Designing For Nature

Thoughts on the future of outdoor apparel design.

Published on the Re-action Collective website 31st October 2024

I’ve spent the last 20 years of my career designing functional clothing - most of that for the outdoor industry. More recently I've also been working in education; helping up coming generations of designers get to grips with designing for function and purpose. 

I’ve learned alot and seen many changes in the outdoor and performance apparel world - and now being involved with the Re-action collective I’ve taken some time to really consider how I want to work and interact with the system, and if it is even a system I really believe in.

Designing gear for the outdoors is different to designing fashion.

But designing kit for outdoor professionals is not the same as designing gear for the general public, and within that ‘generalist’ area there are a myriad of ways to differentiate between different end users.

Many authentic outdoor brands began because an individual wanted to create gear to meet their own specific needs. 

It's why some brands are associated with mountains, some with trails, some with travel and some with the ocean.  Somewhere along the way I think ‘we’ have lost sight of what's important. Getting caught up in chasing higher performance stats and impressive or novel innovations for the sake of marketing and profit rather than creating product that meets genuine functional needs and really helps a person get out into nature in a safe and comfortable way.

There will always be a need to cater for the the experts,for those professionals who are out (often working) in extreme environments - I see as its own sector

But what if we address the majority user, the more generalist citizen? What if we were to take a different approach to the outdoor clothing we create for them?

What if we asked…

What motivates you to get outdoors?

What is it that you want to experience?

How is it you want or hope to feel

I wonder what garments and products would we end up with and what materials we would choose?

If you live in the UK it’s pretty customary to talk about and complain about the weather, but personally, I actually quite like the weather, and I mean all the weather! 

I'm not keen on days on end of howling wind and rain, or dreary grey skies, but with the exception of those conditions that tip into the extreme and the potentially life threatening, I can, for the most part appreciate all the elements.

Like most people I love to feel the warm sun on my skin. 

But also I like to immerse myself in cool water. 

Sometimes I like to immerse myself in cold water - I love the tingling skin feeling it gives me and how alive that makes me feel, even better if that water is salty!

I also like to feel the breeze, to feel air moving around me. 

I really enjoy that feeling of being in open space and leaning into powerful wind and the experience of a blustery coastal path and getting just a bit blown about.

I enjoy running in the rain. 

Even more if it’s an out of the blue downpour where you literally have no hope of sheltering or staying dry.

I don’t really mind rain generally - at least not when I’m out in nature I love the smell of a rain soaked forest.

I also like cold crisp air on my face.

Cold, warmth, wind, rain, snow - all of the weathers! Being able to actually experience them all makes me feel alive.

So I wonder why it is that so much of the gear we are sold to help us ‘get outdoors’ is concerned with shielding us from the weather, drastically reducing our experience of it.

In the race to create the kit with the highest of performance and protection levels we’ve found ourselves using a myriad of synthetic materials, chemical treatments and technologies that we now know to actually be harmful to the environment we originally set out to enjoy.

We are also in a situation where people’s expectations of what their clothing can and should do for them have reached considerable heights, and not necessarily linked with any realistic view of how they are used out in the environment or how they could, or should interact with other garments and equipment.

Obviously I don’t want to spend long periods of time being very cold or very soggy, equally I don’t want to be out in blazing heat without protection or shade.  

I’m not suggesting for a minute we should all head out to climb Ben Nevis in flip flops and swim shorts in winter, and I’m not saying we should ditch all we know and have created to this point and just start again.

But things are different now, and we shouldn't just do things one way because that's how they’ve always been done!

We know so much more, we have access to a whole host of  research and information, we are developing new technologies and have a really extensive selection of materials and potential solutions to explore and use.

So perhaps, moving forward, we can adopt a more realistic view of the levels of activity we will undertake and the weather conditions we’re genuinely likely to experience. Perhaps we can consider how we want to feel in the outdoors and dress accordingly.

Perhaps that will mean that we can and will embrace some of the elements rather than just armouring up against them. 

The Textile trade events we actually need: The Future Fabrics Expo.

