ABOUT FAB L’Style’s Guest Author: ELLE L:
Elle L is a music artist and environmental advocate. She is an advisor to the United Nations in Sustainable Fashion and Media, recently guest-moderating and curating a segment at UNEA-4 in Nairobi for the launch of UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. Elle is also a global ambassador for Fashion for Conservation, supporting the fundraising of over £1m in the last year through her work in the field. Elle also directs, with credits including visuals and music for CNN International and Copenhagen Fashion Week. While she finishes writing her debut album due for release in 2020, she is dedicated to supporting solutions for the environment through music, fashion, and special art projects.
“I support sustainable fashion to support reversing our environmental crisis. The fashion industry is currently one of the biggest perpetrators of pollution — through creating positive change and impact, we can make a real difference to our planet’s survival. It’s important we realize the consequences of our choices. If we make better decisions and know where our clothes come from and where they end up, it’s a promising start. Fashion is both art, identity and utility and not a cheap thrill. Love what you buy and only buy what you need”
Magpies & Peacocks x POP PR launch eco-concept store on Melrose Avenue
by ELLE L
Fast-food, fast-cars and fast-fashion are all massive accelerators of our current environmental crisis. The speed at which items are produced has caused a mindless void of endless things we don’t need being delivered at a rate government cannot regulate and consumers cannot keep up with. When those of us in the fashion industry discuss fashion, the findings are that we are wasting approximately 41% of what is being created and a staggering 11 million items a week are currently going straight to landfill every week in the UK alone. The impacts we don’t see as our finger hits ‘buy now’ are monumental for eco-systems at large. A T-shirt requires around thirty months’ worth of drinking water to make. Toxic chemicals pour out of denim cycles and dying techniques are often highly toxic. The price of clothes and health & safety standards surrounding the fashion industry often don’t equate to a fair living wage for those creating it — we can buy clothes for the price of a coffee. The math just doesn’t add up. Change is happening too slowly, but our everyday decisions can support a quicker recovery for the planet.
Magpies & Peacocks are a non-profit based in Texas, USA. They are on the frontline of putting a healthier, more circular system in place for fashion. For eight years, they have been working hard to collect waste textiles headed for the landfill. Magpies & Peacocks tenaciously up-cycle collections from end-bolt textiles with local artisans and designers. The results of their inventions have taken them to the runway of London Fashion Week, where I first had the pleasure to become their ambassador and most recently, support them again in Los Angeles to support their newest collaboration, bringing circular fashion to the heart of Melrose Avenue with POP PR. The organization founded by Ahshia Berry and Sarah-Jayne Smith are certainly the under-dog hearty souls making their mark on the fashion industry and leading a fine example of how to utilize what fabrics are already in circulation to create and not limit sustainable fashion. Some of their in-house design team includes celebrity stylist and designer, René Garza, Jerri More, Jimmy Burner, and Clarence Lee. Profits go towards dog rescue and other worthy causes.
POP PR originates (like me) from London and has been a real force to support Magpies & Peacocks vision by opening up their concept space on Melrose Avenue for three days and nights. The press night saw Hollywood’s finest take to the heart of fashion on Melrose to raise a glass and appreciate the beautiful designs of Magpies & Peacocks, which certainly does not compromise on style or quality. On offer, eco-fashion, great music and celebrity guests along with 6 collections from local US designers including vintage hand-painted Kimonos by Kimono Zulu and sustainable sunglasses were on show from Just Human. Handmade jewelry and hand-painted bags were also on offer. Handbag sized goodie bags were made from recycled fabrics with logos handprinted by Sarah-Jayne Smith. The bags contained a pampering rose body oil from sustainable beauty company, Weleda, and Esthechoc — vegan beauty chocolate that is renowned by celebrities to keep their skin fresh and glowing.
LA photographer, Danny De Marcos and I took to the streets to showcase some of the collections.
Words by Elle L
TIPS TO SUPPORT FASHION:
Our everyday decisions can make a positive impact: educate yourself by knowing where your clothes come from, who makes them and how they are made. Support local designers where possible and avoid buying anything you don’t really love or need. If you’re a brand, know you are a supply chain and think of innovative ways to improve.
To find out more: @fablstyle @ellel__ @magpiespeacocks @pop_pr_ @esthechoc_official @weledauk @blacklane @thetreehouselosangeles @dannydemarcos
Music Artist. Environment Advocate. Sustainable Fashion & Media Advisor
“If we come together and take action to live and create more consciously, we can protect future generations, ecosystems and wildlife” @ellel__
