Rana Plaza - Ten Year On

In April 2013, the Rana Plaza building, which housed a number of garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed killing 1,140 people and causing life changing injuries to many more.  Cracks had appeared in the building the previous day and workers were told if they didn’t go back in to work they would lose pay.  At the time, I was just beginning my clothing business and the tragedy confirmed to me that I had to have an ethical and responsible approach.

From Fashion Revolution ‘Money Fashion Power’ zine #01

Ten years on, working conditions in Bangladeshi factories have significantly improved, however the rights of its garment workers are still perilous and they are still waiting to receive a living wage.  If you’re interested in finding out more, here are links to two podcast I’ve listened to which are a reminder of the event itself and look at how things are today.

https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2023/5/4/ep184-rana-plaza-10-years-is-fashion-ethical-yet
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ten-years-after-rana-plaza-has-fashion-changed/id1225204588?i=1000611016107

Why Irish Linen is a Hero Fabric, Crumples and All

“Does it crease?” asked a Skibbereen market goer as she considered the Sarah Shirt (above, optional tie belt not shown), in a tone that conveyed her hope that it didn't and her suspicion that it most probably did. Natural fibre fabrics pretty much have a tendency to crease, to show the place on the sleeve where your elbow bends or how sitting down results in folds to the back and front of your skirt, but I like that it shows the life you live and that you truly live in your clothes. Why do things have to be perfect? Why is it not acceptable to display that our bodies move and clothes take on our shape? I don't mind ironing and many garments do look better for an initial iron, but I'm not sure it's necessary to always have clothing starched and pristine.

Sarah Shirt in Irish linen

Irish linen plays a core role in my collection due to it's history, low carbon footprint, ethical and ecological credentials, but ultimately I like the feel of wearing a garment made of linen, as do many others. It's cool to wear in the summer and warmer in the winter than you may think. I love the heritage of Irish linen and feel that I'm literally carrying a tradition as I wear garments made of Irish linen. Linen has good ecological credentials as the flax requires much less water to grow than say cotton and as it's grown in the EU it's produced to EU legislative regulations.

The experience of working with linen holds pleasures too, as the scissors cleave cleanly through the cloth when cutting our the pattern pieces. Whilst linen is a very structured weave, it's also surprisingly malleable, making it a dream to manipulate and sew.  

On Phil Spencer's Stately Homes on Channel 4, he visits Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England.

The Head Housekeeper shows him the linen table cloth in the Grand Dining Room (frustratingly, she didn't say it was Irish linen, but I think there's every likelihood it was). Table linen is one scenario where in my book at least, ironing has a place. The table seated around 40 guests and I don't know the length, but it touched the ground on either side of the table and was both wide and long. The incredible thing was that it had an embroidered cipher that included the date 1891, signifying the year it was woven. That's nearly 130 years of service!

My response to the 'does it crease' question was along the lines of 'absolutely'. The way linen behaves as a fabric may not be for everyone. In the early 20th century as 'modern' man-made fibres were introduced, one of the selling points of these synthetic, often petrochemical based fabrics, was that they didn't crease, making linen seem old fashioned and less desirable. When I began dressmaking in the 1980's, it was so out of favour that linen simply wasn't available in fabric shops, except for 'linen effect' made of synthetic fibre. Later, having overcome the conditioning of disliking creases and instead embracing them, the crumples, as I prefer to call them, are a part of the charm and character of of the extremely durable Irish linen.

Tip; After laundering, if possible, hang the garment on a hanger to dry in the open air and if the results are to your taste, you may find it doesn't need ironing at all.

Tamsin ✂️

The Covid-19 Pandemic

Here in rural West Cork, there's a stretch in the days and signs of renewal in nature. Ordinarily, we'd be looking forward to venturing out from hibernation as the Summer Season gains a pace and our local markets pick up. However, as a global community, we're facing something we've never seen with the outbreak of Covid-19. None of us know what's ahead, but we've all been informed of what we should and shouldn't be doing regarding our civic responsibility to protect those that are most vulnerable to serious illness. Most of us are based at home now, limiting excursions to only the essential and paying extra attention to hand washing and household hygiene.

Luckily, my studio is at home, so I'm already working from home and don't need to go out in public places. As I write, the market at Skibbereen is now only open for food producers and I'm certainly going to miss the chats. Generally, I'm happy in my own company, but I know that having no social interaction at all will have an impact and I'm keeping in contact with family and friends, particularly those who live alone and are already isolated.

I’m sure this is a message you've heard, but I’ll say it anyway: if your income and security have not been impacted, I encourage you to continue supporting small businesses which will probably mean ordering online. Many of my friends are self-employed makers and are looking at other ways of keeping going, so if you no longer have the chance to buy from them in person, please do find out if they're able to deliver to you or arrange collection. To be candid, this is affecting me, too, so if you've been considering choosing a piece or having something made to measure, do let me know and we'll see what we can work out.

