Designs by Prophetik
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The sustainable couture fashion line,
Prophetik designed by
Jeff Garner of the United States will be seen on the runway at the inaugural
Eco Fashion Week Australia taking place in Perth from November 23 - 27,
201. The week-long
event will take place in Western Australia and will feature designers
who practise sustainable, ethical production, either by recycling or
upcycling, or use organic and natural materials which do not leave a
carbon footprint.
The following is an interview with Jeff Garner by Marilyn Wilson:
What drew you to become a fashion designer?
I just started
to listen… there is so much art out there ready to be released. My
friends were all in bands in the south and needed to connect their art
audibly with visual hence my design began.
Why was it
important to you to offer a sustainable, responsible, Eco fashion line
and how do you incorporate ideals such a Zero Waste into your work?
I
could never follow a passion that hurt others or the environment in
which I played in everyday on horseback. It is every designer’s role to
be responsible for what they create and how it affects the world and the
people that wear it. In my view their is no such thing as zero waste
for we are always making more, but we can design clothing that is made
of natural fibers and dyes that can last a lifetime and beyond to pass
down to future generations.
Where do your find inspiration for new work?
I
find it in nature and my travels and other individual’s passions. This
season will be working with the craft ladies of an old art form in
Madeira.
What materials do you work with – organic, reclaimed, etc.?
A
part of me really does not like all these new “eco” terms…seems quite
confusing… we use natural fabrics and dyes. I try to find the best
solutions to serve the most sustainable purpose. I have seen Chinese
owned textile companies attempt to synthetically produce “eco”
“recycled” or some new name fabrics only to serve the purpose of gross
volume fashion to have a “eco” solution. Nothing synthetic will ever
replace natural, nor be a better solution, no matter what the marketing
claims.
American designer, Jeff Warner of Prophetik
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What are the biggest challenges you face as an sustainable designer?
The
biggest challenge in the sustainable sector is breaking the addiction
cycles of consumers even after much education and awareness. We are
addicted to cheap fashion and buying more for less that feeds that
emotional state of newness fed by marketing and trends again of big
volume fast fashion companies such as H&M and Zara that cannot not
sell enough for their bottom line. They have created throw away fashion
making garments as cheap or cheaper then they were 30 years ago while
everything else in life has become more expensive by natural inflation.
Someone will suffer for these cheap price points and it is not the
companies selling the garments but the consumer and Mother Earth. We
must stop this addiction before it is too late. As a designer my biggest
challenge is material limitations and the very intense process of our
plant dyes.
How do you help customers understand the higher
cost of sustainable garments when they are so inundated with sweat
shop-produced cheap merchandise?
I do not think you can…I
think they will see it when they desire it for it is all around. Today’s
fashion is not made of quality, substance, or good fabrics…
What can we look forward to seeing on the runway at Eco Fashion Week Australia?
You
will see the new collection based on the beautiful history of Madeira
and the culture of the time of great exploration, travel and trade.
How do you incorporate sustainable living in other areas of your life?
Every aspect of my farm and the way I live.
Anything else you would like readers to know?
They
should vocalize their concern regarding the health implications of
wearing synthetic dyes and fabrics not only to the cost of the
environment.
For more information go to: prophetik.com
For more information on Eco Fashion Week Australia go to: ecofashionweekaustralia.com
