Established 1961 20 T Thursday, September 20, 2018 L i f e s t y l e Fa s h i o n Designers unveil Brexit wardrobe

f you have been wondering what to wear when Britain leaves the European Union next File pictures show models spring, here are some pointers: Hot pink, I present creations from British skirts slashed at the thigh and plenty of lace and designer Pam Hogg during a ruffles. At least that is what designers at London catwalk show for the Fashion Week unveiled in their spring/summer Spring/Summer 2019 2019 collections which will start hitting UK collection on the first day shops just before Brexit - a divorce many in the of London Fashion industry opposed in the 2016 referendum. The Week in London. — AFP economic uncertainty facing the 32.3 billion pounds ($42.39 billion) fashion industry when Britain leaves the bloc on March 29 has not translated into gloomy looks on the catwalks with designers showing bright lines rich in intri- cate detailing. Hot pink appeared at the Richard Malone, Gareth Pugh and Pam Hogg shows with the for- mer also using bright blues and greens. Hogg,

known for her fan- Deal or no deal? tastical creations, Like other sectors, Britain’s fashion industry presented revealing is waiting to hear whether the country will strike bodysuits and frocks a deal with the EU. Many designers get textiles decorated with from Europe and there is now a question mark masses of tulle as over tariffs and costs. “We haven’t had a problem well as jumpsuits and because...we’re dealing with the best suppliers dresses in a carnival- so it’s fine,” Alice Temperley said after showing like print. Models her collection of feminine dresses and sequined wore huge head- suits. “But...there’s so much uncertainty that it’s pieces and towering just very hard to know do you have to factor yet platforms. “I’m not more into your costing...and do we end up losing politically outspoken margin and we don’t really know yet.” Most less worried about Brexit. London-based but it’s in my work,” Hogg told Reuters. “Life is London-based designers opposed Brexit, Turkish designer Aksu said a specific focus for for living and there’s too many people holding according to a pre-referendum survey by the him was Asia Pacific. people down...I just want to bring some joy back British Fashion Council (BFC). They will have to “Fashion is so global you can’t actually put it into life.” Soft romantic looks of ruffles, floral prepare their autumn/winter lines, unveiled in in a country box,” he said. “I don’t think (Brexit) prints and lace dominated at Bora Aksu, Preen February, somewhat blindly. will (have a) massive negative effect on fashion.” and Roland Mouret. There was also a volumi- “The biggest challenge we have is the Fashion theory might suggest hemlines drop in nous shoulders trend - puffed up at Preen or unknown,” BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush tough times but amid warnings that Britain’s pointy at Julien Macdonald, who dressed models said. “The whole of the (fashion) industry didn’t economy will shrink without a Brexit deal, in sparkling dresses slashed all over. His want to exit the EU. We want tariff free, fric- designers appear to be paying no heed to this. menswear also had sparkles. Asked if his bright tionless borders, movement of people and tal- “In challenging times in fashion, we always see line was a response to Brexit, Malone said: “It is, ent and so as much as we can do that to pro- the outpouring of creativity,” Rush said. “And constantly, yeah... That’s what we are doing by tect our businesses, having access to that tal- where perhaps sometimes things may feel a little creating, you are kind of defying a system that ent and being able to ship goods efficiently, pared back in the fashion industry, I think we doesn’t want you to create.” quickly is incredibly important.” Others were might see the opposite.” — AFP

Model with Down’s syndrome In Hong Kong, disposable fashion makes strides worldwide gets a recycled makeover n Hong Kong, more than 340 tons of textile waste is dumped each day into the city’s Ioverflowing landfills, according to the city’s Environmental Protection Department. But a new textile spinning mill - the first to open in this former textile manufacturing powerhouse in half a century - aims to reuse that waste, harnessing pioneering recycling technology to try to make the fashion industry more sustainable. “These technologies may be the gateway to a fashion Model Madeline Stuart industry decoupled from the use of virgin natu- stands backstage ral resources,” said Erik Bang, who heads inno- between two male vation efforts for the H&M Foundation, a models at New York non-profit funded