Deemed one of the most fashionable universities by the Tab, the students of Exeter University continue to take pride in what they wear around the city; following a year of confinement and lockdowns, students are more ready than ever to express themselves through clothing and this has shown in the involvement with the university's fashion community.
This year, Exeter Fashion Society has seen an influx of members keen to get involved with creative workshops, small businesses and ,most importantly, a more sustainable outlook on fashion. The society has already surpassed 160 members and is taking full benefit of this community, hosting regular events (whether it be clay ring workshops or charity shopping hauls) and inspiring young students to stray away from weekly online shopping, and introduce a mixture of sustainable fashion options into their day to day lives. One of the key ambassadors for shopping slow and one of the forces behind fashion society’s recent expansion is Miranda Hanham - co-president of the society this year. Having only known Miranda for a few small months, I am already enthralled by her ability to find absolute bargains when shopping sustainably, as a student Miranda is living proof that it can be done well, and done well indeed! Many of her charity shop finds can be found on her instagram @mirandahanham.
A fun, friendly and fashionable personality, Miranda gave up her busy schedule to chat to me about the fashion industry and sustainability. Find our short interview below:
Introduce yourself and your role:
Hello I’m Miranda, I’m third year and I do maths and I’m co-president of fashion soc this year.
How would you define your personal style:
Ummm.. I like a lot of 90s and Y2k kind of stuff at the moment but then, to be honest, it is hard to define it because I genuinely get up everyday and just wear what I fancy. But a lot of it is just y2k stuff I think, so I’ll happily just wear a juicy tracksuit to uni any day of the week to be honest!
I’ll happily just wear a juicy tracksuit to uni any day of the week to be honest
How do you think the fashion industry is changing?
Ahh, I think it is definitely, everyone is seeing the benefit of shopping slow or shopping second hand. I think everyone is kind of getting away from fast fashion which I think is really nice. I say that but, to be honest, I don’t know because a lot of people that I follow on Instagram do have similar shopping habits to me… so maybe I’m just surrounding myself!
What do you think it will look like in 10 years time? Do you think that the consumption of fast fashion will be reduced or do you think - because it is cheap - it will still remain an option for young people?
I think that with TikTok and stuff people are seeing more and more about shopping slow ... shopping second hand is becoming more popular! So hopefully, (like I think it will still be around) but hopefully less popular and it will be one of those things that, like how charity shopping used to be stigmatised, hopefully fast fashion will - they’ll sort of swap places?
What ways do you think sustainable fashion will change or evolve? Have you ever thought about the concept of renting clothes for example?
I know my friend who I live with does it a lot. I am undecided as I know it's really good for the environment but I can’t get behind it because I like having my own things. It’s a good idea though, I’m not sure if it will get really really big or not.
Yes because there is a lot of debate surrounding it regarding the delivery and the washing of the clothes for example. I think it is an interesting avenue to explore.
Do you have any recommendations of brands that have an appealing ethos rooted in sustainability?
Yes, I can recommend to you @offkutstudio and @offkutarchive on instagram, all of her stuff she either designs using her own fabric herself or uses deadstock fabric… she uses virgin fibres and knows where the fabric has come from! She has a normal collection and then on the side, she has another range made from all scrap fabric - this is her one of a kind collection, it is really good! She’s great!
Have you got any other thoughts about sustainable fashion, any advice to people who are maybe new to charity shopping and shopping slow?
Me and Laura went to a car boot sale on Sunday and when we turned up we were like ‘this is overwhelming’, there were just massive heaps of clothes on the tables. But if you start slow, and ease yourself into the process, car boot sales and charity shopping are great! When I go to a charity shop, I start slow. When I go I have one thing in my mind I am looking for because then (if you're looking for a certain pair of trousers, for example) you can start looking specifically at the trouser rail. At these events, there is always a lot of stuff and I think you do have to be in the right mood for it because it is quite a long process going through everything - but it is always worth it when you find a bargain.
I would definitely recommend it though especially over Depop/Vinted because it can just be so cheap, it is also a good opportunity to individualise your own wardrobe... Yes exactly there is only one of each thing!
opportunity to individualise your own wardrobe
Interview by Anabel Sophie Judd
Comentários