip, just not every week, but a few times a year, when considered purchases can be made buying better quality, at a price that the item is worth.

Thirdly, wardrobes. Let your wardrobe be in smooth service to you like your iPhone is. Make it easy to use: organise items so it’s easy to navigate, take pride in your clothes storage as they spend more time in there than outside. Colour coordinate, from lightweight to heavy. If you’re a ‘fashion lover’ be sure to love and care your clothes.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… an appreciation of clothing where it can become a service to us.

However, I write this as a new mum in her mid 20s, where I worry about the needs and expectations of the decade below me. Youths have the pleasure of going out, having several friendship groups, different hobbies, changing body types and bank balances. Their mindset isn’t in tune for long term fashion but very much that present week. So, for them fast fashion is the ultimate option, but we must change that.

CONNECT Lottie Mayer

IMAGE CREDITS: Úrsula Madariaga

CONTRIBUTOR:

Laura Tobin, Photographer and Designer

CAPSULE MAGAZINE CONNECT

www.lauratobin.co.uk @createdby.laura @lauratxbin Laura Tobin

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… inspired, loved, original and long-lasting, compared to the mass produced, unethical and short lived items that are driven by overconsumption.

Through a combination of fashion photography, graphic design, and illustration, Laura Tobin tackles the fast fashion industry by producing Capsule Magazine. With the intention of inspiring others to change their shopping habits, Laura creates a positive resource for young women by advertising how to build a capsule wardrobe, upcycle clothes, and shop sustainably. Laura has done an in-depth investigation into the fast fashion industry and what sells the clothes it produces, focusing on the role that influencers on social media play in promotion. By photographing in a similar aesthetic to influencers, creating a neutral colour palette that reflects influencers Instagram feeds, and building an online platform, Laura aims to catch the attention of young adults and inspire them reconsider their approach to fashion.

As someone who feels so passionate about community building, Laura created a community of young women who are collaboratively working towards change. The sense of community is enhanced through the creation of welcoming and visually appealing online platforms, the Instagram page and Capsule blog. Both platforms work as a safe space for the community to discuss issues, share advice, and collaboratively work towards change. With the nature of the project and a desire to distribute the magazine in an eco-friendly way, the magazine is printed on natural recycled paper. With Capsule magazine, collaboratively, we are saying No to fast fashion.

Capsule Magazine consists of three sections: Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle, and presents a series of fashion photographs, facts that highlight the realities of the industry, and positive advice, in the hope of inspiring change.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Emma and Leanne Duncan and Anna Watson of Rose's Wardrobe

Inspiring the Next Generation We started our clothing brand Rose’s Wardrobe with the goal of producing madeto-order garments from low-impact materials, but along the way we also learned how important our community is in the fight for slow fashion. After working in fast fashion for years, our founders Emma and Leanne were fed up with cheap production and rushed design. They decided to take the leap and start their own brand in 2019, inspired by the higher quality clothes which their relatives wore in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Three years later, we are still designing and making everything ourselves from our studio within a working textile mill in Langholm. The town has an important textile history and used to be home to several mills, but the decline in local manufacture has led to the closure of all but one. We are keen to keep our community’s heritage alive

and thriving by utilising vintage deadstock fabrics from local ex-mills, and purchasing others from local makers. However, there is still more to be done to promote Scottish manufacture and preserve fashion and textile skills. Over the years, we have seen firsthand the industry’s struggle to find skilled staff to replace workers as they retire, feeding into the shift to overseas manufacture. This prompted us to start our community sewing and craft workshops, which we run for different age groups throughout the year alongside our clothing brand. We have already seen great engagement from people keen to learn textile skills, and we are now taking the next step by launching a Community Interest Company called Creation Mill.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… People working together to educate a new generation of makers. Our aim is to provide workshops, training, and short courses in all things textiles and inspire the next generation to take interest in the local industry by working with local schools, colleges, and the job centre. As well as workshops and courses, we will offer flexible meeting/workshop spaces, affordable maker spaces, a scrap store and tool library, and tell the story of the textile history of Langholm. We will still be producing clothing through Rose’s Wardrobe, but this new venture gives us the opportunity to give back to the community which has helped us to build our brand.

CONNECT

@roseswardrobe_vintage

@creation.mill.cic.langholm

www.roseswardrobe.co.uk Email creationmill@outlook.com for more information if you are interested in being a member of Creation Mill or part of the Board.

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like… less but better.