by the family, founders and Fashion Week in New main owners of H&M Group. York City, US. — Reuters The clothing retailer has already placed a osanne Stuart recalls attending an also has an intellectual disability. They met first order at the mill, as part of its bid to become annual fashion parade with her during Special Olympic games in Australia “fully circular and renewable,” according to Rdaughter, Madeline, in their home- more than four years ago. Cecilia Br√§nnsten, the group’s environmental town of Brisbane, Australia, in 2015. In the sustainability manager. The Novetex Upcycling midst of the high-energy glamour on the Dealing with disability Factory in Tai Po Industrial Estate, when it opens A worker disentangles wool yarn at a spinning machine at a factory owned by Hong Kong’s Novetex runway, Madeline, who has limited speech, When Madeline was born, her mother, this month, will use new technology to separate Textiles Limited in Zhuhai City, Guangdong province, China. — Reuters photos fabric blends in waste garments and produce turned to her mother and firmly announced then 26, said doctors told her that her the material is UV-sterilized before being cut greenhouse gases are generated to make one that she would like to be a model. Stuart, daughter had Down’s and would not mature yarn. It comes as clothing companies around the world doubled the amount of garments they into pieces and spun into yarn. No water or dye kilo (2.2 pounds) of fabric, according to 46, who described her daughter as the kind to the age of 7. Stuart, who is a building is needed, and only small amounts of virgin McKinsey. Customers are keeping their clothes of tomboy who would slip on a pair leg- surveyor and her daughter’s full-time man- made from 2000 to 2014, according to a 2016 report by management consultancy McKinsey material are used, Chan said. But the mill will half as long as they did 15 years ago, the report gings and “throw football with the guys,” ager, said she was determined to give her a also test a system to separate cotton and poly- added, sometimes wearing them only seven or said that it was not something she had chance at a normal life. “When you have a & Company. Over the same period, the number of garments bought each year, per per- ester blends using only heat, water and a small eight times before disposing of them. This move expected from Madeline, but she immedi- baby, everyone is expected to say, ‘con- quantities of biodegradable chemicals. The cot- towards fast fashion - where more clothes are ately supported her. gratulations,’” said Stuart, who is a single son, jumped 60 percent, the report said. That has led to a stream of clothing - purchased and ton is turned into cellulose powder while the produced but at a lower quality, making them More than four years later, Madeline, parent. “But when you say you have a child polyester fibre is used for spinning and making less robust - must be reversed for a sustainable now 21, is the first person with Down’s syn- with Down’s syndrome they don’t say con- thrown away, left unsold, or tossed as textile plant waste - going into landfills. new fabric, Chan said. If Novetex can show on future, researchers from the Mistra Future drome to ever stride down a runway as a gratulations, they go, ‘oh I’m sorry.’” the factory floor that the technologies work to Fashion program wrote in The Handbook of model during New York Fashion Week. Before pursuing modeling, Madeline make high-quality yarn, it could drive demand Sustainable Fashion. With more than 60 catwalks under her belt was struggling with being overweight, an Curbing ‘take-make-dispose’ The government of Hong Kong wants to globally for recycled yarn and wider use of the A sustainable fashion survey by auditor in cities including London, Paris and Dubai, experience that Rosanne says many peo- technology, its backers say. “As we scale up and KPMG, released at the Fashion Summit this Madeline’s disability has not appeared to be ple with Down’s syndrome face. Madeline encourage its 7.3 million people to move away from a “take-make-dispose” model towards a make this technology freely available to the month, showed more buyers are becoming more a hindrance. “When she walked that first expressed an interest in getting in shape industry, we will reduce our dependence on lim- conscious about the industry’s impact on the catwalk every single person in the audience because of a heart condition and her more “circular economy” where waste is reused, according to Kam-sing Wong, the city’s secre- ited natural resources to clothe a growing global planet. More than three-quarters of 5,000 con- appreciated her,” Stuart said. “It truly was overall