In Conversation With Game Changing Sustainable Stylists

Sustainable stylists are crucial to the future of fashion. As the fashion industry becomes increasingly eco conscious, stylists are beginning to alter their work to fit a sustainable market. How can stylists incorporate sustainability into their vision? How easy is it to encourage designers and brands to consider sustainability when working with stylists? We open a conversation with two sustainable stylists prioritising the planet in their work, as they share their insight on the trials and tribulations of sustainable fashion. Meet cutting-edge stylists, Emily Evans and Ignacio de Tiedra, factoring in sustainable fashion in their unique and visionary work.

EMILY EVANS

Editorial fashion stylist Emily Evans makes a conscious effort to prioritise sustainability in her looks, as she identifies the climate crisis as ‘an important issue to me personally’. Through research and networking driven by her passion for slow fashion, Evans has managed to establish strong relationships with sustainable brands, showcased in her work. Her styling is a celebration of sustainable fashion, a positive experience for all involved - as Evans claims the brands she works with love how her styling ‘shows their brand off’. Continuing with her celebration of slow fashion, Evans makes an effort to use archive pieces in her looks to ‘spread the word [of the importance of ethical fashion] in my own creative way’. Rather than labeling herself a slow fashion activist, Evans lets her work speak for itself.

IGNACIO DE TIEDRA

Ignacio de Tiedra is a London-based creative consultant and stylist. He styles looks for editorial and commercial purposes, as well as music videos. Having worked with well-known figures, magazines and brands, ranging from Charlie XCX, Bimini, Vogue Italia, and Dr Martens, it is no secret that Ignacio pushes the boundaries of fashion. His experimental looks merge different colours, textures, and accessories. 

BEING A SUSTAINABLE STYLIST: THE DIFFICULTIES

So,  how easy is it to be a sustainable stylist in this day and age? What obstacles do sustainable stylists face?‘ I think the only obstacles are when a client or a magazine doesn't understand the concept of sustainable clothing. They may have a preconceived idea of scruffy hippie clothing’  - Evans explains.

Sustainable stylist Ignacio de Tiedra similarly revealed the obstacles he faces as an eco conscious creative in the fashion industry: "When it comes to it you need to check whether the brand is sustainable or not and on top of that what they actually do to be sustainable.  With this I mean, a lot of designer focus all their energy on resourcing materials in a sustainable way, forgetting about the rest of the process, like packaging and shipping, at the end of the day sustainability is a whole, from the first stage, where the fabrics come from, to the last one, when your client receives the items, let's not forget carbon footprint of the fashion industry makes over 10% of the global greenhouse gas emissions."

As sustainable fashion becomes popularised, some brands are adopting more sustainable methods of fabric sourcing in order to be able to claim themselves sustainable. Ignacio highlights that there is so much more that needs to be considered to make a brand truly sustainable. As a consumerist society, brands will do whatever they can to drive sales. This makes it necessary to properly research and check if brands are actually sustainable which is often unappealing to shoppers.

Much like buyers lacking the motivation to research sustainable brands and materials when shopping, clients may be quick to tune out and lose interest when they hear the word sustainable. As well as being viewed as a less accessible option, sustainable clothing is often viewed as ‘scruffy’ or ‘hippie’ as Evans points out. Many people do not believe sustainable fashion can achieve luxury or high fashion status, which Evans and de Tiedra claim deters some stylists and brands from prioritising sustainability. Slowly, these stereotypes surrounding slow fashion are being dismantled. People are beginning to see the potential for sustainable clothing to be considered high fashion, thanks to eco-conscious creatives like Evans and de Tiedra. 

Sustainable stylists are already having a positive impact as Evans tells us "A lot of people I have worked with over the years have told me how they have been inspired to try and not buy fast fashion and make more sustainable choices in life’. Stylists like Emily and Ignacio can inspire people to shop sustainably as they highlight the beauty of sustainable clothing, demonstrating its potential to expand the possibilities of fashion as we know it. ‘This is what I set out to do" -  Evans tells us, clarifying her focus on sustainable fashion as something that goes beyond her designs - she aims to inspire. 

Ignacio recognises that the fashion industry emphasises consumerism, and for this reason, it is hard for it to be truly sustainable. His awareness of the variety of issues within fast fashion enables his work to truly prioritize sustainability. 

THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE STYLING

"Despite having a lot of brands that are sustainable, I believe the fashion industry is not there yet. We are making some progress, but we still have a long way to go. It feels like the majority of high-end brands do not care about this kind of issue, just focusing on making a profit. On the other hand, up-and-coming designers are the ones that truly care the most. I would love to see these new generations taking over luxury brands to see what they can do. They are truly the new game changers." - says Ignacio.

With the climate crisis becoming unavoidable, the new generation of fashion designers is keen to take on the responsibility and produce innovative and creative solutions to the problems posed by fast fashion. Ignacio suggests it goes beyond the manufacturing of the clothes: consumers and companies have a responsibility. It is difficult to shop sustainably when brands are not upfront with their buyers about their choices as a company (e.g, what they pay their workers and where they source their materials).

"It would be really hard for the fashion industry to prioritise sustainability considering the current situation we live in. Consumerism is a must when it comes to our daily lives, people want more and more despite not needing it. Let's take for example Zara, producing 24 collections a year just to fill in this need in our current society. The lack of transparency these companies have is a huge problem for us, the customers, as it is an impediment when it comes to making the right decision about where to buy and why."

If more stylists consider prioritsing the planet in their creations, the fashion industry could send an even more explicit message to fast fashion brands: change is needed.

With the help of sustainable stylists, the fashion industry is beginning to transform into a more sustainable place. We cannot achieve a sustainable future if we do not consider how fast fashion infiltrates all sectors of the industry. We must continue to strive for sustainability in all aspects of fashion production, including high fashion clothes designed for photographic purposes. Thank you to all the designers featured for shedding their light on this deeply important issue.