GETTING ENOUGH VEGE

So I want to talk about clothing and the relation to craft and sustainability. I know a lot of you will tune out after the word sustainability but bare with me. We all love a bit of cheap asos goodness once in a while but after looking at my waredrobe and thinking wow I have a whole lot of shit that either I bought for one occasion, or the fit wasn't right because I bought it online in excitement or the fabrication wasn't there. It's normally all the mass produced bits that get cast away when it comes to cleaning out your wardrobe, and keeping the special, good fitting staples by your side. 

Even with my own purchases of late I have really tried to be critical. Asking myself do I need it, do I love love love it, will it be versatile and how has it been made? Has it been made with love and care or just thrown together at the cheapest of costs. This is what brought me to the brand Vege Threads. To give a little more insight into the brand and their ethos I put together a quick interview with the Creative Director of the brand Amy Roberts.

Would you say you are a part of the slow fashion movement?

I think that's a good way of describing it. The ethos of Vege is all about sustainability and I don't believe fashion fashion is at all sustainable.  I will never be a mass produced label, as that would go against everything I am encompassing in the brand. I feel as though recently, more people are slowing down and there has definitly been a small shift in consciousness about our fast paced lifestyles. The more people I speak too, are taking more time for simplicity, whether that's where/how they shop, time for friends and family , less work and in turn less stress. And this is where I want vege threads to sit. Apart of the slower, more thoughtful, conscious part of the industry. I think although its 'slow' over time will gain more growth than fast fashion. 

What makes Vege Threads garments so unique?

The most unique element to a VT garment is the natural dyes. Vary few brands out there specialise in this, so it's been really exciting getting to showcase that in Australia..Along with this we only use certified materials and are conscious each step of the way with our packaging through to donating a % of our online sales to our chosen charity. 

Being an ethical fashion brand in a highly fast fashion focused society why do you think it is so important for brands to switch their means of production to move towards a more sustainable model?

I think at the moment all businesses in all fields should be looking towards a more sustainable model. I think we have reached a point now where extreme action needs to be taken. I hope that through small projects, initiatives and awareness more changes can happen and creative a positive movement about being sustainable and caring about the future of our environment.   It's hard building a small eco –model, especially in fashion as it's the big players who need to make the switch They are causing the big problems, thus can also make big impacts by implementing even small sustainable changes.  In fashion, the industry is not sustainable. There aren't even enough plantations available to supply projected production quantities of big brands in a number of years.  The wastage is horrifying and landfill is full of wasted clothing , not to mention the toxicity in water ways due to chemical dying and dangers associated with conventional farming of fibres such as cotton I will continue to push my label in the clothing industry, educate and work on a small scale and hopefully through that inspire people to make more conscious decisions whether that's personal or business. 

How would you describe the Vege Threads girl?

The Vege Threads girl is someone who is interested in sustainability and an organic lifestyle, but isn't necessarily an eco-extremist. I believe there is a shift happening at the moment, where more an more young people are becoming aware and questioning the things we put in and on our bodies. I think my market has really been those who have discovered a recent interest in the ecological side of the industry and having found VT as an accessible alternative in the Australian fashion market. 

What would you say the essential Vege Threads garment is?

The best piece so far is the summer tank. It's a more masculine ' muscle tank' cut, but works really well on all body shapes. Its available in the organic cotton and the tencel, and I'd have to say the sheer tencel is my favourite piece. If you're after a simple thrown on dress the maxi tank dress is perfect. 

Jasmine x