An article for TEXTILE Magazine (Published in December 2024)

I share thoughts on the way fabric trade shows must evolve to play a more constructive role in changing the textile industry to be a force for good. Using the Future Fabrics Expo as a case study it discusses how industry events can and should focus on transparency, collaboration,  investment and action.

Over my career I’ve been to quite a lot of trade shows. I design functional clothing for a living so mostly I attend shows focused on performance fabrics, the outdoors or sportswear, with a few other, more fashion centred shows sprinkled along the way. In more recent years my reasons for attending shows have shifted. I’m no longer concerned with hunting down ‘trends’ and reporting on what brands and suppliers are pushing as the ‘latest’ must have. I'm tired of seeing brands compete to have the ‘best’ new innovations whilst simultaneously hiding all the interesting stuff behind screens so only a chosen few, usually buyers or the press, can see them. Instead I go to trade shows for the opportunity to connect with industry colleagues, engage with informative panel talks, discuss positive routes forward and discover developments and innovations that will genuinely benefit the industry and the planet. Not many shows offer all of this. One show that does, in my opinion, stand apart from the rest, ticking a lot of boxes on my ‘industry event requirement list’ is The Future Fabrics Expo (FFE) from The Sustainable Angle. 

There are many aspects of FFE that differ from the standard fabric sourcing show or textile industry conference, and I believe that if our industry is to see meaningful positive change,  other shows and events need to follow in their footsteps.

I met with the FFE team earlier this year following the 2024 edition at the Magazine exhibition hall in London.  We had a great discussion, talking about their initial goals, how the show has evolved and grown and what might potentially come next.

The Future Fabrics Expo is, I think, less of a trade show and more a curated exhibition. 

An exhibition that:

• Gives a clear picture of the current state of the textile industry. This includes everything from the different types of raw materials in use, to what can and is being recycled. The positives, the negatives, the progress and the areas that need work, all presented and backed up with solid facts and figures. 

• Collates a selection of commercially available materials from a variety of mills so brands can easily identify and source materials that have a lower negative impact on the planet.

• Showcases new innovations focussed on positive impact;  that are either looking for investment, or starting to scale

Aesthetic appeal and demystifying the details.

When I spoke with the FFE team they explained how they set out to shake off the granola image of ‘sustainable textiles’. They wanted to increase knowledge, and to encourage acceptance. The look and feel of the show plays a major role in doing this. The world of fashion is all about aesthetics and the team explained how important it was for them to create something beautiful, in order to get their message across and bring the industry along with them.

Other shows will often present current trends and offer insights into where those in the know think things are heading next. But at FFE there are no ‘seasonal direction’ displays or trend predictions. There is a refreshing absence of ‘next seasons colours’ and no talk of ‘must have silhouettes’. Instead the show offers you a broad spectrum of genuinely useful  information to help inform your fabric decisions. 

As you work your way around the exhibition you find some often very sobering facts and statistics related to the textile and apparel industry. There are also details about the various properties and impacts of raw materials and fabric types, the different textiles processes that come into play, and how existing and upcoming legislation affects the value chain. 

All of these things are presented via attractive infographics that are clear, easy to read, and also coincidentally really nice to look at.

Easy sourcing for everyday fabrics

The FFE team were keen to express the importance of the curated sourcing area as a place where you can find more standard or everyday fabrics. Switching a fabric used widely within a range to a more sustainable alternative is where some of the biggest impacts can be made - particularly for larger brands. 

In this respect FFE does not act as the middleman or sales person. They want to ‘hand over sustainable textiles on a silver platter’. So instead of rails and rails of swatches from any one fabric mill, there are carefully selected swatches from a range of suppliers, all chosen in line with strict criteria and displayed in categories so they are easy to find. Everything is open source - so each hanger has all the details you need about the fabric itself and the supplier - you can simply scan the QR code and you will have all the information you need to connect with the mill.

At the same time, the team emphasise that whilst switching to ‘better’ options is positive and should be encouraged, simply being ‘less bad’ is not the end goal. They are constantly looking for new textile alternatives, looking to ’diversify the fibre basket’ with materials that can actually benefit the planet; not simply do less harm.

Showcasing innovation.

