Opinion

The tug of war between our creative drive and our ethical aspirations can be so confusing.  How can we adjust our own consumption of fabric/fashion so that we can satisfy our creative needs, alongside supporting our social, ethical and environmental ideals?
To begin with we're so fortunate if we can sew.  Already we're able to side-step the ugly world of fast fashion when we have the skills and resources to make our own clothes.  So what are the key issues we need to consider if we are to grapple with our creativity and still hold some ethical views on consumption.

What do you do when you're between workrooms?  When you're used to a large cutting table, a number of specialist sewing machines and all the materials and trims you could ever desire.  It’s quite devastating but not impossible to work around.  Just imagine you're a creative on a long journey, traveling the countryside with very little space to store creative materials or equipment, but still wanting to expressive your creative self.

One of the biggest pitfalls in being a designer/pattern maker is the making and testing of sewing patterns, and the continual accumulation of sample garments related to these patterns.  For the on-going operation of my business I have to make these samples to test my patterns.  But personally I don't really ever need more clothes, but many of these samples end up in my wardrobe.  Many designers have regular sample sales to pass on these items to a more useful end or send them to the local charity shop for resale.  Clearly I'm having trouble distinguishing between personal clothing needs and the output of my creative work.
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