If "sustainability" was the buzzword the last few years, "greenwashing" has taken over for 2022. Major fast fashion players who raced to play the green card now have to substantiate their claims, due to a major legal crackdown across the United States and Europe. Yet, sustainability should not be seen as a trendy catchphrase, especially when there are many in the industry who take it seriously. Indeed, at Ren, a namesake label by 24-year-old designer Ren Haixi, circularity is at the core of the brand, "I view fashion as a form of fine art that allows the designer to not only speak on modern social issues, but to also provide meaningful solutions," she says.
At 18, Beijing-born Ren came to New York City to further her fashion design studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Her education and accrued work experiences would play a part in forming the core of her brand ethos: zero-waste couture garments. At luxury brands Thom Browne, Vera Wang and Proenza Schouler, she learned the ropes of the business, including how to manage made-to-measure projects for major red carpet events such as the Met Gala and the Oscars. "These experiences triggered my interest and ambition to challenge myself to enter the made-to-measure world," Ren says.
Yet, the designer could not ignore the big issue within the fashion industry: textile waste. "During my internships, I realised that textile waste is a huge problem in every fashion company. To solve this problem, I needed to e-design the garment construction process to make it 100 percent zero waste."
Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Walking The Walk
MANOLO BLAHNIK remains one of the most covetable names in footwear. Now with more than five decades of history, the brand goes back to its beginnings to celebrate its most timeless silhouettes.
What Dreams May Come
Life as an actress can be an emotional roller coaster. Crazy Rich Asians star CONSTANCE LAU shares the highs, the lows, and everything else in between.
Just A Hint
Conspicuously More Understated Than Their Gem-set Cousins, These Subtle Rainbow-coloured Watches Are No Less Defiant In Their Insistence On Optimism And Style.
A cultural Conversation
With its Made of Makers programme, JAEGER-LECOULTRE has built a community of like-minded creatives who place innovation, craftsmanship and precision at the heart of all they do.
The Inner Lives Of Clothes
Compelling Fashion Doesn't Have To Be Ostentatious Or Overtly Conceptual, But It Does Need A Clear Identity And Character Of Its Own.
Journey to the WEST
Time to slip into some chaps and saddle up. Fashion's biggest brands are taking a turn at the rodeo.
The Mai Effect
Fresh off her cover shoot for ELLE Singapore-draped in head-turning Bvlgari jewels-Davika Hoorne radiates the charm and allure of a woman who's both wildly ambitious and perfectly content in her own skin. Here, the 32-year-old Thai-Belgian star reflects on two decades in the spotlight, and why she's not done dreaming just yet.
in Conversation
Cartier creative director MARIE-LAURE CÉRÈDE delves into the Maison’s haute joaillerie timepieces, while highlighting the importance of creativity and a happy team in her chat with CHARMAINE HO.
SPIRIT OF Samba
ENJOY A RIOTOUS NIGHT OUT WITH YOUR WELL-HEELED FRIENDS AT SUSHISAMBA SINGAPORE. COME FOR THE DRINKS AND STAY FOR THE REVELRYBUT DON'T FORGET TO DRESS THE PART.
OF WOMEN & SINGAPORE
From fashion trends that capture the cultural zeitgeist, to introspective opinion pieces about a life best lived, fashion historian NADYA WANG charts 31 years of ELLE Singapore history through its pages.
