What drew you to become a fashion designer?
I have always been interested in the creative industry. With my dad being an artist and my grandmother a seamstress, I was surrounded by creativity. Being creative excites me because you never know what you will come up with / think of next!
Why was it important to you to offer a sustainable, responsible, Eco fashion line and how do you incorporate ideals such a Zero Waste into your work?
For men I have always loved the idea of upcycling - it really pushes my creativity. By reusing materials you can come up with various innovative ideas. I do think the fashion industry should push the idea of upcycling more. It can become very exciting! Fabrics are being used/thrown away too often now, so I do believe it is important to think of new ways to create fashion.
Where do your find inspiration for new work?
I believe you can find inspiration in anything. It is all about looking everywhere even at the smallest details. Especially with me living in London, just walking down the road I can be inspired by something such as all the quirky street fashion! I look online now and again, but it's physically going out and seeing things for yourself that pushes your imagination.
What materials do you work with – organic, reclaimed, etc.?
Sustainability is new to men, and something I am excited to learn and gain more awareness about as I grow my brand. My brand is still quiet young. I will use mainly used items/fabrics to create my collection for EFWA 2018.
Image on right from the 2017 EFWA Upcycling Challenge by Marilyn R. Wilson
What are the biggest challenges you face as an sustainable designer?
As more awareness is being brought to Eco fashion, I want to be able to create something completely different, but also make sure I get the attention of a wide variety of audiences. It would be great to get more people to appreciate Eco fashion and how it is changing the fashion industry.
How do you help customers understand the higher cost of sustainable garments when they are so inundated with sweat shop-produced cheap merchandise?
As I will be using garments that have been worn/given away for this collection, the pricing shouldn’t be too high, as I do believe it is hard to get customers to understand that it is better to be purchasing sustainable garments. I would also like some of my garments to be able to be manipulated into various shapes. This will also make the customer more interested in the style and want to re-use the garment in different ways.
Fashion changes too fast now and customers get bored. You really do have to get the customers involved so they can learn for themselves. This is how I learnt about sustainable fashion!
What can we look forward to seeing on the runway at Eco Fashion Week Australia 2018?
Something I hope that will really engage with the audience. A mixture of colours and prints. This collection will be something different than I have done before - something a bit more spontaneous and fun. I want to push myself in a different direction, learn along the way.
How do you incorporate sustainable living in other areas of your life?
I will always recycle when possible. Because this is very important, it should become natural to us. Just re-using items when I can is my main aim. I am always trying new ways to be sustainable. There is still a lot to learn - for me and everyone I know.
Links -
- Website . https://www.francescaphipps.com/
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/francesca.phipps
- Instagram - @francescaphippsfashion
- LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-phipps-a43b759b/
- Twitter - @phippsfashion