FFE really champions the exploration of alternative raw materials, and new processes and each show includes a showcase of new innovations. This isn't just a presentation exercise, the goal is to provide important exposure for the innovators to facilitate collaborations and promote investment to allow projects to scale.  Transparency is key of course so alongside the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of each innovation and relevant contact details,  you’ll always find information to indicate if the work is a student project, a start up looking for investment, an SME looking to scale, or an established company offering a commercially available product. 

If you need proof that textile innovation is on the rise, then it's worth noting that back in 2011 at the first show there were just 8 items in the innovation area, now there are over 70! Innovations are never featured at the show twice, unless of course things have developed significantly to move a project on. It is perhaps a mark of the show’s success in connecting innovators with investors, that there are a number of projects that have been featured as new innovations, that have since returned to the show as fully fledged companies with commercially available products.  

Keeping the conversation going and converting talk into action.

The overall FFE experience is complemented by a broad ranging program of talks involving a variety of industry stakeholders. Discussion and debate continue to be an essential part of the process of change and there are still many people to educate and bring into the conversation. 

Personally, I’ve now lost count of the number of panel talks and presentations I've listened to, as well as papers and posts that I've read, explaining the problems and challenges we face as an industry. Sometimes It feels like everyone is enthusiastic to agree what's going wrong, but seemingly a lot less motivated to actively and intentionally roll up their sleeves and do the work.

Over the series of FFE shows I have attended I have actually seen the talks become increasingly action focussed. There has been a logical progression from initially stating problems, talking about what needs to be done, through to discussing the solutions in action (and their real time challenges). This is of course a real positive but I think one of the challenges for FFE is keeping that momentum going and to convert talk and discussion into meaningful action and results. 

The importance of having the right people in the room and getting them to act.

When it comes to having an impact, the team considers an important key to success is to be appealing to a wide audience and reaching those who have the power to make decisions.

Back in 2011 the first show was tiny and attended mostly, the team speculated, by those players already convinced of the need for industry change. In a sense at the start they were preaching to the converted.

But appetite for this kind of event has undoubtedly grown, by the time I attended for the first time in 2018 the ‘trend’ for sustainability had definitely landed, the show was very busy, with the panel talks being standing room only. Of course sustainability is not a ‘trend’, neither is it an ‘added bonus’, or a ‘special project’. It is an integral part of the textile industry and therefore needs to be treated as such. 

The FFE team shared the view that the brands that are ‘driving and thriving (in the sustainability space) are the ones that bring all departments into the process. Not just those employed as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibilty) executives, or just the design team, but a real cross section of the whole business - because we need whole systems change across the board and that means collaboration and a holistic approach. 

Beyond the show itself The Sustainable Angle offers a selection of advisory services.  This includes workshops related to sustainable sourcing practices and strategy,  bespoke mini-expositions of curated materials, materials research and reports specific to a company's needs as well as advice on the relevant language and terminology to use in communication with target audiences. 

A selection of the best practice materials from each show is available via a virtual expo - making it easy for anyone to access even if they do not attend the show in person. All talks and seminars from the show are recorded and available on demand via the website, and you can also find a selection free to access reports, papers, legislation and guidelines related to sustainable fashion and textiles. 

This open source approach is so integral to progress. Having information easily available and not just restricted to those with subscriptions or large budgets is imperative if we are to get all stakeholders on board with industry change.

The Future of Future Fabrics

There FFE has come a long way since its inception in 2011, in terms of content size and attendance. I asked the team what they think might come next? There is a sense that the ‘Future’ is in fact here and now, and that although there will always be new innovations to showcase, there is alot about the show’s content that can and must be about action today. Whether that means a name change is in order or not, it's true to say that the work will never be ‘done’ and the show and its related services and resources can and must endure.

I myself would like to now see things stretch beyond better material options. Some thorough exploration around, for example re-use, repair, and repurposing; not just to showcase special projects or tiny niche businesses but to demonstrate these things (and other alternatives) as integral and worthwhile pieces of the fashion and textile eco-system. I’d love to see a showcase of alternative business models, that consider the planet and environment as key stakeholders, focussed on positive impact rather than simply ever increasing profit. 

