Having worked in the fashion industry for well over a decade, I have been involved with most of the UK high street, either through suppliers or directly with the brands. I have always had an interest in how things are made and the nuts and bolts that go into each and every garment, from the depth of stitching to tension to thread count ...
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This is also true for fabrics and how they are made and constructed. A cotton jacket is not just a cotton jacket. It has been designed and fabric selection is one of the first and most critical thing that you do. Knowing the construction, end and picks and count was just the beginning. From there I discovered a passion for denim which led on to my quest for a deeper understanding of denim fabrics, denim washing and everything in between.
My most recent area of research is sustainablity. in depth and particularly, what it actually means.
Sustainability is to me the full circular approach to designing a product. Imagine going back to the stone age .. how did they make garments from what they had? We assume they could grow fibres like hemp and linen. Without modern dyes how did they colour it? They discovered that colours could be made from leaves, from roots and from flowers ...
they created blues, yellow, reds all from the natural world.
To be fully sustainable in our modern world you need to first look at your fibre choice, then how you choose to weave it and then how you choose to dye it. Garment design stage is the most important part as you make choices for the future of the garment and how you can recycle or reuse it. This is where i am now.
Research and development in the denim and non denim world.