health. “She lost weight before population,” Bang said. sumers surveyed in Hong Kong, Shanghai, the first time she was accepted.” Madeline’s she started modeling, before she was tary for the environment. It is also seeking to make the city a leader in sustainable fashion. To London, New York and Tokyo said they were drive has not let up this year. She just fin- even thinking about modeling because of ‘Fast fashion’ concerned about the environment, pollution and ished strutting down the runway for seven the holes in her heart,” Stuart said. “It just try to achieve the aim, it has since 2006 funded the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles A 2017 report from the Ellen MacArthur waste. However, only 13 percent of consumers in designers during the 2018 New York so happens that when she lost the weight, Foundation, a UK-based sustainability charity, the survey said they were willing to pay a higher Fashion Week and is continuing the fashion and went to the fashion show, and then and Apparel (HKRITA), which collaborates with industry partners and groups like the H&M said the total greenhouse gas emissions from price for sustainable fashion. Sixy percent said circuit to walk for seven more designers we got these photos done, it sort of just producing textiles, at 1.2 billion tons annually, is they would prefer sustainable fashion if the price during 2018 London Fashion Week. all happened.” Foundation. Hong Kong’s government also funded a two- more than those from all international flights and was the same as normal fashion. A labelling or The fashion world more recently has Stuart in 2015 uploaded photos of maritime shipping. An average of 23 kgs of scoring system would help, they said. — Reuters embraced nontraditional models who are Madeline’s weight loss on social media to day “Fashion Summit” in early September, billed not typically white and thin. From top mag- encourage other people with disabilities. as the largest sustainable fashion event in Asia. azines to designers, more women of differ- The post quickly went viral, earning more With many people working in textile sourcing ent races, sizes and abilities are being hired than 7.2 million online views in a week and and startups, the city is a good place to intro- for runway and print work. “I must say, I news coverage in about 150 countries, duce new technology to a global audience of think things are getting a lot better, espe- Stuart said. Within a month, South African fashion executives, according to Yan Chan, cially for Madeline,” Stuart said. Like most fashion designer Hendrik Vermeulen asked director for business development at the HKRI- models, Madeline starts off her day with a Madeline to model in his New York TA. Fashion companies “are making decisions healthy breakfast then proceeds to her Fashion Week show, marking the beginning here. So once the technology is actually ready, outfit fittings, gets her strawberry blonde of her modeling career. then we can spread out across not only Asia, but hair and make-up done and prepares for Stuart said that a few critics in the dis- all over the world,” said Chan. her next runway appearance. ability community have implied that she is The new mill in Tai Po uses two pioneering By lunchtime, Madeline is enjoying her pushing Madeline to pursue modeling, call- technologies, developed and patented by HKRI- favorite meal: a grilled chicken wrap. ing her a “dance mom.” But the mother TA, to reuse fabric made of mixed fibres. While Madeline has this every single day, accord- says that those who think modeling is not it’s possible to recycle garments made from one ing to Stuart. “If they don’t have a chicken Madeline’s choice do not know anything material, until now no commercially viable wrap, she may have a chicken sandwich but about Down’s syndrome. “People with method has existed for recycling blends on a big she really doesn’t want to. She wants to Down’s syndrome have a very, very strong scale, Chan said. The mill will carry out mechani- have a wrap,” Stuart said. Between her will and can be super stubborn,” Stuart cal recycling, where soiled or damaged fabrics - shows, Madeline is usually curled up with said. “If Madeline did not want to catwalk such as old uniforms or hotel curtains - are sani- her iPad, surfing the web or video-chatting she would just sit on the end of the catwalk tized, with buttons and zippers removed, then for hours with her boyfriend Robbie, who and wouldn’t walk.” — Reuters sorted and stored. A worker checks a machine that arranges thick yarn at a factory owned by Hong Kong’s Novetex Textiles Once an order comes in for a certain color, Limited in Zhuhai City, Guangdong province.