The makers are marching in the world of fashion - designing for sustainability, community, ingenuity and tradition
From the Tunisian-based ITINERANCE
Atlas of the Future runs some extraordinary global editorial, celebrating autonomy, community and self-expression from right across the world. Here are items from this week’s theme of makers in the fashion world. Their intro below:
The pandemic has highlighted what many already knew: the people who make our clothes are not rewarded or treated fairly. These projects see the world’s makers as the valuable and skilled community that they are, and have found ways to put power back in their hands. Join us to meet the people keeping hold of long-held traditions, creating dignified work, and getting more people making.
1 A creative factory
“Workers should have the opportunity to express themselves through their creations in order to be seen and heard by today’s public.” – Kim Hou
FRANCE – ‘Creative’ and ‘factory’: two words not often seen together. It’s time they were. About A Worker describes itself as a ‘creative factory’ that brings clothes factory workers into the design process so that their perspectives and talents can be seen and heard. A universal language ►
2 Traditions for the future
“We must imagine alternative business models which are not tied to the conventional capitalist growth philosophy.” – WhyWeCraft founders
ROMANIA – Culture, craft and the history of making clothes are important threads that weave together our clothes’ meaning. WhyWeCraft creates immersive experiences for consumers, artisans and designers that take them closer to our cultural heritage of making. These clothes have history ►
3 David v Goliath
“Some Tunisian artisans do not have enough orders to continue operating, which means that their incredible know-how disappears.”
– Alexia Tronel
FRANCE – Despite artisan know-how stretching back to ancient times, independent clothes makers around the Mediterranean now struggle against big global brands to survive. ITINÉRANCE is equipping textile workers with the commercial slingshot to take on Goliathan international companies. Power to the makers ►
4 Fashion’s invisible world
“For us to feel good in our clothes, fashion’s most essential workers must be paid fairly and have safety and security at work.” – Remake
US – What if we could rethink, reimagine, remake the world of fashion? Remake is a non-profit that’s asking hard questions and demanding big solutions to issues that affect the many thousands of people who make clothes, and the planet we all share. Go behind the scenes ►
5 Old industry, new tricks
“There is a necessity to reinvent our way of living, consuming and producing by bridging the gap between academia and industry.” – Anastasia Pistofidou
CATALONIA – In the world of fast fashion, there's a lack of transparency about how clothes are made. Fabricademy is changing this, by educating the next generation of makers using an innovative 'distributed learning platform' to create a giant, global classroom. Sustainability's cutting edge ►
6 Cooperative clothing
"If you try to sell people thousands of new products every month, you’re never going to be a good guy.” – Patrick Grant
UK – Long-lasting, locally made, affordable classic designs: this isn’t just a beautiful idea. Community Clothing, launched by The Great British Sewing Bee's Patrick Grant, is a clothing company on a mission to create jobs for local cooperatives who make ethical, sustainable clothes. A hive of opportunities ►