Image: Courtesy Fashion Revolution Instagram

Contemporary fashion-scape calls for a better understanding of sustainability. Besides rewiring their narrative around eco-friendly ideas brands also need to create a customer base that is aware and informed. From locating the original source of raw material to the way design techniques are employed in finishing a product, different points of information need to come together for a more wholesome conversation.

Brands being completely transparent about the background information of a product is one way to start.But why is transparency significant now more than ever? It is a primary step holding brands accountable for the human rights and environmental impacts of their practices. As a practice it calls for public disclosure of a brand’s functioning, aiming to get a proper view of people involved and the way garments are made. London based non-profit organization Fashion Revolution has been leading the cause since its inception in 2013.

Their Transparency Index is one such initiative that ranks global fashion companies according to their level of transparency based on a questionnaire and publicly available information about supply chain issues.Today a number of global brands are opening up to the idea of transparency & traceability and one such brand is 11.11 / Eleven Eleven creatively headed by Shani Himanshu & Mia Morikawa. Already celebrated among sustainable fashion enthusiasts for its commitment to the handmade, it is also leading the conversation around transparency. Recently they unveiled a film on how they are initiating the idea of radical transparency and traceability with the help of an NFC (near-field communication) button. Their idea is to trace the journey of fiber from soil to garment by employing NFC technology.

Image: Courtesy Fashion Revolution Instagram

For the unveiling of their film, the brand collaborated with Fashion Open Studio (FOS) which is Fashion Revolution’s showcasing initiative, launched in 2017. Every year, FOS curates an eclectic edit of emerging designers from the world over and gets behind the scenes to understand their creative process. It also doubles as an opportunity for designers to share their innovative solutions to some of the challenges that fashion is facing today. From London Fashion Week regulars such as Marques ‘ Almeida and Christopher Raeburn to The International Woolmark Prize winner Bodice, they have handpicked the brands to be a part of the platform. And This year with 11.11 / Eleven Eleven became a part of their curated edit.

We spoke to Tamsin Blanchard, former fashion features director at The Telegraph Magazine, style editor for the Observer, and the special project’s curator for Fashion Revolution on what makes 11.11/eleven eleven a brand to look up to and why transparency matters now more than ever?

Tasmin Blanchard of Fashion Revolution. Image: Courtesy Tasmin Blanchard

On the idea behind launching Fashion Open Studio?

The idea came about in 2017 as a way of showcasing some of the innovations and solutions to many of the industry’s challenges that are being put into practice by designers and fashion creatives. We set out to do the opposite of a fashion show which is to show the processes, let people behind the scenes of the studio, meet the designer and their team, and understand how our clothes are made. Designers do this in a range of different ways, from a studio tour to a workshop where they invite guests to make something, learn a craft or skill, or a show and tell where a designer will talk through some of the systems, innovations, and experiments they are trying out. Fashion Revolution has an incredible global network around the world and we work with the country coordinators in different regions to nominate designers in their networks who are asked to submit their applications to a selection panel. Last year, we had 50 designers taking part from 13 different countries. What I love is when they discover each other and connect and collaborate or share audiences too.

On what makes 11.11 a unique brand

What 11.11 are doing with this project is creating a system of making clothes that is respectful of the environment in that they are using indigenous desi yarn and creating an equitable supply chain from seed to stitch for knitters and weavers, that is open to scrutiny, transparent, and shows how clothes can be made with respect to the environment and harness the power of the maker movement so that the wearer can make their own garment and understand the time and care it takes and will consequently cherish it for a long time. The links between the farmer, the spinner, the weaver, the designer the maker/wearer are all part of the garment’s story and there is respect and empathy every step of the way. The yarns they use are tangibly a result of the earth and the landscape they have come from.

Image: Courtesy 11.11/eleven eleven Instagram

Everything they do is with the utmost thought and consideration and that is so admirable They question and challenge the system and themselves and there is a feeling that they are never complacent, there are always ways to improve. Even their Reclaimed Accessories range is an opportunity for them to start a conversation around consumption and the value of things that are discarded.

On why transparency matters

Conversations around transparency and sustainability are now part of the mainstream discussions every fashion brand is having. This is a monumental step change from even say, five years ago. The link between climate change and the impact of the industry on the environment is permanently ingrained in the culture of the industry. Of course, there are brands and retailers who have their heads buried in the sand, but even they know it’s only a matter of time before they have to radically change.

Younger, mid-scale brands and all emerging brands are embedding systems and principles around pollution, waste, carbon emissions reduction, water usage, and responsibility towards their supply chains. And if they are not, they will not be in business for too long. There is still much to be done though in terms of creating equity in the industry. There is too much wealth at the top and not enough finding its way down the line to the garment workers, the suppliers, the spinners, and the farmers. There is also a lot to be done within the fashion school education to help emerging designers see other ways of operating, that do not just involve designing more clothes but reusing existing materials and discarded clothes already in existence as well as developing other ways of experiencing fashion that do not involve simply making more product.

On how Fashion Open Studio selects designers for its curated edit

FOS does indeed feature a unique, eclectic, and global spectrum of labels and we are really proud of that. We have created our own ecosystem representing what is possible within the realms of fashion that takes a more innovative, creative, and responsible approach. To be part of FOS, a brand must have a certain very broad visual language that shows an understanding of the aesthetics of clothing, textiles, and creative expression. We have criteria that we work to and send designers a questionnaire to help them to continue to evolve and challenge themselves. We ask them who made their clothes? What’s in their clothes? How they are creating systems change and how they demonstrate our mantra that loved clothes last. We are currently appointing a board of advisors who will help ensure our selection process is representative of the Fashion Revolution global community and highlights designers who are leading the way forward and sharing their best practice with others.

On her favourite sustainable fashion labels

I loved the film that 11.11 made and am excited to receive some of the yarns in one of the kits they are producing so that I can practice my own craft and creativity inspired by them. I am a huge fan of the work that Phoebe English is doing in London, with her Nothing New collection made entirely from waste, deadstock, or surplus materials,, and dyed using vegetable waste and plants. I also really loved finding out more about Julian Tamuka’s brand Guyllelujah in Zimbabwe in the award-winning film made for Fashion Open Studio 2020 The Therapy of Fashion which I highly recommend watching on the Fashion Open studio YouTube playlist.