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My first bit of ‘ready to wear couture’ was Ni

My first bit of ‘ready to wear couture’ was Nico Didonna. This isn’t the particular piece but this look is head to toe from him: Palazzo trousers - long women's trousers cut with a loose, extremely wide leg that flares out from the waist, and the silk Devore top.⁣⁣
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Nico’s shop in Soho was and is a pretty special place. He had an atelier out back and it was a bit of a hang out spot. We would go there and talk to him, try stuff on and he would put his infamous wrap dress on you which could be work a million different ways.
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He made every piece in his atelier, with fabrics locally sourced from the textiles stores nearby or from Italy. Nico really made me appreciate tailoring and how spending a little on a local tailor to take the waist in or lift a hem made a piece look luxury, made it look like it was made for you.⁣⁣
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One of the ways you can make sustainability part of your wardrobe is in tailoring and adjusting the beautiful items you have. Fit transforms a piece. You don’t have to have an endless budget to look ‘couture’ - you just need to care about the things you have and invest in making them fit you. 🙏🏾

#SustainableFashion #Fashion

A little note for the platforms and people who hav

A little note for the platforms and people who have recently reached out to ask me to join panel discussions….⁣
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It’s important not to assume that all POC want to exclusively and only talk about BLM. Just because you recently discovered me as a POC, it doesn’t mean that the roles I occupy are not of interest for me to talk about either.⁣
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As the CEO of @RedCarpetGreenDress I want to talk about the global design contest we have open to design talent around the world with an incredible prize which simultaneously benefits two NGOs...or about our global textile range which is fully biodegradable (and doesn’t exhaust natural resources)⁣. I’m proud of this work and want to talk about it.
As the founder of @The___Tribe, a women’s empowerment collective and its associated journal, I want to to discuss women’s empowerment⁣ and self-esteem issues.
And I have a passion for fashion entrepreneurism and emerging designers. >>> @FDRBook.
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Of course, I can add value to the BLM conversation and fashion’s colonisation of the industry, however like any other person - I have depth and nuances. When you assume I only want to talk about BLM, you once again flatten who I am as an individual. ⁣
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I appreciate the platforms who have asked if I am comfortable with talking about BLM in some way, instead of assuming I am happy to represent the voice of all black people. Part of the way you ensure intersectionality is by respecting the presence of a POC in a room for the work they do, not just as a spokesperson for their race.⁣
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Important: You don’t have to ask a black fashion activist for THE black point of view, you can ask the black fashion activist for HER point of view, safe in the knowledge that it will inherently be coming from her point of view as a black person. I don't remove my skin colour when I speak...it informs my words consciously and subconsciously.⁣
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Also…slide right.⁣
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And finally, last slide.⁣
Second slide should say *Than on you*
#SustainableFashion #POV #DoingTheWork

Today I moderated a fascinating panel on Biodivers

Today I moderated a fascinating panel on Biodiversity and Fashion, organised by the @GlobalFashionAgenda. We discussed the connection between fashion’s use of raw materials and the intense production and manufacturing processes associated with those materials, and linked these to the staggering loss in biodiversity across the world.⁣
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Mother nature’s FREE services to us all, valued at approx $44 Trillion dollars 😳, include:⁣
Soils formation and protection⁣
Nutrient storage and recycling⁣
Pollution breakdown and absorption⁣
Contribution to climate stability⁣
Maintenance of ecosystems⁣
Food⁣
Medicinal resources⁣
Wood products & Ornamental plants⁣
Social benefits such as recreation and tourism⁣
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I don’t know about you but I can’t repay that…I mean the way my bank account is set up…⁣
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In return for these complimentary VIP services, we are devouring the hand that feeds us.⁣
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We don’t connect the clothes we wear with farms and fields but those are the places natural fibres like cotton and cashmere begin. We don’t connect the clothes we wear with oceans and seas and the quality of life under water, but that is where the micro plastics and dyes run-through to, we use water to produce all of our textiles. We don’t connect the clothes we wear with trees, but to harvest viscose - deforestation occurs.⁣
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Thank you to the Global Fashion Agenda for empowering me to moderate such an informative panel!⁣
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At the end of the panel, I asked this question, because intersectional environmentalism is the truest form:⁣
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Intersectional environmentalism in this conversation is important, particularly as the countries, who are home to more than 70% of the planet's bio-diversity include Democratic Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia, India and Madagascar. How can we all ensure that the voices of these communities, most impacted by biodiversity loss on a local level, are forming a loud part of our message, strategies and calls to action?⁣

