somaligirlfashionblog-blog

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Sustainable fashion

Mats Rombaut 

https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/wj3v9m/rombaut-shoes-paz-de-la-huerta-ss19-video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hul5RWz_yJA&t=33s\

Stella Mccartney. 

This week I watched another PAQ video that was challenged to create a whole outfit that was 100% vegan and sustainable. The episode follows the four PAQ members into learning about the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry and how the textile production of clothes and animal cruelty is affecting the environment. The episode brings up the environmental impacts of the fashion industry which include;  that the fashion industry is the second environmental pollutant after the fossil fuel industry. This is due to the careless mass production of clothing in countries that don’t put environmental rules and regulation. Chemicals are a main component in the fashion industry they result in water pollution of toxic chemicals such as lead, arsenic and mercury due to untreated toxic water waste that a lot of Bangladesh people end up drinking and result in health complications. The Global fashion industry accounts for 10% of the global greenhouse gases that result for the manufacturing of synthetic fibres such as nylon, acrylic and polyester that is used in clothing production. They explore stores and haute couture houses that promote sustainability in fashion, protecting the environment and ensure people human rights are not being violated.  In this episode, I was introduced to three international fashion sustainable clothing luxury brands such as; Stella McCartney, Rombaut, Kaan Amjad. Each of these stores is all environmentally conscious and are creating products that are environmentally friendly.

Stella McCartney is a vegetarian and animal activist and environmentalist her collections are animal cruelty-free and does not use any leather or fur in her designs and makes sure her clothes are 100% recyclable. Stella McCartney is committed to sustainability which is evident through her collections and wants all Haute couture house to follow in her step.

Her Website 

https://www.stellamccartney.com/us

Mats Rombaut is a sustainable fashion designer that is all about modernizing the way we think about fashion. He proposes strong humanist values that will transform our world into an equitable future. Rombaut is a fashion designer that transforms biodegradable free traded materials such as tree bark, natural rubber and cotton cellulose using sustainable engineered technology that will transform into fashion products. He creates sustainable shoes that are biodegradable that will protect the plant and ensure that fair-trade products will provide the workers with better living conditions.

KAAN AMJAD is a London born fashion brand with a focus on creating products that are EARTH and PEOPLE friendly. His collections offer predominantly unisex pieces, although menswear and womenswear are also presented. Each season aims to collaborate with artists and creatives to showcase his message through the realm of soundtracks and film campaigns. 

His shirts are constructed with 100% organic, fair trade cotton. Their products are pro-vegan, with no animal testing or animal cruelty. His message is spread sustainability and not being about a trend but a revolution

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxDCtnAA-UJ/

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Somali weddings 

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Somali Wedding

This weekend it was my Aunt’s wedding (My mom’s sister wedding) my family travelled to Columbus, Ohio to celebrate and congratulate her at the wedding.  Canada is a very diverse community and a lot of us are immigrants or our parents are immigrants. As a first generation Somali Canadian sometimes I feel detached from my cultural heritage and clothing is one way of reconnecting with my culture.. Clothing that is a symbol of cultural identity and expression and it is one way of connecting and learning from a culture that is a huge part of not only my parent's life but also my life. Wearing the Dirac is a very common tradition that is distinct amongst the Somali women often worn during weddings and represents our cultural identity and heritage. The Dirac represent our religious expression and artistic expression through its design elements. In the Somali community, we are majority Muslims and our clothing needs to be loose and long fitted to convey modesty. Adding interpretation of design such as colour, pattern, embellishes and textures reflect our artistic cultural expression. The Dirac is a unique garment that has been constructed in many different elements and principles. One thing that is common in the design elements and the principles is a Dirac is that has to be long, loose, colourful and have sparkling embroideries.

A Dirac has a tubular silhouette because and the garment is made purposely made very wide and loose so that the movement of the fabrics does not stick to the body. Religion is a fundamental part of the Somali culture and is a country located in the eastern region of Africa.  In the Islamic religion, the concept of decency and modesty is a huge part of our faith and a commandment by God. We conceal our beauty to the world and only allowed to show it towards your brother, father and husband. The construction technique is influenced by our physical needs, psychological needs and social needs.

In Somalia, is a country with a really warm climate ranging 30-35 degrees annually and the garment is constructed with very light cotton blended with linen which makes the fabric very light and soft. The cotton fibres are sent to the textile mill where carding machines turn the fibres into cotton yarns. Cotton is a textile that it's known for its comfort, easy care and affordability. Cotton can wrinkle easily, withstand heat, detergents and bleach. The Dirac is made out of blended fibres to reduce the cost and to make it cheaper so that people can afford to buy them. In every design there different types of embellishments that are used in a collection. In a Dirac, the recurring pattern is the sparkling beads that add on elements of detail to the design and makes it visually appealing.

[somaligirlfashionblog-blog]

last year I have been watching a youtube fashion channel called PAQ which is a British youtube series that do fun fashion challenges such as recycle clothes, customizing shoe ad styling famous celebrities and friends. This youtube fashion series really got me into fashion understanding the design elements of fashion and that fashion is about an expression of one’s individuality and personality. PAQ follows four young British fashion influencers that each have their own style and personality and take on fun challenges that and are always coming up with their own trends. Before joining this class I had no idea there was even a fashion class in high school and one of my main motivations to take this course was because of PAQ they made fashion fun and at the same time I was learning about different haute couture houses through there perspectives and their youtube channels such as Dior, Maison Margella, Commes des Garson and many other designers and their design elements. Through their channel, they motivated me to get into fashion and street style and look at fashion from a different perspective. Before watching their channel I had no concept of how trends evolve and change and what is the accepted style at the moment. Looking through the course material I have connected that PAQ is apart of the consumers as initiators of change and that subcultures as young British designers can develop fashion trends and gain a following through their styles and personality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hul5RWz_yJA&t=272s . Paq video 

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Introduction To Fashion

Fashion and style have been something I never really took seriously growing up. As a Somali Muslim Canadian, I always looked at fashion from an Islamic perspective or through social needs because of the concept of modesty and covering the body. I only looked at clothes to see if it was long and loose enough never considering the design elements of a garment. 

The person who got me into fashion and teaching me that fashion isn’t just about modesty but also meeting the psychological needs which include adornment and beautify the body comes from my mother. My mother started her own business a few years ago selling abayas which is my favourite outfit.  An abaya which means in Arabic a simple, loose garment that looks like a long dress is worn by Muslim women throughout the world. 

They are traditionally black in colour however abayas come in different colours and design patterns. When she started her business and seeing the process of business in fashion and understanding the social process of fashion and the different reasons why people chose a certain garment or another from a direct point of view really got me interested in fashion.  

I would often travel with her to Dubai and from a clear view got a perfect understanding of the fashion industry segments which include; the primary sector, secondary sector and the tertiary sector. She would often go to the primary sector where the fibres, yarns and fabrics are produced at that market level of the fashion industry and by the fabrics she needed. After buying the fabrics she needed she would go to the manufacturing sector where they will design, make the garment and deliver the garment to her retail store.  Early on I understood the fashion industry and how clothes are manufactured from my mother’s business which motivated to take this course and this course help me connect the theories and process of how the fashion industry works.