Unveiling Sustainable Fashion: The World of Organic Threads and Nature-Inspired Retailers
By Cindy-Joy Aries
South African designers Thabiso Musi and Natalie Green are weaving culture, storytelling, and environmental appreciation into their garment-making. Cindy Joy Arries spoke to them about their beliefs and practices.
Bundles of wool, sets of needle and thread, and, at the root of it all, textured textiles telling the story of the soil it comes from. Thabiso Musi, previously a student at Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design, is now a lecturer at the same institution.s A 2021 winner of the Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards for his collection The Nehemiah Project, “extending the lives of clothes by upcycling” – Musi Experiments with upcycling and natural dyes, such as vegetation and spices, to sew the space between what is ‘waste,’ and appreciation in fashion.
Natalie Green worked as a textile retailer for six years, exporting in mass production to countries like China and Bangladesh. Now her relationship with fashion has changed and she adopts a more local and Pan-Africanist approach. In 2021 she launched INKE (“She who is important”) Knitwear Her brand works with indigenous mohair and merino wool, along with botanical dyes.
Tell us, what inspired your shift to sustainable fashion?
Thabiso: My dad is a historian; he has a lot of knowledge about various narratives. My mom and uncle were equally the same way. So when I was met with fashion I realised you can connect a story with a product or clothes. The person who sparked that for me again was my mentor at Elizabeth Galloway, Inez. We had a conversation – I was in First Year – and she asked me, ‘Why are you using this European stuff for inspiration? Show me your story.’ That sparked the storyline that came from home. The way I tell stories is a reflection of where I come from. The more we have a clear view of how we are as Africans, the more the line is clear about what we think sustainability is. When we trace the ideas of African people, embedded in who we are, there is an inherent sustainable approach; especially when we start looking into indigenous practices. Storytelling is how we reveal that. Think of the Checkers bag in your drawer, we fold it to use it for something else. We have always had a way of making do with what you have.
Natalie: I worked in sourcing and imports for six years, and as much as I enjoyed it being fast-paced, it was so draining. At the company I worked at, we worked with different countries, interacting with other brands and manufacturers. Still, there was no personal or intimate connection. It was hard to track who, and where exactly items were made; unless you knew someone to get access to that information. It was so cold that way. I realised people crave connection in fashion. I wanted to know who made my clothes, and how they made them. I wanted to know the stories of the farmer, the artisan, and the woman who knitted this clothing item. It took me some time, but, eventually, I decided to leave, and start INKE almost two years ago! The name came from my grandma. INKE is appreciating the feminine body and the environment. All things go back to the soil. It’s the idea of passing over items, like how your grandma passes a sweater over to your mother, and she passes it over to you, and you one day pass it over to your children. There’s a story in the clothes we wear.
Both designers aim to bring new life into fashion curation. Thabiso’s skilful revival of offcuts and ancient knowledge accentuates African culture with a modern twist. Natalie’s integration of indigenous resources to promote community. The uniformity in both creators’ craft is the attention to detailing the stories of their environment. In the spirit of Ubuntu, “I am because you are,” both interviewees highlight that it’s because of South African farmers, artisans, local stores, or manufacturers that they can be designers of our history, present, and future.
The question to pose is, what does our future, better our present, look like when ‘Out with the old and in with the new’ is ingrained in an industry that is notorious for its ever-changing trends? The life expectancy of clothing has moved from practical longevity to frivolous consumerism. “In Cape Town alone, more than 70 000 tonnes of textile waste was dumped in the municipality's public landfills in 2022, according to GreenCape's textile industry report.” Textile waste is in each and every item of clothing, and fabric we use to decorate ourselves and our homes. ‘Sustainability’ is the silver lining that combats this wasteful phenomenon, but how do sustainable designers compete in the ever-growing demand for cheap, fast fashion? Perhaps the answer is in the story and intention.
“In Cape Town alone, more than
70 000 tonnes of textile waste was dumped in the municipality's public landfills in 2022, according to GreenCape's textile industry report.”
Both designers aim to bring new life into fashion curation. Thabiso’s skilful revival of offcuts and ancient knowledge accentuates African culture with a modern twist. Natalie’s integration of indigenous resources to promote community. The uniformity in both creators’ craft is the attention to detailing the stories of their environment. In the spirit of Ubuntu, “I am because you are,” both interviewees highlight that it’s because of South African farmers, artisans, local stores, or manufacturers that they can be designers of our history, present, and future.
What do you think makes a garment timeless and sustainable?