#SustainableFashion #Fashion ⁣
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Photo description: Me reading @lit.musings’ flam

Photo description: Me reading @lit.musings’ flame contribution to a project we are working on (and can't wait to share) and trying to unpick EXACTLY how and why he is so brilliant! Caption this.⁣
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FYI incase you missed it in my stories, we are asking for your questions as I will be taking part in a podcast with @RevEnVert in conversation with @corahilts discussing @redcarpetgreendress and much more. Please DM your questions and check stories for a little more about that recording. Rêve En Vert's podcast, REV ON Air is a great space to discuss all things sustainable in fashion and lifestyle. ⁣
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Send in your questions or write them below! For sure it will be a very lively chat...🍃

Joy is a form of resistance. Stuff they really can

Joy is a form of resistance. Stuff they really can’t take from you…⁣
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1. Your Joy⁣
2. Your ____ ⁣
Please add yours in the comments below 🙏🏾

Something beautiful for your feed. Thank you @vog

Something beautiful for your feed. Thank you @vogue.polska for covering our campaign and its work - including Lea Seydoux’s @LouisVuitton Oscars dress which featured our biodegradable textile (in partnership with TENCEL Luxe). BIG thanks to @tatlerthailand too.⁣⁣⁣
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Global coverage of our @RedCarpetGreenDress work is something I am committed to, because it ensures that a global audience has the opportunity to be part of our projects, including the Global Design Contest 2020 which is currently live (ending 30th July). As leaders, if we want designers from around the world to have an opportunity to elevate their work, we need to ensure that they know these projects are happening. Too many initiatives close their doors to representation purely by opting out of taking communicating with certain global markets seriously.⁣⁣⁣
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If you are interested in learning more about our textiles (available later this year) or our design contest - see my Stories! Also take a look at the video that features Lea’s Oscars moment in my IGTV - also linked in stories. 🙏🏾

(2/2) As mentioned, today is #blackpoundday where

(2/2) As mentioned, today is #blackpoundday where everyone is encouraged to shop black owned businesses. I wanted to share some of my recommendations in the second of my two part post. Some of these I recently discovered from @coconut_cracked - so thank you!⁣
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1. Shop @VoixMeetsMode books (I had the privilege of a full feature with them the other year) and can testify, Thomasina creates the most visually stunning content with equally as astounded written depth. ⁣
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2. @Omiwoods for cultural gems made with fair-trade African gold and conflict-free metals - love the entire aesthetic and their hair pieces.⁣
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3. I am a HUGE fan of Furoshiki (a square piece of cloth or fabric used for gift wrapping, transporting items, fashion, and home decor) so check out @itsrooper for items made from remnant and vintage fabrics. My headwrap in this picture is an old LUSH packaging wrap from a honey gift-set they created. ⁣
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4. My best red carpet hair day ever on record was thanks to @taliahwaajidbrand products. Legend.⁣
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5. The book I mentioned in my previous post, Liberated Threads by @soulistaphd is worth a buy and a read.⁣
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6. Finally, it’s not the same as buying a product but I would love you to consider donating to @thelovelandfoundation’s Therapy Fund. This kind of mental fortification is needed now more than ever by black women as we battle traumas in real time.⁣
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Thank you! ⁣

Martina Luther Queen. Body Politics.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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The clothes we wear form a crucial part of our identity and for me, sustainability in its design form, is an extension of more meaningfully created fashion.⁣
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If you are unsure about why sustainable design has become the most intriguing part of fashion industry that there is (that’s right, it really is), I believe it is because we are all still searching for depth, a connection to nature and meaning and that is what sustainability provides. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Yes, bridging the gap between the ideals and the reality (which currently is not intersectional) is where major work needs to be done, but I would rather operate in this bit of the fashion industry than any other, truly. ⁣⁣⁣⁣Pure sustainable fashion honours creators, makers, the planets resources and is meant to ensure that how we live does not deprive future generations of the same options. ⁣
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I have some wise old mentors and honestly love engaging with younger designers on this topic as their hunger for a design path that does not devour resources and disregard people is palpable. It’s exciting and hopeful when I speak to them, and we need as much of that as we can have these days. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣🍃⁣
Thank you for my t-shirt Mr Ameen. Do I feel like an absolute Queen when I wear my liberated threads? Yes, I do.⁣⁣⁣⁣ @martinalutherqueens @mikel_the_energy.