It is evident that the blueprint of accurate information, high quality aesthetics, broad appeal across all industry levels and an open source approach are a recipe for success, not just in terms of ‘good business’ but as a means of facilitating genuine industry change. 

I believe other shows can and should learn from the FFE example, if they dont they are probably at risk of becoming a lot less relevant to a textile industry that absolutely has to change - whether it wants to or not!

Take-Aways from Performance Days Fabric Fair, March 2024

I’ve just come back from Performance Days in Munich. After a few seasons ‘off’ attending the show in person I decided it was time to go and see/touch/feel some fabrics, listen to talks and get a renewed ‘in real life’ sense for the way the industry is evolving.

I was  recently asked by a friend for recommendations on buying a ‘sustainable’ waterproof jacket.This year's show theme was "Beyond Bottles; the Future of Polyester" so I was pretty interested to get the progress update around how we create performance fabrics without using virgin fossil based ingredients and without just turning bottles into textiles. 

The show was full of talk about textile to textile recycling, There were a number of fabrics on show that were ‘made from textile waste’ however on further investigation it seems very few if any were commercially available - with most recycled polyesters still being produced from PET bottles. The problem it seems is partly one of price, but also due to lack of accessible feedstock.

The technology to recycle textiles into textiles exists and is proven to work, whether that be by a mechanical or chemical process (dependent on fibre type)  but you can’t recycle without feedstock. The feedstock exists; There are literally tons of unwearable textiles in existence - but the infrastructure to collect and sort these textiles and get them into recycling loops is not yet there.

The Accelerating Circularity team did a great job of advocating for the need for localised collecting and sorting systems, to feed into localised recycling facilities. Instead of shipping containers of textiles around the world to be sorted/processed/landfilled/incinerated we could be reprocessing textiles back into raw materials and then sending that to the relevant places to be turned back into yarn/fabric/garments.

Blended fibres are a current mainstay of technical clothing, with different fibres being mixed to give optimum performance and hand-feel. But blends are also problematic for recycling. 

In the innovation area I was encouraged by Climatex’s DUALCYCLE circular technology. This innovation allows a textile to be created from more than one fibre type, in such a way that they can be separated at end of life. Two fibres ( or more) can be combined and are essentially held together by a third which can also be dissolved via a particular process allowing the two fibres to be separated and then directed into their own appropriate recycling streams. Currently focussed for the upholstery and workwear sector, there's potential for other materials for the sports/outdoor industry to be developed.

Alongside recycling there was continued work around alternatives to fossil based synthetic fabrics with an increasing number of ‘biobased’ materials on show. As always it's important to go under the surface of these more sustainable sounding terms and I was interested to find out that of the 2 ingredients needed to create these PET fabrics only one (the MEG) can currently be replaced with non fossil based alternatives. The other ingredient (PTA) is still fossil derived.

Fibre Fragments continue to be an issue (for both synthetics and  natural fibres) but some progress is being made to help combat this problem within synthetics. CiCLO® were showcasing their textile ingredient that can be added to polyester and nylon (both virgin or recycled). Thoroughly blended with the base polymer the additive allows naturally occurring microorganisms to break down and digest the fiber. This innovation is not about creating biodegradable clothing but to combat the issue of fiber fragments that would otherwise persist in the environment forever.

So, in terms of the future of polyester it seems:

• Textile to textile recycling is still in its infancy and we need to build collecting and sorting infrastructure to allow it to scale successfully.

• There is still much work to do in the bio-based materials field, to create appropriate alternatives that require no fossil based ingredients at all.

• Research continues into fibre fragmentation and innovations are emerging to help combat the problem.

All of these points really emphasised for me the importance of the role designers play in the shift to a more closed loop system. Before something gets anywhere near the point of recycling it needs to have a long and useful life. Features, fit, durability, repairability alongside aesthetics all contribute to the longevity of life any garment can have.

As designers/product creators it's important we are realistic about what performance qualities we really need in our kit and that is about features not just fabrics. We can and should be asking (demanding) to use the right materials for the job, to create purposeful functional clothing that is not over engineered for the sake of a marketing story.  Synthetics have been a mainstay in the sports and outdoor sector for many years, and when you look at the technical attributes its easy to see why.  But I feel like we (should) have moved on from the days where we chase the highest waterproof/breathability rating on the lightest shell fabric, or the fastest drying shirt material - with little regard for the realistic end use. 