CONTRIBUTOR:

Olga Cieslak, Founder of Wearfer

WEARFER

Wearfer (pronounced as Wear Fair) was founded in 2021 on the premise of localised production and consumption. After seeing the unethical manufacturing practices in the UK uncovered during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that there was still a lot of progress to be made on the grounds of ethical manufacturing locally. A ‘made in label’ reflects the very last stage of production and brands often make use of this as a perfect marketing opportunity (and an opportunity to charge premium prices). At Wearfer we operate on an ‘open book’ approach, sharing each step of our supply chain; from raw materials and components to manufacturing the final product. As a brand, we are supporters of local production and consumption and work with local charities and family businesses in Scotland to produce small batches of our products. Our goal is to encourage consumers to ‘think twice’ before they buy, to buy less with more value and to do so locally. At Wearfer we advocate for community over consumption and competition, shifting the industry towards ‘less but better'.

"The fashion industry has lost its balance in the race for trends and profits."

A note from the founder Everything in moderation is what I live by. Whatever the field; food, work, study, exercise, shopping! You can overdo anything, and that is when you lose balance. The fashion industry has lost its balance in the race for trends and profits. With Wearfer I want to re-instil the lost values of fashion practicality, creativity, diversity, and respect. Any product (think beyond fashion too) has to be made somewhere and by someone.

CONNECT

wearfer.com @wearfer.official @wearfer.official

As soon as it is bought by you, it is on a lifelong journey of existence (and not the short human existence, for some materials it could be a couple of hundreds of years!). We already know the threats to our civilisation caused by mindless consumption and throwaway culture, and I hope too about the questionable fashion manufacturing practices, so for this reason I invite you to think(!) before you buy. Choose well, make it last, buy less with more value.

Reimagining the Future

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Since the launch of Sustainable Fashion Scotland in February 2020, we have aimed to help Scotland transition away from unethical and unsustainable fashion practices, and to support the brilliant organisations and individuals already innovating. We all know that the current fashion system isn’t supporting sustainable futures; it isn’t working for our communities, the planet, our wellbeing, or our economy. However, if we want to achieve a sustainable fashion transformation in Scotland that is truly equitable and regenerative, we must have some idea of what that future looks like, or the direction we want to go.

To understand the steps we need to take, we must first imagine what we want the future to look like, taking diverse perspectives into consideration. The path that led us to our ‘reimagining’ workshops was made clear during the development of Issue 1 of the SFS magazine. Alongside their submission, we asked each magazine contributor from the #SustFashScotland

community to answer the prompt, “In the future, I hope fashion in Scotland will be…" This was the start of a wonderful journey learning what our community wanted for the future of fashion in Scotland, including some beautifully imaginative and kind responses that considered not only the planet but also people and how we engage with one another in our communities.

"It is only after knowing what we want for the future that we can decide on the steps we need to take to get there"

In the future, I hope fashion in Scotland will be... In 2021, as part of COP26, we developed a workshop to gently introduce young people to systems change, a key approach in our work. Reimagining the future was an obvious choice to encourage everyone to understand what socially and environmentally sustainability can look like and recognise what is not working at the moment.

It is only after knowing what we want for the future that we can decide on the steps we need to take to get there. By reimagining the potential of fashion, our communities, or in this instance, the high street, we can begin to understand how we can start to create this change through our individual and collective actions.

It was particularly rewarding carrying out our Reimagining the Future of High Street workshop with young people at the ACS as part of My Climate Path, with help from fantastic volunteers.

The young people’s imaginations ran wild with ideas of what kind of spaces would make them want to spend time on the high street, focusing on socialising instead of consuming. At first it was difficult for most to disengage from the norm of the high street consisting mostly of shops, yet we were pleasantly surprised to see how many green spaces, book and clothing sharing spaces, and safe, joyful spaces for marginalised communities the young people imagined. Reimagining the future is an incredibly powerful way to bring people together and co-create the sustainable future we need and want. The responses we gain throughout this work are inspiring and fill us with hope as we see that people are more interested in community over consumption, wanting equitable futures that support the wellbeing of citizens, communities, and the planet.

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Lessons Learned and Next Steps This magazine was published a few weeks after our 2nd birthday, and it feels incredibly surreal to realise that Sustainable Fashion Scotland has been going for two years already. Through a global pandemic and the climate crisis, we are still here and are committed to keep making change!

Thank you to every person who contributed to Issue 2 of the Sustainable Fashion Scotland Magazine, to every person reading and sharing, and to every person who has participated in and supported the emergence of a more connected sustainable fashion community in Scotland in 2020. And a special thank you to our amazing volunteers and steering group members!

Our ‘lessons learned’ from 2021 revolved around realising we spread our small team too thin. In 2022 we want to value our time and effort and acquire more funding or investment to help increase our impact. We will be opening SFS up and delegating better as well as narrowing down our activities to align with our capacity and avoid future burnouts! This will be key to our strategy and will invite you to get more involved in making change through SFS and community collaborations.