(1/2) Hey community! Today is #blackpoundday where

A week of ups and downs. It has been a while since

A week of ups and downs. It has been a while since I have had as many speaking events as I did this week. From the creative workshop with @DaisieApp organised by @areuregistered across to my chat today with @aldenwicker for @freelancingfemales, a fun interview with @westwoodwestwood and recording some podcasts it was a really busy week and something I have truly missed. Our @redcarpetgreendress contest got more of the global press I’ve wanted for it, so that entrants can come from around the world and not just a few select countries. So typically I’d be buzzing from this (feeling productive and all that). ⁣
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But at the back of my mind, it’s still the running dialogue about what’s going on in the world right now, and how much uncertainty there is. And how every morning there is a new day, a new hashtag for another person. Staying up is a journey not a destination for real. Earlier I talked about the concept of enclothed cognition, and items that make you feel a certain way... well this necklace is one of my other armour pieces, from @AweInspired_. ⁣
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You take a quiz and they match you with a female warrior who represents your character. I got Joan of Arc (though right now I feel more like Yaa Asantewaa). She represents a fiery spirit, bravery, kindness, and wholehearted idealism. It means I always fight for what I believe in.⁣ Very timely.
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#StayUp #Warrior #ElijahMcClain

For those who are feeling hopeless. Dictated by me

For those who are feeling hopeless. Dictated by me.
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“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.” - Arundhati Roy
#Ready #Quotes #Quoteoftheday

Looking ahead and dusting off my speaking vocal ch

Looking ahead and dusting off my speaking vocal chords...⁣
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Very excited about this afternoon and my creative workshop with @Daisie. You can sign up through the link in my stories up until the workshop starts this afternoon, so join us. I will be talking through our sustainable designs on the Oscars red carpet for @RedCarpetGreenDress and how they have contributed to our sustainable design legacy.⁣
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Full info in my Stories.⁣
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Then on Friday, please join @aldenwicker - Freelance Journalist and Founder of EcoCult.com - and I at the #FFREIGNITE conference. It’s a full day of online inspiration, education, and connection with @freelancingfemales. ⁣⁣
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For our slot, Alden and I will be talking about how to be a part of a new, kinder and cleaner economy. The full programme includes speakers such as @yomi_abiola - Founder, The Fem League, @xojsmn - DJ & Founder, Unity In Color, and @erinlooscutraro, Founder and CEO, She Should Run and many more. The full day of content is geared towards women cultivating each other’s ability to achieve independence through work, for a more equitable and prosperous world. ⁣
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Tickets are just $11 at www.freelancingfemales.com/reignite. ⁣
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Look forward to seeing you there!⁣
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#SustainableFashion #Fashion ⁣⁣

I have had a few messages from people who are keen

I have had a few messages from people who are keen to change their wardrobe and make it more sustainable. How do we do it...that’s the question. ⁣⁣
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Here is the thing, it will involve you slowing down the rate you are shopping at, and reevaluating why always having new clothes means so much to you. There is a huge psychological element to shifting towards sustainable fashion and often, that takes a tipping point. A moment when you realise, you want to do things differently. But it will take you, the consumer, in dialogue with yourself. Not just with the fashion brands churning it out en mass. ⁣⁣
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Are you ready for that personal shift? For me, that moment was losing my entire wardrobe in a fire and having to start all over again.⁣⁣
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Truly, realising that there is a battle for your mind and the power you have to actually step back and evaluate what you buy and why, is one of the most liberating experiences you can have. It’s slow fashion season, and as consumers we are asked to make better fashion choices - such as opting out of impulse fast fashion buys, choosing second-hand and vintage, wearing what we already own, becoming a little more creative by upcycling or customising and importantly supporting sustainable, local and independent fashion labels (particularly hard hit due to COVID-19). ⁣⁣
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Take a break from the relentless and expensive pressure of wearing new. Find out more by following the account tagged.
#SlowFashionSeason #SustainableFashion