Whilst on the Woolmark Company stand I saw a woven wool materials with lovely look and handfeel. It was constructed in such a way as to be highly water repellent whilst still breathable, demonstrating that we can achieve very effective weather protection using natural fibres. Natural fibres do not automatically mean no negative impact of course; but I think further exploration of natural fibres within performance fabrics is worth it! When we are selecting fabrics for clothing, we should be driven by purpose and appropriate function over high performance for high performance sake.

There were plenty of other interesting developments at Performance days but my main two takeaways were 

1. We need to genuinely collaborate to make progress; we need to work across disciplines and join the dots to ensure we can genuinely move to a more circular system.

2. We also need to refocus on designing for genuine purpose and function. We don’t need huge quantities of super high performance clothing But we do need durable clothing, with appropriate levels of performance, designed to be easily repairable and used and used and used before ultimately being (hopefully) recycled.

As for my friend and her hunt for a new waterproof; I reported back to her that jackets made from bottles aren't automatically ‘sustainable’ but that she was unlikely to find a commercially available waterproof in her budget that wasn’t made from this kind of recycled polyester. I suggested she focussed her search on finding the best fitting waterproof she could , whether it be made of recycled PET or not; she should find a jacket that was an appropriate length and fit to give maximum coverage from the rain in any of the activities she was likely to find herself wearing it for; To ensure that cuffs/hem/waste/hood adjusted to her comfort/taste and to accommodate layers worn underneath; but most importantly to buy it and look after it, and wear it for many many years to come!

Designing Loved Clothes. How can we Create More Emotionally and Culturally Durable Apparel

The textile world is full of innovation; new materials, production methods, and ways to recycle. Although exciting and necessary these don’t truly address the elephant in the apparel room: Over consumption!

Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we don’t wear and charity shops are overwhelmed with donations as people try to ‘responsibly’ clear out their closets, however even when shopping second hand or in ‘ethical’ stores we continue to buy so much more than we really need.

As a clothing designer, I’ve been considering how to use my skills and knowledge effectively without adding to the endless piles of stuff already on the rails. A key element to slowing down the system and reducing the quantities of clothes in our wardrobes is around giving garments more worth. How can we design in value and at the same time design out the notion of clothes as temporary, disposable items? The answer is no quick fix. We’ve been conditioned for decades to desire and value newness, to keep up with trends and give ourselves a boost with ‘retail therapy’.

I have been spending some time exploring ideas around how designers in particular can practically contribute to a more climate positive apparel industry. I began with a straightforward question; What clothes do people love and why? First I considered some of my own favourite garments.

As a functional and outdoor clothing designer I often look to Japanese brands and magazines for inspiration. I love their approach to technical clothing; so when my other half came back from a trip to Tokyo with a pair of shorts from Aldies (the clothing brand not the supermarket) I was over the moon. These are THE best shorts - they are not too long nor too short. They are neutral in palette so can be worn with a variety of colours. They do however feature some colour and print, so they don’t feel dull! I can wear them in a multitude of ways depending on the weather and the occasion. But most importantly to me they have so many practical pockets! I can carry all my essentials without fear of losing them. They also make me very happy because they are not something you see everywhere on the high street

Another example is my first Denim Jacket: I was 16 when I desperately wanted a denim jacket, specifically a Levi’s one. I saved up, went into the store to look at it and tried it on multiple times before I had enough money to actually buy it. Once it was mine I wore it at every opportunity. I didn’t buy it because it’s ‘a classic’, my 16 year old brain had no interest in classic/timeless dressing, I bought it because I perceived it to be cool.

I really treasured that jacket and wore it repeatedly until it came to the end of its wearable life. It had holes in the elbows and frayed cuffs but I was still unwilling to let it go. By this time I was a design/textiles student so I got out my sewing kit and reworked it into a skirt. Once again I had an awesome garment to wear over and over again. I was proud because it still had its Levi’s label and also because I’d remade it myself. It was unique and in my late teens /early 20’s looking a bit different was very important to me. Sadly I’m not the same size or shape as I was when I was in my early twenties and the skirt has long since parted company for a charity shop. I do still however have the small denim bag that I made from the offcuts!

