Joyce Wang is an independent designer specializing in sustainable fashion. Some so-called eco-fashion brands focus more on upgrading material, and others concentrate on how to balance technology and wearables, but Wang said she tries to focus on simplicity and widespread adoption. The collection she will exhibit is primarily made from fabric swatches that are upcycled, a process also called creative reuse that repurposes discarded materials, the garments all have adjustable sizes for increased sustainability.
For her designs, she first selects the right material and colors, then add her touch. As she’s constrained by her source fabric, her design can be irregular, or patterns made from different material, color and shapes. All her garments are sent for dry-cleaning before sale.
The adjustable size idea is from her own customer shopping experiences. Most of the garments have more small and medium sizes, and it’s not easy for the stores to predict how many XS or L, XL they will sell, On the other hand, customers body shapes will change from time to time; isn’t it a waste to discard garments that you fancy but can’t fit into anymore?
Such design might mean a longer-lasting garment would eat into future sales, which seems antithetical to fashion that pushes people to keep buying, but in Wang’s point of view, today ecology and fashion are more attached to each other, and it’s only getting more so.
“Eco-fashion is not just about fashion; it’s also a lifestyle, a way of life in which we can reduce the harm we have created to our planet, a beginning where we can understand how to bring sustainability into our daily life,” Wang said.
She will also share her creative upcycling fashion solutions and styling tips with visitors to her booth. She said people can bring their “pre-loved” clothes and Wang will repair and upcycle them, Spicing up wardrobes in an ecological manner.
The fair will also feature a repair corner where electricians and tailors will mend old objects, from small electronic to apparel and old bicycles.
