There are many ways to start a conversation,but sustainable fashion enthusiast and Namibia Nature Foundation environmental communications officer Disney Andreas begins with a hat.
Having recently launched ‘July’, a 3-piece collection of trendy wide-brimmed sisal sun hats just perfect for the glare of the coming spring, Andreas makes a product of her passion with style, purpose and flair.
Named for Andreas’ birth month, which falls in her favourite season, Julys are made from 100% natural sisal rope as well as an eco-friendly thermoplastic polymer. Andreas makes the hats by hand and named the individual hats Selma, Ashley and Cashya after three special women in her life.
“To be honest, the intention was to make a hat of my own. I was impressed with what I came up with and immediately showed it to my family and friends and they suggested I share it on social media,” says Andreas, who is also the co-founder of exciting local brands Dololo and Monochrome Magazine. “The response was amazing and that’s when I knew I could actually start a movement by creating relatable and trendy items that can spark a conversation around sustainable fashion.”
According to the United Nations, the fashion industry, which includes the production and transportation of all the clothes we wear, contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It also consumes more energy than the shipping and aviation industries combined while the sector’s use of microplastics pollutes our oceans.
“In 2015, the fast-fashion industry used 80 billion cubic meters of freshwater, which means that it was responsible for producing 20% of global wastewater,” says Andreas. She adds that 40 million people work in the garment industry today and experience long hours and low pay.
“New styles appear almost daily at major fast-fashion retailers and 85% of our old clothes end up in a landfill. Of those, only about 1% of textile waste is truly recycled,” she says.
Though sustainable fashion is a term many of us may be familiar with, the umbrella term encompasses a wealth of practices.
“Sustainable fashion is a movement. It’s a process that fosters change to fashion products and a system that works towards a greater philosophy and trend of sustainability,” says Andreas. “In layman’s terms, it means better wages for the people making your ever so beautiful garments. It means fashion brands are considering all environmental laws in the production of their garments. It means as an end-user, you make efforts to educate yourself and call out brands that are harming our environment for the sake of fast-fashion.”
Determined to reduce her own carbon footprint, Andreas, who has previously hosted sustainable fashion events such as the Swap My Look closet exchange, acknowledges that shopping more ethically can be challenging.
“Being more conscious about what you wear and buy is a great start. Whistleblowing is another way to make an impact. I completely understand that ethical fashion can be quite an expensive movement to follow but organisations from around the world are making it easier for anyone to take part in by sharing stats, platforms to donate, tips on how to live a more sustainable life and so much more,” she says. “What we can do now is focus on strengthening the second-hand clothing industry in Namibia. Create events inspired by sustainable and ethical fashion such as closet swaps and make hand-me-downs cool again.”
Perhaps at the tentative beginning of her own minimalist sustainable fashion brand, Andreas launches her hats in the hope that anyone who wants to cultivate a more conscious wardrobe as well as people who love fashion and trends start talking.
“I hope these hats can finally start a conversation around sustainable fashion in Namibia and that we can get rid of the narrative that it’s an expensive direction to take,” she says.
Certainly a conversation worth having with an end goal of a zero-waste fashion industry, Andreas’ Julys are just the thing for spring elevated by a touch of class and a sprout of conscience.
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