For Sipho Lushaba, Sustainability Should Be the Sole Focus in Fashion
Interview of Sipho Lusaba by Winston Sylvans for Echiché.
The environmental impact of fast fashion and the challenges designers face in promoting sustainability in the industry cannot be understated. SVL Designs, a fashion label led by Sipho Lushaba, focuses on storytelling through garments while prioritizing sustainability and emphasizing the importance of educating consumers about sustainable practices, and shares insights on integrating sustainability into the creative process.
When it comes to sustainability, fashion has become a black hole for everyone involved in it but especially the designers. The rise of the internet led to the growth in accessibility of online retail, creating a pathway for overconsumption. People would see an item, pay for it, and have it delivered in a week or less, then return it if it does not meet their expectations. This level of consumption meant that fast fashion brands needed to meet the level of demand., making it commonplace for fast fashion brands to release a collection every month.
Fast fashion copies high fashion brands then makes them more affordable for consumers. They release their collections so fast with no time to appreciate each piece produced, with no regard for the quality or the authenticity. With how cheap the clothes are, quality is not a priority, with constant wear, they will need to be replaced in a short time and that is where all the real environmental damage gets done. Fast fashion manufacturing and disposal have a significant negative impact on the environment. The process of making clothing uses a lot of energy and materials, as well as hazardous fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate freshwater.
Most people see sustainability in other industries as more viable because they understand the concept of recycling plastic or glass, whereas, with clothing, they fail to see how one can reuse what has already been worn several times. Sustainability enhances our standard of living, safeguards the environment, and conserves natural resources for coming generations. Anyone with a basic knowledge of this would understand how cutting down the use of plastic would help the environment but not how reusing clothing would.
Enter Sipho Lushaba of SVL Designs, a story-telling fashion label that tells stories inspired by everyday life. SVL Designs crafts their garments with the notion of giving their consumers a personal experience, the kind of story they share at that specific moment. At the core of this fashion house is finding ways to maximize the longevity of every garment created. Conscious of building sustainable pieces of art, they also seek ways in which they can minimize wastage and ways to reuse and repurpose old garments into something new.
"SVL Designs makes sure to work with ethically sourced materials from cotton, to denim, and wool; we also collaborate with local artists to create hand-painted prints on the garments that we produce". Sipho Lushaba.
The founder and director, Sipho Lushaba debuted his SS24 collection at the just concluded Lagos Fashion Week. The season’s collection is birthed out of a challenge titled the ‘Thrift Flip Challenge’. This was created to inspire the African community to embrace sustainability through circularity, and to fuel their creativity. Sipho’s take on it was to reuse clothing that he not only had a connection to but also had memories attached to it. By using a combination of thrift and secondhand clothing from his family’s wardrobe, he successfully created an upcycled collection.
Echiché spoke to Sipho about his collection, his thoughts on sustainability, and how designers and consumers in general can successfully upcycle.
How do you integrate sustainable materials into your designs?
We integrate sustainability into the materials by telling stories that can be linked or connected to our aesthetics while being mindful of not misinterpreting the story itself and what sustainability is to us.
Can you explain your brand's approach to ethical sourcing of materials?
When it comes to sourcing materials, the first thing we consider is the make of the materials and whether it aligns with our identity and what we stand for, so the best way to go about it is to research and consider if it's worth using or not.
And second-hand clothing or thrift clothes we have to check the care labels as well, are they made out of environmentally friendly materials or are they not, those are the bases of how we source our materials.
Do you use any eco-friendly dyes or printing methods in your collections?
I have not had any reason to use dye yet but I ensure to partner with skilled local artists so if there’s ever a need for patterns, it is hand painted and does not use a lot of water or cause excessive waste.
Can you share any specific examples of upcycling or recycling in your creations?
In terms of upcycling or recycling, I believe that the examples can be found in our recent collections where you can see upcycled jackets on skirts, hats on jackets, and my latest collection where I had the opportunity to upcycle my family’s wardrobe, so I believe those are some of the examples which can be found in our works or process of creativity.
How do you communicate your sustainability initiatives to your customers?
Yes, sustainability is indeed about education and sharing knowledge with your customers or people around you in general, so I believe policies and consistently being open about the creative process and what it means to be a sustainable brand can help customers understand what's going on and what sustainability is. The other thing is to probably share the knowledge with others outside of your customers by using the platforms we have to educate them and for them to engage in sustainable practice.
Taking a page from Sipho’s book, some things designers and regular consumers can do to reduce waste include traditional dyeing techniques, reusing, repairing, buying quality over quantity to improve its longevity, swapping, and using preloved clothing.
In a world dominated by the fast-paced churn of fashion, where sustainability has taken a back seat until recently, SVL Designs emerges as a beacon of conscientious creation. As the detrimental effects of fast fashion become increasingly evident, SVL Designs offers a refreshing alternative. SVL Designs stands as a testament to the transformative power of sustainable fashion, proving that style and ethics can seamlessly coexist. As we celebrate the strides made by designers like Sipho Lushaba, let us be inspired to embrace a future where fashion not only tells stories but contributes to a healthier, more sustainable planet.
Written by Winston Sylvans
Edited by Nnenna Hemeson