It's getting tougher for us all and the uncertainty of not knowing how long we'll be living this way can feel overwhelming. Personally, I'm very impressed with the Irish government's handling of the crisis and it's leadership. I can't help but reflect on our healthcare workers, whose professionalism we're entirely depending on, and hope once we're though this, at last get the recompense they are due. Ultimately, I'm optimistic and it is my hope that with a worldwide communal effort, we can slow and manage the impact of COVID-19, for everyone's sake and especially for those out there whose health and livelihoods are at risk.

Tamsin ✂️

Searching For Sustainability Beneath The Gloss

In the March edition of The Gloss (the monthly fashion magazine of the Irish Times), 100+ stylish women shared their brand preferences. Eva Power, owner of The Ethical Silk Company, listed labels with sustainable credentials, but if you weren't already familiar with Reformation, Everlane and People Tree, there was no clue that these brands were ethical. Does it matter? It wasn't a piece on Sustainability, so there was no reason to expect ethical preferences to be highlighted, but I was kind of hoping for more ethical brands to be featured. Trawling through the entire magazine, there was no mention of the impact of fashion consumption or the growing movement of ethical options. I guess, being so immersed in the issues myself there's an expectation that it's more mainstream than it is and The Gloss was a reminder that there's a long way to go in raising awareness. We know not to use plastic bags and to challenge

unnecessary food packaging. Currently under the spotlight are single use items like drinking straws and take-out coffee cups and we know what to do about them – say no to straws and have a Keep Cup with us when we're out and about. So why is the conversation regarding fashion so quiet?

Perhaps, The Gloss is not representative of the attitude of the country at large, after all, it's existence is predicated on the advertising of stores like Brown Thomas and Arnotts and there's not a strong ethical message coming from such companies – yet. If an absence of ethical fashion issues in The Gloss is a true reflection of the level of unconcern or unawareness nationwide, then it's clear, there's a good way to go in getting the information out there for people to start making informed choices, or at least raise awareness that the choices we make as consumers are a reflection of our values, ethical or not.

During my perusal of The Gloss I found a tiny mention of Wicklow designer Colette Ashe whose cashmere pieces are made 'with particular emphasis on sustainability'. Also, the design duo behind Tissue, are 'passionate about sustainability'. That was something.

I was also looking out for mentions of Irish designers and artisan makers in general and gratifyingly, there were a few – not many, but a few. Domino Whisker, makes exquisite hand embroidery, two knitwear designers; Agne Nazebetauskaite in Magherafelt and Paula Marron's label Castanea and a traditional Irish embroiderer, Jill De Burca. Obviously, this is my area of special interest, because I love to find out the stories behind these makers.

It's important on many levels, not least to promote and nurture what is actually going on creatively and economically in Ireland, but because it continues the tradition of making, often by hand, and it is this that adds to the texture of our culture. I was exasperated to read Breege O'Donoghue, declare that she's 'proud to wear Penneys clothing' because she 'champions' Irish design. That's simply misleading. She can wear Penneys clothing if she wants, but opting for runway knock offs made in developing countries is hardly championing Irish design.

We can't carry on consuming the way we have, because it isn't sustainable and it's puzzling that there is still so little conversation about this in the world of fashion. It's as if we don't think it's a bad as it is. Christopher Raeburn, (he guests in this months recommended podcast), whose fashion business is based on the three R's of Remade, Reduced and Recycled, talks about how otherwise 'clever people' ask him 'how long the sustainability trend will last?'. The thing is, it's not and can't be a trend and the sooner it becomes mainstream, the better.

Tamsin  ✂️

Wardrobe Crisis - Christopher Raeburn, Remade, Reduced, Recycled | Ethical Listening

I can't get enough of Clare Press and her hugely, likeable idiosyncratic approach to the issue of sustainable fashion. Self confessed fashion magazine junkie, she's been writing about fashion for twenty years and is the author of the book Wardrobe Crisis; How We Went From Sunday Best to Fast Fashion. Based in Australia, her podcast Wardrobe Crisis, introduces us to designers, activists and all manner of folk with a sustainable philosophy whom we may not otherwise come across.

She manages to tackle the issues in her book and through her podcast, with steely assertiveness and a lightness of touch making the prospect of actually doing something about it seem quite achievable. Clare Press has described how she has feet in both fashion camps and serves each with equal passion; she adores the world of fashion for all it's frippery and show, but has also become a respected advocate of Sustainable Fashion as well as an activist.  Indeed, Australian Vogue are so impressed with how she flits between the two worlds that they created a role especially for her, Sustainability Editor-at-Large.

This podcast features English fashion designer Christopher Raeburn, tracing his time in art college when he first began de-constructing army surplus supplies to re-make into something contemporary and wearable, to his free repair service enabling people to prolong the life of their Christopher Raeburn clothing, to his community workshops in his London studios giving people the opportunity to get creative themselves, plus his use of organic cotton and PET recycled plastics.

Christopher talks about how people question what they can do as an individual, but for him 'that's the entire point. It's about what we can do ourself, but also as a collective'. And I love, as Clare Press points out, how he tells his stories and talks about the future of the planet in his own reasonable, sensible and ultimately relatable way.

Tamsin  ✂️