I woke up with another post in mind but truly this

I woke up with another post in mind but truly this situation that @mostafizuddin is in has made me so upset. I had to share.⁣
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I met Mostafiz in Copenhagen a few years ago and our entire group fell in love with his attitude. We called him Mr “Show me the money”. Not because of what you might think, but because his basic requirement, was that his business and those of his counterparts be treated with dignity. That they be paid fairly and respectfully - as businesses in another part of the world - for the work they do delivering fashion to the high-street. The idea that sustainability should not come for free or off the financial backs of those who should not be made to absorb its costs is the thorn in the shoe of this industry we have made. ⁣
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We aren’t treating people with DIGNITY, one of the most important things for the human spirit, being valued and respected for what you are, what you believe in, and how you live your life.⁣
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The reality is as shoppers, we do not carry the real weight of the way the fashion industry has been set up, and I understand why as a consumer, losing sleep over the factory owner whose business made your jeans might not cross your mind. However, we are part of the system which has turned Uddin’s life into a disaster movie. Our demand for more, coupled with a fashion system which makes the most vulnerable carry all of the risk in the global garment production model is all of our fault. We are collectively responsible because we have the capability to read, research and learn. We are the most evolved species, we have no excuse. ⁣
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Please read Mostafiz’s post and demand the brands who are happy to absorb the profits whilst expecting their suppliers and workers to absorb the losses, be held accountable. ⁣
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So fed up @Topshop @Burton_Menswear
#SustainableFashion #Fashion #PayUp

I wanted to repost about what I do for my new foll

I wanted to repost about what I do for my new followers who have come along this past week (thank you!) and also for my established ones who might not really know...with a few updates! • Importantly, I want to know about you and what you enjoy from this feed. It’s a space I share with you and value your wonderful thoughts and conversations here! ⁣
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Back in 2011 I entered & won a sustainable design contest called @RedCarpetGreenDress founded by Suzy Amis Cameron. After creating the gown in 11 days and flying to Los Angeles to meet Suzy and her husband James Cameron, we thought that would be the end of my experience...but it really wasn't. I was offered the role of Campaign Director and accepted an opportunity to work with brilliant people whilst still living in London. ⁣
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Learning and growing as it went along I kept writing (see @FDRBook released in 2013 after 2 years research/writing) whilst juggling the incredible project. I’m now the CEO and passionate about making sustainable fashion as diverse and accessible as possible (on the red carpet and off). That’s my mission! ⁣
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Last year when getting back from delivering 2 ethical gowns at the Oscars with our team, I was asked 'What's next?' as soon as I got off the plane. That’s why @THE___TRIBE was created, as a space for women to stop being asked what's next and start being celebrated for who and what they already are right now! Women are expected to be superhuman and I’m passionate about ensuring we celebrate who we already are versus who we could be! #IAmEnough⁣
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After we had our first child in 2018, the journey to self-celebration continued last December when we launched THE TRIBE Empowerment Journal, a space to write one thing about yourself that you are celebrating each day.
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I post about sustainable wear and lifestyle, chat about empowerment and intersectional environmentalism and representation in fashion, plus sharing THE TRIBE & RCGD news. I don't consistently post 'what to buy' as I believe that a feed full of recommended buys encourages fast fashion in way I don’t believe in.⁣
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Thank you for reading this longer note and giving me the opportunity to reintroduce myself.

A crucial bit of self care this weekend. Please en

A crucial bit of self care this weekend. Please enjoy the feed of @FleurDelisSpeaks and have a listen to the recording of a poem for @The___Tribe, written by @danica.gim and spoken by @shade.ashani, @b4rbellb4be, @only1deannamarie and @thought_transformation_inst_. 🍃
Thank you to our brilliant TRIBEsters for getting involved and please go and check out @danica.gim’s feed and her beautiful words.
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Words:
There is a riot falling from your mouth and the flames with which they thought to have burnt the witches of old will relight a whole new generation of women who will not know how to stay silent.
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Music - Staring at The Sun by @the126ers
#WhyITribe #TribeVibes #IAmEnough

Flip it on its head completely…⁣⁣⁣ 🍃⁣

Flip it on its head completely…⁣⁣⁣
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I found this throwback of an interview I did about ‘Women in Broadcasting’ and the portrayal of women in the media. I can’t help but draw parallels to what we are trying to say right now, all around the world.⁣⁣⁣
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The message being, that we should not need to be reinforced by anyone to be seen as worthy, and we don’t need to be vouched for by another group to be seen as credible. We are credible. The older white man example is a really an analogy for all the times invisible groups have only been allowed into spaces with a ‘guide’, spaces they could clearly navigate and master without one.⁣⁣⁣
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There are so many examples of ways BIPOC are being told ‘your voice is not enough’ on its own - and it’s part of what needs to stop. What does “Flip it on its head completely” even look like?⁣ I don’t know…⁣⁣but can we dream out loud?⁣
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An Indigenous designer co-hosting the MET Gala?⁣⁣⁣
Natural dye experts in Accra being PAID for consulting with big fashion brands on their dye processes?⁣
More BIPOC as keynote or headliner speakers at notable fashion summits?⁣⁣⁣
More BIPOC featured in the top 'influencer' write-ups in mainstream media?⁣⁣⁣
Other global fashion weeks getting as much fanfare as the big four⁣?⁣⁣
More shows like the Savage x Fenty lingerie one…
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I don’t know, what’s on your wishlist?!⁣⁣⁣
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#SustainableFashion #Fashion ⁣⁣⁣

