THE GARMENTS | a selection –

credits:

photography: @studiooolme

model: @willparkex

agency: @fivetwentymgt

stylist: @avril.fleur

hmua: @nicoletomeohairandmakeup

wardrobe: @instakatzito

LOS AMANTES kaftan | 100% linen muslin | Zero-waste kaftan with hand-stitched appliqué.

INK ORO kimono | 100% linen, lightweight | Relaxed fit with traditional sleeve, concealed pockets, hand-stitched hem, sash, zero waste pattern cutting and fine gold metallic couching details on front shoulder and top centre back.

RESPECTFUL FIBRES

100% organic cotton

| rain-fed, hand-spun + hand-woven

Connecting to the hands of makers and to the earth from which the fibers came

With deep appreciation for Mexican culture, its peoples and natural heritage fibres, Rebecca visits Khadi Oaxaca, the co-operative she sources fabric from, observing their transparent and ethical production first hand.

khadi oaxaca | Co-operative

Native to the coast of Oaxaca, cotton is organically farmed on small plots, without pesticides and is frequently intercropped with corn, in centuries old tradition.  

Over 300 women and men of Khadi Co-operative hand-pick, de-seed, card, spin and weave by hand and receive a fair income twice a month, sustaining their families, communities, and cultures in the village of San Sebastian Rio Hondo, Oaxaca, Mexico.  Through the revival of handcraft tradition and long-term relationships, Khadi supports artisan wellbeing, independence and dignity and returns profits to the village via community development initiatives focused on health, food sovereignty and environmental stewardship.

Hand woven on the pedal loom using 50% local Oaxacan hand-spun cotton, 50% organic Chiapan machine-spun cotton: this cotton is stable, durable, long lasting, exceptionally soft and easy to care for.  It is breathable, naturally hypoallergenic, unbleached, undyed and is completely biodegradable – once your garment’s life is over it will safely return to the soil from which it came.

100% linen + silk

In her artistic practice Rebecca also consciously sources family-mill produced GOTS* certified organic linen fabrics and deadstock and up-cycled natural silk.

LINEN | Considered one of the most environmentally responsible fibers, linen is made using the entire flax plant and requires little energy or water to grow and process. Inherently strong and durable by nature, your linen garment will have the strength to stand up to years of daily wear.

SILK | Luxurious, light-medium weight with soft finish, high tensile strength and drape and flow like liquid. Giving new life to beautiful, unique deadstock** silk fabric of exceptional quality without contributing to the reproduction of new materials and instead making use of excess. 

* GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard Certified: requirements range from ecological, organic status to stringent social criteria and auditing of health & safety, fair remuneration and migrant worker rights.

** deadstock – end of rolls & sampling lengths, carefully selected from high end fashion labels.

the process: garment

Silhouettes handcrafted in studio | Embracing sincere, quality hand-construction and minimising waste at all stages of the crafting process.

Each garment is constructed using French seams and topstitching at stress points. Fabric is pre-washed so it won’t shrink when you wash it.  Edges are pressed, each seam is reviewed and ends hand finished to ensure they are of the highest standard. 

Mindfully created, each piece is a celebration of raw beauty, quiet luxury and craftsmanship.

Considered zero and minimum waste pattern-making methods are used to create fluid, relaxed silhouettes, designed especially for hand-woven fabrics, their weave and drape allowing for breathability and ease of movement.  Pattern pieces are drawn by hand on brown paper, labeled and cut to precision.  Once fabrics have been lightly pressed, pattern pieces are traced and cut out using sheers. 

Once the sample garment toile has been worn, tested and considered, adjustments are made until the piece has a comfortable fit, style and longevity built in. 

Rebecca forms her graphite and ink drawings into seamless repeat patterns, before artfully embellishing by hand, creating raised textures with natural fabrics and metal yarns. Motifs are meticulously appliquéd using pattern-cutting offcuts of special natural and vintage fabrics, building colourful structures and scenes.

The costs involved in making and the social and environmental impact of each art piece is considered and listed on each label, helping us to understand that many skilful hands and lives have touched the piece we buy.

a little more about how the project began and where it is now –

Rebecca comes from a background in social justice, working with a New Zealand Fair Trade Social Enterprise, Trade Aid, advocating for sustainable livelihoods for artisans in Asia, Latin America and Africa and for the preservation of traditional artistry.  This experience, paired with great passion for heritage textiles and bespoke garment design inspired this project. Sustainability was at the heart of it all from the outset and so when the pandemic arrived and it became no longer sustainable, it had to come to a pause.

– thank you to the creative, supportive people I have had the honour to work and collaborate with while building this project; you bring joy, colour and inspiration to my life and so many lessons that I am grateful for.