Thabiso: My brand is focused on the ethos of three main things; collaboration, self-expression, and building from ruins- up-cycling. Taking things considered as ‘waste’ and turning them into products. When I think of timelessness first, fashion is fashion, it needs to be beautiful. Timelessness is also when you design, can you see the design as more than the intended idea? If you’ve made a collection of 12 articles of clothing, can you look at each garment and see the creation of 12 other items? Timeless no longer exists in the finished product, it exists in the way we think. We have to think of a garment as never-ending, it keeps rotating to an extent.
Natalie: INKE is deeply rooted in awareness and interconnectedness. The connection and story, from the farmer to the supplier to the consumer, add value to my brand. The love of the land, farmers, the company that manufactures my garments, the businesses I work with…, everything is connected. What I love about the merino wool that we use is that if it ends up in the landfills it's biodegradable. Its properties can give back to the earth and soil it came from. What makes my designs also timeless is their simplicity. Natural dyes that don’t overpower the beauty of the wool, it gives it a more neutral feel. Also, the way the wool is spun is to highlight the texture and natural colour of the wool; giving it a timeless aesthetic. The focus is to create capsule pieces in a wardrobe that you can pass down to family or friends to continue its lifecycle.
The designers make note of the vitality of community at the core of their design process and business model. Sustainability is more than the fabrication, it is about the people involved in the process. Musi commented, “Intrinsically fashion is a collaborative process.” Sustainable fashion, as defined by Vogue India, is “an umbrella term for clothes that are created and consumed in a way that can be, quite literally, sustained, while protecting both the environment and those producing garments.” Natalie and Thabiso’s ‘label’ to South African Fashion and sustainability is highlighted through a community perspective. For these designers, their communities are the threads that materialize their creative vision.
Describe the intention behind your brand and designs?
Natalie: INKE is about celebrating feminine power, the body, and the environment. What I love about mohair, even though some people find it scratchy, is that the wool actually consists of lanolin which nourishes the skin. Mohair and wool is a material and fabric that’s forgiving, and drapes on the body. The intention behind my designs is to make you want to look closer at the stitching, to feel the fabric. To go, ‘Ooh look at that’, ‘Did you notice that’, ‘I wonder how that was made?’ Ultimately it’s about caring for the body, the soul, and the environment. My intention is to bridge the gap through connection, collaboration, and conversation. Within the African context, skills development and education are at a deficit. My goal is to work with local brands and artisans, support the skills development of indigenous knowledge, and empower the amazing women who knit my clothing. For Inke, it’s about educating people on the processes, and people who make our clothes. If you know more about your clothing, you will have more care for it and appreciation for where it comes from.
Thabiso: In indigenous African culture there is someone called a Griot. They hold onto the stories and tell our stories to the next generation. It’s said that if a griot dies, it’s like a whole library has burnt down. I kind of see myself as that. There’s an intrinsic value in storytelling that I really want to capture when I do my work. I like telling stories. Part of our artistry as Africans is communication and collaboration. We have to tell stories. We have to document stories. It’s the story of the Checkers bag. How something that’s technically not supposed to have continual use, we reuse. That idea of ‘making it happen’ is part of being a South African. My brand is an ode to my country.
In the next five years, where do you see your brand?
Thabiso: Number one, making the conversation more accessible. Building an institute that supports young designers to bridge the gap between their ideas, and a conscious approach. Establishing an institute for South African research in fashion and archiving, South African stories, particularly women in fashion’s storytelling. And yes, we will have cute shirts and beautiful skirts. Most importantly, how do I best support the people who make my clothing? How do I make information accessible? Part of it is informing myself, and being part of that conversation in sustainability.
Natalie: Continuing to have that intimate relationship with my production line. Educating people on what resources and businesses are already available in South Africa. Experimenting more with natural dyes and men’s clothing which is exciting! Continuing to work with local brands. I want people to look at designs and fabric, to inspire them to take an interest in the artisanal perspective. Even if it’s not my clothes they choose to buy, but for people to look at alternatives to the fashion we see all around us. Hopefully, people fall in love with mohair and wool too. For Inke to help people be interested, and get involved with our heritage and environment through fashion. To make sustainable items more accessible.
Sustainable fashion is a cyclical art form that interconnects the body, nature, and even the soul. We all know the saying “When you look good, you feel good”. Perhaps there can be more to that good feeling when there is a connection to the items we wear. As a country, as South Africans, our biggest asset is our natural resources. Our identity in South Africa is rooted in our landscape. There is pride in seeing, “Proudly made in South Africa,” on the labels of our favourite items.