Although our steering group is about to meet for a strategy review and refresh, there are a few activities we are looking forward to making happen this year:

As always, our number one priority is to move forward led by the community. We look forward to connecting and collaborating with you in 2022. Please do say hello!

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Building on our Collective Action research project, mapping the fashion landscape and identifying impactful opportunities for systems change Developing SFS Circles and community engagement across Scotland Prioritising equity and our guiding principles throughout our activities Continuing to engage policymakers and the government in collaboration with Fashion Revolution Scotland’s policy team Launching the SFS Directory with support from 180 Degrees Consulting and our community Uploading Community Call recordings to be publicly available Visualising data from and uploading Community Call insights to be publicly available Organising more Community Calls, online events, and hopefully in-person ones too Continuing to connect and collaborate with more of the amazing #SustFashScotland community!

"an investment in local economy. There is a quote saying 'When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance' and this could not be more true!" - Belocine Musolo "the best place for responsible growth" - Giulia Maria Varvassori "an appreciation of clothing where it can become a service to us" - Lottie Mayer "by being transparent with our supply practices and by continuing to better ourselves every day, we as a community can provide the right guidance for likeminded people who value looking good, feeling good and doing good" - Sara Rocha "inspired, loved, original and long-lasting compared to the mass produced, unethical and short lived items that are driven by overconsumption" - Laura Tobin "a warm, colourful well used and repaired patchwork blanket of place based textile reuse solutions, strengthened the threads of excellent communications across regions, the effective distribution of material, skills, knowledge and retail opportunities for new and used garments" - Hannah Clinch "everyone working collaboratively rather than competitively to decrease our reliance on trend based shopping" - Rachel Johnstone "less but better" - Olga Cieslak "a shared space that recognises the value of . people, the land and uses a variety of creative and innovative methods to reduce . our impact on the planet" - Sara Fulton "people working together to educate a new generation of makers" - Emma and Leanne Duncan and Anna Watson "collaboration, consideration, and production all coming together! Community-led fashion . celebrates locally skilled . production and ethical practice" - Jo-AMI "choosing local to help the community" - Mette Baillie . "having the means to

Fashion led by community over consumption in Scotland looks like…

manufacture again and be a productive creative nation no longer relying on cheap labour and imports" - Jacki Clark "an honest and truly empowering movement for everyone ... Community-led fashion brands are all about making great opportunities to be a part of something greater than purchasing an item" - Lucia Gašparidesová "a personal and political act - wearing, repairing and sharing our loved clothes" - Professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas "like-minded people creating a movement and striving to make change" - Nicole Christie "it is growing on a daily basis and will be a firm fixture on the fashion horizon in years to come" - Gillian McNeill "conversations, connections, collaborations, coalitions, convenings - caring" - Mairi Lowe "experiential collaborative retail where born sustainable brands work together with supportive visionary and responsible landlords to halt decimation of our high street." - Antoinette Fionda-Douglas "conscious making reflective of place" Sarah Diver Lang "a more individual and authentic place" - David Black "an accessible and inviting place for diverse creative activities" - Liisa Lehtinen "independent, local brands thriving in a slow and circular economy" - Sarah Richardson "an ongoing examination of the very definition of sustainability. Supporting local economies establishes long-lasting relationships and moves the sustainability conversation beyond blanket platitudes to a place of ingenuity and inclusivity" - Megan Clark "Harris Tweed, an iconic cloth woven sustainably by a community of home weavers in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland" - Dr Karen Cross "prioritising relationships and connection" - Cassandra Belanger "good vibes for everyone" - Siobhan Duff "masses of individuals who enjoy each other, love to be creative through their clothes, and protect nature from the ravages of greed" - Karen Finn "a harmonious, creative, caring, sharing community of co-creators, helping the planet and people to thrive!" - Niki Taylor "a tribe bound together by common values who are part of the global grassroots movement helping to change one of the most polluting and unjust sectors in the world" - Jolene and Mil "the dressing up box that I had as a kid... empowering people to experiment and express their creativity" - Elaine Ritch "unique, well-loved, and sustainable items" - Miriam Adcock "Thriving communities selling garments, sustainably sourced and ethically made" - Rachel Tame "Consideration of what you're buying and where you're buying from, supporting local artisans and collectively moving towards consuming less." - Kirsty Shearer "Everyone working together to create a better future and make a positive impact." - Martyna Kocon "Consuming less by buying products you genuinely love." - Nicole Schneider "Coming together to share ideas, growing as a community and working towards buying with purpose whilst supporting small businesses" - Christie Phillips