Evergreen Sustainable Fashion: Musing on a sustainable practice

EverGreen: fresh sustainable fashion
Object Gallery 27 January -  25 March 2012

Featuring JULIA KNÜPFER, HOLLY MCQUILLAN and GEORGIA MCCORKILL.

EVERGREEN presents a new generation of designers who are changing the look and feel of eco-fashion with innovative and beautiful designs. While sustainability is a lifestyle choice on the lips of many Australians, these values have yet to be confidently applied to fashion. While consumers and designers are united in their aspirations for sustainable choices, there is a gap in consumer education and eco-conscious designers face considerable challenges in realising their designs.

Today there is a myriad of ways for consumers and fashion enthusiasts to embrace sustainable fashion and support eco-conscious designers. Consider this exhibition a starting point, as we highlight designers dedicated to sustainable practice, uncover innovations in textiles and fashion and suggest more sustainable ways to enjoy fashion.

[Sustainable fashion is an ever-evolving term used to describe a commitment to ethical production, responsible resourcing and natural processes. It considers an article’s enduring value in relation to social & emotional attachment and consumption patterns, and aims toward a system of practice that does not deplete non-renewable resources, does not pollute during manufacture and produces clothing able to be re-absorbed into the environment.]

Julia Knupfer studied fashion at ESMOD Berlin and is set to open a flagship store in Berlin in early 2012. Her label ica watermelon combines sustainability with high fashion, using organic cotton and wool sourced from biological controlled animal welfare. Julia’s knitwear has been described as “futuristic, directional and daring”, with a striking balance between angular, structural forms and delicate knitted accessories. Website

Holly McQuillan  is a lecturer in the Fashion Design program at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts in Wellington. Her research focuses on sustainable design practice by exploring the possibilities of Zero-Waste pattern cutting - a philosophy that challenges existing techniques and encourages smarter design. Website

Georgia Mccorkill  is a designer and PhD candidate dedicated to sustainable special occasion-wear. The Red Carpet Project is a design driven collaboration between designers, celebrities, stylists & publicists, using the red carpet as a forum to raise awareness of environmental problems faced by the fashion industry. Georgia uses natural eucalyptus plant dyes and up-cycled fabric remnants to achieve stunning environmentally conscious gowns. Website

Links 
Object Gallery website 
Sustainability stories website