For me at least, the key to a garment being a favourite and having longevity in my wardrobe is a combination of;

• Uniqueness: things I don’t always see everyone wearing, either through rarity, being home-made or being customised.

• Fit: comfortable, flattering and easy to wear.

• Versatility in use: so it can be worn in different ways for different occasions.

• Joy: it needs to allow me to feel like myself. I want to be comfortable and authentic in it, and then I’ll be happy to wear it over and over again.

A quick anecdotal survey via social media indicates I’m not alone in my thinking. Lots of people referenced good fit, multi-use and ease of wear. Function came up too - although that might be a reflection of my connections within outdoor/ sports/technical clothing. Value for money was important – it’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean ‘cheap’ but if an item was bought at a reduced price or found second hand and deemed as ‘a bargain’ that definitely boosts its appeal. There were also comments about ‘feeling wonderful’ in favourite garments, and happy memories attached to them which I found particularly interesting. So there are some obvious things a designer can do to boost the practical and emotional durability of a garment:

• Design for function and really understand the purpose of the garments you’re creating. Don’t let that purpose be only ‘to follow the latest trend’.

• Pay attention to fit, consider adjustability or ease of altering to allow garments to be worn despite changing body shapes.

• Choose the most suitable materials that allow the garment to do all of the above whilst also having an appropriately long life and a low impact end of life

So far so practical! As a designer of technical apparel it’s not a million miles away from the process I already follow. I think the real challenge is how to design in ‘making someone feel wonderful’. Is that even possible? How do we create something that can hold memories and foster affection? How can we ‘design in’ that ‘emotional attachment’ that gives our clothes more longevity?

I’m pretty sure such things are not on the radar for most high street brands, which means it doesn’t apply to clothes that are most accessible to the majority of people. The high street is full of micro trends that are in and out in the blink of an eye designed to be worn once and discarded, often sold at a misleadingly cheap price point which only lowers the perceived value of all clothing even more.

I got to thinking that perhaps the answer is in how we used to do things? The fast fashion model of the current high street is actually pretty new. It wasn’t so long ago that clothes were made to order or made on demand or simply in smaller amounts. You had your ‘best clothes’ for special occasions, you had clothes for seasons more dictated by the weather than fashion fads. And the high street, as we know it, used to have just 2 - 4 ‘seasons’ a year.

When I was young I remember looking at high profile designers and seeing them create stories for catwalk collections - there would be themes and ideas interpreted into clothes - clothes were used as a medium to express messages or tell stories. Garments were crafted with care and intelligence to be works of art and that art and creativity was well respected.

As I entered the garment industry I was disappointed to find that so many fashion design jobs involved ‘interpreting’ (copying) catwalk trends, cheaply and quickly, for the high street market. Where is the joy of creativity in that?

It’s not that our clothing should all be the work of famous designers, I believe that good quality clothing should be accessible to all, but surely there can be a happier medium? If “Fashion” as an industry were to move away from microtrends and constant newness, updating your wardrobe could be more about adapting existing clothes or getting them altered. Using what you already have and evolving it to suit changing tastes or trends would not only be a creative solution but also open up different types of work within local communities.

I’d love to see a shift to a more service based industry where those with the skills to sew and create new garments can also alter, rework, mend and adapt to changing preferences and body shapes. There could be so much more scope for creativity and customisation. A shift from prescriptive trends to personal style!

There will, of course, always be ‘trends’. What we wear has and will continue to be influenced by changing environments and cultural/historical events. This can be a much slower and organic process than the recent fast fashion model. A slower system still allows for different style tribes or aesthetic preferences - designers and brands can still have ‘signature looks’ and ‘handwriting’ that cater for the spectrum of tastes and finances but in a way that doesn’t leave 4 shops in a row on the high street offering slightly varied versions of the same item.

