Future Fashion \ Orsola de Castro
In October I interviewed Orsola de Castro as part of my Future Fashion series at Shoreditch House. The video and podcast will very soon be available on my website. We discussed de Castro’s award-winning label From Somewhere which upcycles waste from floors of luxury fashion factories. From Somewhere has taken on some exciting collaborations such as with Tesco (creating dresses made from their pre-consumer waste) and Speedo, creating the ultimate collection of poolside party dresses. Always one to work collaboratively, de Castro has recently launched Topshop Reclaim To Wear, which sold out in days, following on from a successful collection designed with Livia Firth. In addition to her own design projects, de Castro is a supporter of raising the profile of other green brands, she is one of the co-founders of Estethica, alongside husband Fillipo Ricci and the British Fashion Council’s Anna Orsini. This part of London Fashion Week is now 6 years old and has been a launch pad for designers such as Christopher Raeburn and Ada Zanditon as well as showcasing London as a global leader in pushing the sustainable agenda forward in fashion. Last season de Castro worked with up and coming talent from Central St Martins on a Reclaim To Wear exhibition at Estethica. de Castro will shared with us her expertise on what makes an ethical brand successful and her tips for new designers.
I ask everyone that takes part in Future Fashion for their three rules to dress by.
Here are Orsola’s:
1. Inherit. Once you receive an item from a close family member or friend, you treasure it more and the older it is, the longer it might last, as back in the day, clothes were still made to last.
2. Desire. Really love the clothes you buy and don’t just buy them because you have a bit of spare money to spend. Wait until you buy something to see if you still really want to buy it at a later date.
3. Don’t use a tumble drier. They harm the environment as much as your clothes. Also, your clothes will smell nicer and fresher when you line-dry them outside, they can also last up to 4 times longer!
