The future of fashion is already here and it’s vintage, upcycled, ethical and trendless. Voxfrock reports from one of Melbourne Fashion Festival‘s most important runways.
Words and photos: Tilly Parsons (Scroll to meet her)
Thread Lightly Runway transported us to a world where fashion met eco-conscious innovation in collections by Goodbyes, Hyde & Stone, Joslin, Madre Natura, Nevenka, Nobody Denim and Yanggurdi.
These future-driven brands address the environmental impact of fashion by generating new pathways toward an ethical and sustainablefuture industry.
The fashion industry makes a sizeable contribution to carbon emissions and waste. In Australia alone, an estimated 260,000 tones of clothing is sent to landfill each year.
Thread Lightly’s curation of brands were picked because they creatively respond to this problem through innovative craftsmanship of natural textiles, use of circular economies, upcycling and recycling second-hand pieces.
A standout of the night, Hyde & Stone’s new collection “Capsule 9” presented an elegant capsule collection of garments that can be worn again, and again for many years.
Born in Byron Bay, Hyde & Stone is known for its coastal aesthetic, timeless silhouettes and high-quality fibres. The brand’s designer, Jemyma Kavanagh is last year’s winner of the David Jones National Designer People’s Choice award and her fashion story began at home.
Jemyma and her grandmother spent hours together hand designing and tailoring garments. This intergenerational collaboration of making clothes at home, over time, stands in stark contrast to fast fashion modes of production that produce new lines every season.
Jemyma guides Hyde and Stone collections by the principals of longevity, quality, sustainability and durability over fleeting fads, each beautifully designed piece seeming to tell a story of renewal and rebirth. Her Capsule 9 group included cunningly layered bespoke suits comprising classic earth-toned jackets, luxurious, airy pants and milky silk shirts.
Thread Lightly’s curation of local brands, and many more who follow similar practices, invite us to look beyond trends and focus on long-term staples rather than flimsy disposable clothing.