KHENSANI: Influencer Q & A
By Claudia Da Silva
Tell me a bit about what you do, and how sustainability applies to that?
I’m primarily a writer, covering topics like fashion and sustainability but outside of that I’m an amateur dress historian and cosplayer. I spend a lot of time studying the construction and design of garments, past and present, to inform my own crafting decisions, often looking at how items are put together to last, make the design best use of materials, as well as maintain cultural and traditional practices.
How does being a part of a sustainable fashion community help you grow your own identity?
There’s so many things. For one, I’ve gotten to learn a lot more about my own culture and heritage and connect with that. Something like botanical dyes or traditional beading has connected me to people past and present. To a greater extent, you have to have a pretty solid understanding of yourself to dress mindfully and with purpose. You need to decide your values and beliefs, you have to know what you want to communicate and how, you have to be very honest about who you are versus who you’d like to be.
How does being a part of a sustainable fashion community help you grow your own identity?
There’s so many things. For one, I’ve gotten to learn a lot more about my own culture and heritage and connect with that. Something like botanical dyes or traditional beading has connected me to people past and present. To a greater extent, you have to have a pretty solid understanding of yourself to dress mindfully and with purpose. You need to decide your values and beliefs, you have to know what you want to communicate and how, you have to be very honest about who you are versus who you’d like to be.
What are your personal values considering sustainable fashion?
More than anything, and I always say this I’m starting to sound like a broken record, I value transparency above all else. I’m well aware that we live in a complex, globalised world so perfect supply chains, 100% ethical labour conditions, and perfectly organic, biodegradable fabrics aren’t always possible. I think it’s important for designers to do what they can where they can, be honest about this with their audiences, and work towards improving everything else. There are no absolutes in sustainability. I’d rather a designer create a line of polyester dresses that were made to last under fair labour conditions than I would organic cotton dresses made in a sweatshop.
What do you think is unique about our local sustainable emerging fashion design?
Probably how deeply interwoven (pun intended) culture and heritage is. I see a lot of the newer class of local designers turning to their families and communities for knowledge–be it replicating the fashions or style approaches of their mothers and aunts, or learning about beading and crochet from their grandmothers. Also there’s been an uptick in indigenous plant dyes and textiles, looking to historical weaving and embroidery and so on.
A majority of Gen-Z fashion consumers do not consider buying sustainably.
Why do you think that is?
First, there’s too great an emphasis on sustainability being a thing you can buy. A lot of it is actually about consuming less, using what you have and making it last. I think that distances a lot of people from it because there’s a perception it’s all about buying expensive ethical clothes and spending fortunes on plastic alternatives. Secondly, Gen Z is in a continual battle between their values and their incomes. On one hand, I think the majority of young people have strong beliefs they want to demonstrate as well as a deep desire for self- expression and community.
Do you feel a personal pressure being in the space of sustainable fashion?
Oh, all the time. I’ve experienced first hand that a lot of people want to catch me out for not matching the things I say, mostly because they have a perception that I have unbreakable high standards when I am just a human being. So I think about my decisions very carefully, whether I’m thrifting a pair of shoes or preparing a cosplay that I might not wear more than once. But I’m kind of grateful for that pressure because it means I’m being incredibly mindful about how I act in the world and I have since learnt that I don’t need to be perfect either.
Are there any utopian futures you can imagine for local young sustainable fashion design?
I think my biggest utopian dream has always been one where every single person, even the people outside of fashion, is paid a good wage and has a great standard of living so that designers and artisans can be well compensated for the laborious crafts and products they make. It’s also one where all design is circular and nothing goes to waste.
