The Industry's New Wave

Fashion’s capability to be a sustainable industry has been part of the wider discussion surrounding climate change and the environment at large. If there’s a community to take reference from, perhaps it’s Australia—specifically the state of Victoria —and its eclectic mix of designers, who are all being conscious in their own ways.

- Asri Jasman

Australia can come across as a utopia when it comes to balancing the fragility of nature with a developed civilisation. Its almost draconian restrictions on what travellers and returning citizens can bring into the country only seek to protect its unique natural ecosystem.

It’s no wonder then that there seems to be a collective consciousness of living in harmony with nature among Australians. It helps, too, that the pace of life is generally slower in Australia.

We found these similar qualities among the Melbourne-based designers taking part in the annual Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF). Held in early March (the festival was scheduled to end on 14 March but was cut short due to the Australian government’s efforts in curbing the COVID-19 outbreak), VAMFF featured two runway shows presented by Global Victoria, a government initiative to connect the state’s businesses with the world. The two shows were a tight edit of fashion designers and brands that embody a consciousness to be sustainable and create fashion in a more considered way.

A NEW WAY OF CREATING

“We’re not a sustainable brand,” Brian Huynh, founder and creative director of Mndatory, tells us. “But we’re consciously always thinking about how we can incorporate that into our business and our design. Hence, why we’ve introduced CoCreation as an example of how we can do things better and more innovatively to have less of an impact on the environment.”