In Pictures: Recycled Fashion at AFWL

I absolutely love this designer! Soo cute. Designer: Mia by Mia Nisbet. Photography: Catwalk Capture.

Africa Fashion Week London

I worked at Africa Fashion Week London a little over a week ago, and it was absolutely amazing. There were exhibitors selling their goodies and catwalk shows throughout the day and evening, featuring over 50 designers. Purchasing from African designers is one of the best way to gain materials for an ethical outfit. Most of the designers in Nigeria, Ghana, and other parts of the continent either make their clothing and accessories themselves or work with local seamstresses in their communities.

There were 18 exhibitors at the event and while working, I was able to sneak off to a few of their tables. The main designer that caught my eye was AfroFusion Designs. The label was just started in January of this year, by two Ghanian sisters living in the UK. The girls are inspired by the rich cultures in Africa, particularly their home country.

My lovely new earrings from AfroFusion Designs. Only £8!

They hand-make all of their jewelry and clothes, and customize handbags and shoes with traditional African prints. Yvonne Amuzu, one of the founders, recycles the extra material her sister uses for dresses, to create lovely pieces like my new earrings pictured above. I can't wait to add more to my jewelry box.


Here's a glimpse of ethical fashion gracing the runway of AFWL:


Africa Fashion Week London from Kylie Lawson on Vimeo.

Fighting the Urge

I went into Forever 21 today after avoiding the new location on Oxford Street for weeks. It was difficult to avoid, since thinking about the store takes me back to the good ol' days. I started shopping at the store around the age of 14, back when it was a dinky shop at the mall, filled with replica dresses and tops from similar stores. As a teenager and slightly into my twenties, I loved the store... Everything was cute and everything was cheap. I used to be able to get 4 shirts, 2 necklaces and a pair of pants for $50 dollars! It was amazing how low-priced their clothes and accessories were. There's no way a company can operate fairly with such cheap items. Today, I told myself I wouldn't buy a single thing, as shortly after returning from my semester in Canada a few years ago, I discovered their mistreatment of workers. I actively boycotted the shop for at least a year after watching the trailer for Made in LA, the story of three underpaid, overworked women employed in Forever 21's Los Angeles factory, and their fight for justice. While browsing for eco news today, I also discovered their unethical behavior stretches to the theft of designs from a sustainable label! It's ridiculous. It's even worse that with all of their scandals unveiled, they are still able to operate at the caliber in which they do. The Oxford Street location is massive in size, and the stores in my hometown have grown immensely in recent years. Us ladies hold very powerful pounds (and dollars!) and we need to start exercising our consumer power. I think I did quite well today!


If you haven't already seen it, check out the Made in LA trailer (you can get the DVD here):

Well, hello there

I'm very excited to have finally started this blog. I grew up in the US and have always been a lover of fashion. In fact, I got my first real job at a department store in a shopping mall, just so that I can supplement the clothing budget my parents gave me. I was addicted to pretty clothes, girly jewelry, and dainty headbands, mostly at the lowest price, so I can get as much as possible. Although this is great when shopping in a thrift store, I only wanted new items.

During my senior year of college, I went to Canada to study for a semester and watched a documentary that completely changed how I viewed my consumption habits. Initially, I wanted to get rid of most things I owned—I literally gave away my designer bags and sold my clothes to a consignment shop. But, I've found that all of that was a bit extreme. It's undeniable that I find fashion to be a wonderful expression of who people are, and my wardrobe suffered greatly as my creativity could only stretch so far with what little I had. So, I started to stock my closet, and found myself buying the same old things. This time it's going to be different. I am going to stick to my desire of changing my consumption habits, but in a way that I look at all the players involved. There's no reason why fashion has become what it is today. We've gotten our instant coffees and fast food. There is no need to bring the same type of immediacy to fashion. Ethical fashion doesn't need to be exclusive to "tree huggers" and "do-gooders". It should be for people to care about the human beings behind the production, and to go against the deterioration of the fashion industry. We need to be fighting for the empowerment of people who have been mistreated in various parts of the world, and challenge what the high street shops are selling us.

I will transform my wardrobe to reflect the beauty that exists in the craft of making clothes. I want to dress cutely, knowing where each element of my outfit came from. I have found an amazing culture of ethical fashion in London, where I currently live, and I will most definitely explore that. I hope you enjoy my journey!