Meet our EFWA 2024 Upcycler: Pam Prince
West Australian designer Pam Prince had a long-established office-based career before deciding to further develop her creative side in 2017 and embarking on three years’ to study to complete an Advanced Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising at South Metropolitan TAFE.
After graduating, Pam started her fashion label ‘Julia Grace Designs’ which is totally focuses on creating and producing garments that are bespoke and sustainable using zero waste principles. The motivation for her business is creating garments that are environmentally friendly, ethical and have low carbon footprint. Pam’s business is heavily influenced by climate change and, when initiated, paralleled the need of the general public for slow fashion.
For the EFWA Upcycling Challenge, Pam has chosen denim that would otherwise be destined for landfill as her hero textile. Her design concept draws on the endangered Tasmanian Giant Kelp and will use recycled denim torn into strips and woven utilising a peg loom as well crocheting techniques. There will be the use of other natural fibres that will also be used to create additional features on the garment.
A key motivation for Pam is concern about the bleaching of corals on the Great Barrier Reef as a result of global warming and her design was featured in the 2017 Mandurah Wearable Art, and the 2018 Ctrl + Alt + Create exhibition. She won two sustainability awards in 2018 and 2019, and in 2018 represented South Metropolitan TAFE at Eco Fashion Week Australia.
https://www.instagram.com/julia_grace_designs/