In today’s world shopping is used as a dopamine fix. We get a buzz out of hitting the shops, but that buzz can quickly wear off and often the garment we just bought falls out of favour with us just as quickly as that buzz. We need other ways to get

our ‘fix’ other than endless shopping. Perhaps it’s possible to get the same dopamine hit from simply looking and trying on and having a joyful experience experimenting with looks and different garments, with no need to actually purchase anything. Or maybe you just rent for a special occasion? If you do decide to buy then having a garment tweaked to your shape or preferences might just stop it sitting unworn in your wardrobe as an impulse buy that wasn’t quite right.

There is a business local to me that already plays with this concept - offering ‘dress up’ sessions to try on their range of preloved and vintage pieces, offering an experience you can share with friends without having to actually buy clothes you don’t really need. You get the dopamine hit of newness and style experimentation without having to add clothes you won’t wear to your wardrobe.

As designers we could share the creative process more often, explain our material choices and the thinking behind our designs. If the process is more visible then it’s more valuable and respected and that value and respect can extend to mass produced garments not just artisan one offs. By sharing the skills and knowledge and educating not just budding fashion designers but all consumers we can increase the value put on clothing across the board - whether you’re talking about a garment that costs GBP£20 or GBP£200.

As a designer we can and should

• Design things that can be altered and customised and encourage this! Offer services to make this part of the wardrobe system so a garment can evolve and change with its owner over time.

• Educate people about the skilful art of designing and making by sharing stories and teaching others about your creative process.

• Slow down - don’t regurgitate microtrends, be true to your individual design style. Design with purpose and quality in mind combined with your signature aesthetic.

I would love to see a shift in value, an emphasis on creative thinking and an appreciation of craftsmanship as opposed to simply ticking the latest microtrend box. Increasing the understanding of the skills needed to design and manufacture garments is a key to shifting habits. If designers can help reconnect people with materials, and the processes involved in creating textiles and garments, then we can in turn, help people value their clothes more.

By increasing understanding we encourage mindful choices of well made, durable, garments that will be loved and cared for, for many years. We can then, I believe, slow the whole system down, and genuinely reduce our overconsumption of fashion.

This is an article written for “Textile” ; The magazine for subscribers of The Textile Institute. The full article with images is also posted to my LinkedIn page.

Being more "outsidey" in winter changes how you think about clothes.

I love the outdoors. There are so many benefits to being out in the fresh air, in natural light and surrounded by nature. I also appreciate a ramble through the woods isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  But as we continue to live with Covid-19 and all the restrictions that it puts on our daily lives, I think it’s safe to say even those who don’t consider themselves ‘outdoorsy’ are probably going to find themselves being a bit more ‘outsidey’ this winter.

And you know what? I’m excited about this. 

I’m excited at the prospect of thousands of people heading outside and really having to think about the clothes they are going to wear. This isn’t just because I design technical clothing for a living and like to geek out about layering and performance fabrics...although that obviously helps. It’s about seeing a potential positive shift in mindset.

Just by asking if they will be warm enough, if it is likely to rain, and by thinking about the practical side of their chosen outfit, a person will be taking a step towards a more conscious wardrobe. 

We should all be buying less and buying better, and right now I’m feeling hopeful that this small adjustment in thought process could contribute to a longer term change in attitude. As we are pushed to spend more time outside, regardless of the weather, we are pushed to consider the practicality of our clothing and that, I hope, will filter into our natural thought process when it comes to choosing the clothes we need. 

When considering a new garment maybe the questions we ask will move away from superficial trends and colours and move towards questions about our practical needs. Will that coat actually keep me dry? Does the hood fit? Can I wear it over multiple layers? Is that jumper going to keep me warm without getting all sticky and sweaty? and a personal favourite;  are those pockets actually big enough to put things in?

My point is this. Our clothes should definitely bring us joy, and help us express who we are, and make us feel happy and confident but ultimately they should also work! They should meet our practical needs and keep doing so season on season so they don’t spend a lifetime sitting in the wardrobe unworn, or get thrown out destined for landfill because they just don’t do the job!

Perhaps whilst we are all gathered (in a socially distanced way) around a patio heater this winter we will find an extra reason to be more mindful about the clothing choices we make.