I wanted to share this picture as I recently had a

I wanted to share this picture as I recently had a chat with someone about the ‘professionalism’ of wearing headwraps. My thing is this...for me, they are absolutely a professional piece and I would wear them to meetings, to events and out in the evening, as well as in my day. Part of that is the confidence (and freedom) to bring my culture and its expression to what I do in fashion. As a little background for those who do not know…the head-wrap (dhuku) holds a distinctive position in the history of African dress (my family are from Ghana as an FYI). ⁣
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Here is where it gets a little heavy. During slavery in the US, white overlords imposed its wear as a homogenous badge of enslavement (and because the hairstyles worn by the slaves were incredibly eye-catching and envy-inducing). It soon became the stereotype of the ‘Black Mammy’ servant. But as we do with all things, we took that power back and used elaborate ties and styles to wear it as a ‘uniform of rebellion’ signifying absolute resistance. ⁣
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This is just history from the US perspective and I’ve linked to a great article about its role in Africa through my stories. So it’s important to note, that if it’s not been WOC being told to cover our hair, or having to deal with people’s hands in it, or having our hairstyles deemed illegal, it’s always been one thing or the other!⁣
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I didn’t know all of this when I started occasionally rocking them to meetings etc, but it adds to the significance. I understand with some professions there just is not scope for this level of self-expression. But I love that working in fashion gives me the freedom to. I am keen to know from anyone else who opts to wear them for non-religious reasons and the reactions you have encountered?⁣
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#SustainableFashion #Fashion ⁣#Headwrap

Got asked about this cuff. It’s one of the piece

Got asked about this cuff. It’s one of the pieces in my wardrobe that I always put on like a piece of armour. Do you have pieces like that represent the same for you?⁣
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Anyone who says fashion doesn’t influence your psychology has missed many briefs. For example, in 2012, researchers from Northwestern University in the US found that wearing specific articles of clothing had an effect on the wearer's psychology and performance. The researchers concluded that clothes have a symbolic meaning. When we wear an article of clothing with a specific meaning, these clothes can influence our psychological state. It's called "enclothed cognition."⁣⁣
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This particular designs is @LauraElizabethJewelry, made in small batches at a female owned studio in downtown LA. Made in the US by women for women. A cast of a dusty miller leaf, it is 100% recycled brass and is g old plated. A warrior cuff perfect for this eco-warrior. Would love to know more about your armour pieces? Feels like we need them now more than ever. ⁣⁣
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#SustainableFashion #Fashion ⁣⁣
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I would love to ask you about your 15 year old sel

I would love to ask you about your 15 year old selves. What brands would you have been able to afford, even if you knew about sustainable fashion, or were taught about it in school?⁣
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I am trying to cross-reference the brands currently being called out for failing to commit to sustainability and the presence of those brands on high streets around the world…and I am coming up way short on alternatives for young shoppers across the country. Yes, we can tell them to slow down, consume less…but when they do consume…where are we directing them (apart from vintage and charity shops)?⁣
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What advice would you give your 15 year old self when it comes to shopping sustainably with limited resources in today’s high street (for me that would have been Cambridge City Centre)? Sustainability has a huge accessibility problem yes, not just with the visibility of POC in the boardrooms and decision-making spaces, but in terms of who can afford it AND get to it and who can’t. I remember being in a meeting with will.i.am’s company and they talked about how far some of the inner city youth they worked with had to walk to get to a recycling station. What happens when desire is blocked by a relatively empty wallet? ⁣
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Wouldn’t it be cool if each high street had to have a mandated number of locations set aside for sustainable brands? Maybe even subsidising their presence at the same time?! Dreaming out loud.⁣
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FYI I didn’t mean to call it pocket money in this video, but I definitely meant younger audience. And yes, I’ve always been info fashion as this throwback shows 🤷🏾‍♀️.⁣ #SustainableFashion #Fashion