Five minutes with the fabulous Fanfare Label
Fanfare is an ethical clothing brand with a difference, putting the focus on conscious creation, seasonless quality clothing and a forward-thinking ethos. Originally launched in 2018, the brand is creating powerful positive change in the fashion industry. We caught up with Fanfare founder Esther to find out more about why combatting fast fashion is so important.
Tell us a bit about Fanfare and why you established it?
I’ve had about 10 years in the fashion industry itself, working my way up since university. It all started for me in my first job as a buyer - I suddenly saw a problem with the industry, and I couldn’t ignore it.
As a buyer you are responsible for everything in a production line, you take the entire process from sketch to store. You’re the one that’s selecting fabrics and the one picking the suppliers and you’re the one that is contributing to the sustainability aspects - or lack thereof – in a product. If there’s an unethical part of the supply chain, you tend to know about it.
I was on the phone to the suppliers when they were still at work at 3 in the morning putting pressure on them to fulfil their orders and reduce their prices. I was doing this in the knowledge that it isn’t going to be me as the brand that suffers, and it probably isn’t even going to be them as the supplier that suffers, it’s going to be the workers that suffer the most from this pressure.
When the Rana Plaza disaster happened it really hit a nerve because in our own factories we had been pushing and pushing for orders to be filled in time and giving penalties to suppliers who couldn’t meet deadlines, so that kind of awakening was just so raw. These moments changed my outlook on the whole fashion supply chain - why are we just thinking about profit margins and not considering the wellbeing and happiness people that are making our clothes and the wellbeing of the planet we all share?
That really led me to start looking into sustainability. I wanted to solve the issues that I was witnessing and actively contributing to. It wasn’t a lightbulb moment for a new fashion brand, it was the realisation that the industry just can’t carry on the way it is.
Fast fashion is contributing to the 36 million people living in modern slavery and the 92 million tonnes of textile waste that goes to landfill each year. It’s creating and exacerbating so many of these huge issues that we hear so much about in the modern world. I used to volunteer for A21 campaign, one of the anti-slavery and human trafficking charities we now partner with, and when I found out that fashion was contributing to a problem I had been working so hard to help fix, I couldn’t stand by and let it keep happening.
There also wasn’t really a single business back then (we’re talking about 7 years ago now) that was doing the things that I wanted to do - being fair to people and the environment. I wanted to create that middle ground that offered modern contemporary fashion without compromising my ethics. That’s when Fanfare Label was born.
Your collections are gorgeous, what are your signature pieces and how are they sustainable? (I love your recycled jeans, and their unique special trims and patchworks).
The new hero collection from Fanfare combines bold and contemporary designs with repurposed and reused materials, designed to create a wardrobe of sustainable clothing made to last.
Whilst the fashion industry discards 2 million tonnes of clothing each year in the UK alone, 80% of this can be reused. Fanfare reduces this waste it by turning clothing & textile waste into premium product. Opting for a seasonless collection as opposed to trend-led ranges, Fanfare reduces the amount of pressure on the supply chain, allowing for high-quality designs that does not cut corners in order to meet deadlines.
The Fanfare collection is entirely plastic free and materials are sourced sustainably using the latest innovative materials and are accredited by organisations including OEKO-TEX and GOTS. The collection also includes dead-stock and roll-ends that would otherwise be discarded in landfill by industry operations.
Each piece is ethically produced in the UK. We have a recycled collection that takes clothing & textile wastage that would have ended up on landfill repurposing them into new garments, which has been extremely popular with the press.
By shopping our recycled jeans each pair saves:
9500 litres of water
The 34kg of CO2 emitted to produces one pair, similar to taking a car and driving for 111km
1kg waste Saved from UK landfill
Supports 1.5 days of fair working conditions & pay
Our mission is not to produce new but reuse what is already out there as only 15% of all fashion products are actually recycled or up-cycled.
85% of our clothes are disposed of into landfills where it can take up to 40 years for them to decompose if they contain nylon, or 200 years if they contain polyester.
On average 14 million tonnes of clothing are trashed each year in the US alone; putting them through a recycling programme would be the equivalent of taking 7.3 million cars and their carbon dioxide off the road every year.
What does circularity mean to you?
Circularity is about preserving what we already own and understanding that ‘new’ isn’t always newly made. It could be an upcycled garment like our recycled jeans, a second-hand piece or even one you didn’t think could be repaired that is amended. There is a beauty about sharing when it comes to circularity and passing a garment on to someone who will love it more than you. Whether that be a friend, family member or reselling online.
Retail trends and consumer habits have been evolving for some time and have been accelerated by the pandemic, what do you think is the future of fashion?
The future of fashion is hopefully going towards a collaboration between slow fashion and creating new timeless pieces, as well as the circularity I have spoken about. It’s about education and understanding but then garnering action and changing our mindset that we don’t always need something new, but that there are other ways to seek the joy of fashion.
That being said, the initial surge of consumerism when high-streets open reflect a nation that is still hooked by the concept of new. We cannot blame the consumer, as it is big brands and corporations that have guided us to an attitude of overconsumption and a ‘see, like, buy’ mentality.
Do you have any particular plans or goals for Fanfare for 2021?
The future of Fanfare is definitely bright.
Hopefully we will be recognised for the work we are doing within the industry trying to create change. In the near future we would like to advertise and raise awareness of sustainability in fashion and its importance. As for physical goals, we dream to have our own store where we can show people what the future of fashion looks like.
Who do you admire in the industry or who are your role models?
This would have to be Vivienne Westwood. She’s a designer who has known what she wants from day one and isn’t afraid to go and make it happen. Her designs are so unique and filled with character which makes them stand out amongst other designers – this is something I also strive for in my own work, I want people to feel like they’re really making a statement wherever they are and whatever the occasion. Westwood is also someone who holds her values at the core of everything she does, having built a brand around the idea of respecting both people and the planet.
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