→JAPANESE VERSION: 「アップサイクルの女王」は現在のエシカルシーンをどう見るか？ Orsola de Castroインタビュー
You have probably heard the name Orsola de Castro at least once. Italian-born, Orsola de Castro, started her label “From Somewhere” in 1997—it was the first label to address issues of pre-consumer waste and recycling reproducibility in the fashion industry. De Castro is the curator of the British Fashion Council’s eco-fashion initiative Esthetica and an all-round expert on the subject of eco-fashion.
“For me it was a creative journey, not originally an environmental one. As a designer, I liked re-using unwanted stuff. I liked the irreverence and sense of humor behind it. Then, little by little, it turned into something deeper,” she reflects. We have interviewed this inspiring woman, who has pioneered eco-fashion, to learn her views on the current eco-fashion scene through her long journey within it.
Queen of Upcycle, Orsola de Castro at Estethica（IMAGE: EFJ）
Q. You are acknowledged as "Queen of Upcycle", would you share some tips for recycling/upcycling?
If something is broken, it doesn't necessarily mean it's unwearable. Some holes and rips are uglier than others, but this is an aesthetic choice. Some holes don't need mending. Look at what happened to denim—they actually distress it on purpose, which is an indication that something broken can be beautiful. I believe the Japanese have a real aesthetic for broken things, like "wabi-sabi". It is very inspiring that you can love something that looks ruined. So, my first piece of advice is, 'maybe you don't necessarily need to mend broken clothes'. It is all about the aesthetic of looking at things in a different way.
In terms of recycling, I know some people say 'don't buy cheap fashion', 'don't buy fast fashion', but I don't believe in any of this. I believe in only one rule when you buy clothing: "Love something". The act of buying fashion must be like taking a drug, it has to change your mood, and you must desire to wear it. For instance, my favorite nightgown is from Primark. But I've had it for nearly 12 years, because I love it.
Q. For your collection, how do you collect the fabrics?
When we started, we were using both pre-consumer and post-consumer fabric. Now, it turns out that we are in a partnership with these companies, and use the waste for a period of time. I just visit the warehouses and collect in bulk. For some companies, we have been working together for years, and for others, I only approach them when I find what I want to re-use in a season.
We worked with Speedo International, Johnstons of Elgin…We used to buy in bulk from Italy to keep everything local back when we used to produce in Italy. Now that we are producing in U.K., we are going in various directions.
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