Back To Basics

After a lot of recent travel and experiencing different cultures and ways of being in life, I am reflecting.  Reflecting on how there are so many ways of engaging in life and (as this is me) engaging with clothes.  Dressing, wearing, shopping, consuming clothes.  

I have been from Hong Kong to Dubai, Paris and Northern France, and back through Dubai to Hong Kong.  How differently clothes are utilised in each place I visited!  These are only a few places, clearly with diverse lifestyles, but there are many more diverse places around the world.  I am working with what I have, so here are some observations and reflections from this time. 

Depending upon location, clothing is engaged with in dramatically different ways.  

Dubai, from the airport alone, is a place for luxury goods.  People show their wealth and express themselves through what they wear.  People are dressed in designer and luxury brands, alternatively wearing something impressive regardless of authenticity.  It is a place to look amazing and be “on” constantly.  People are branded in their experiences of life: restaurants, hotels, residences and clothing.  It is luxury all the way, regardless of how real and genuine it is.

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Hong Kong is a different animal from Dubai.  Not drastically, just further along the evolution of new and upcoming places.  Hong Kong was just like Dubai two decades ago.  Now, Hong Kong has a quieter sense of luxury, discreet but no less expensive.  It does have a “high-low” option, as well as fast fashion.  However, the fashion has much less visibility; it is less flashy and more chic or low-key.

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France, Paris included, is such a different vibe.  Big western cities are always fascinating.  We expect them to be glamorous and on the leading edge of fashion, but they are quite different.  People living there have to deal with the realities of urban life.  Its people deal with life in a more practical way through clothing.  They wear sneakers, flats and “easy” clothes.  None of the glamorous, luxe (uncomfortable) looks of the other places.

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So what do we learn from this?  

• Slower fashion places have less consideration for fashion trends; it is more lifestyle-focused.

• Luxury fashion is fun.  All Fashion can be fun.

• We all consume; fashion just varies.

• We consume anyway

You are reading this (presumably) because you are interested in a more Sustainable Fashion future, being more conscious in your consumption of fashion and clothing.  It is very difficult to escape the consumer cycle. Everyday life is full of ways to shop and buy and messages to make us feel we “need” something.  Fashion is to be loved and enjoyed, and being conscious around it provides options.  Being mindful has us become influential in our choices.

What to do next:

• Consider where you are on your fashion journey 

• Why are you interested in Sustainable Fashion?

• What are you committed to in the future of fashion

• We all make an impact; what can we do to lessen our impact?

Best regards

Kate Padget-Koh

How To Be A Conscious Dresser

Here I am, back with musings and considerations on how to dress more consciously and sustainably.  After spending time in Dubai and seeing so many branded clothes and accessories, experiencing people “living their best life”, I am more committed to creating a simple and effective way to manage my wardrobe and purchasing methodology.  

Following my recent blog on “dressing in accordance with your personality”, it is evident that people dress in ways that express who they are.  However, with so much trend-driven clothing and the huge wave of luxury goods consumption, is a conscious choice really possible?  How can we make decisions without them being based on external influences?  After all, we are social beings; we need to fit in with the pack.  Social acceptance is a huge part of life; our appearance is paramount in this equation.

During my Dubai trip, I saw a proliferation of Hermes Oran sandals.  Are they all genuine?  I don’t think there are that many in circulation.  I found myself looking for some on Vestiare Collective.  I caught myself being influenced by my surroundings.  At an entry point of 800 USD (and up), this is not a throw-away purchase.  As someone who considers herself a ‘conscious, individual dresser’, I was shocked by my reaction.  (No, I haven’t bought any Orans).  

Back to the fundamental question - how can we be “conscious” dressers and shoppers?  The commercial world - social media, retail environment, press and entertainment - are all unapologetically making us want more.  Our social constructs have us feel the way to fix our inadequacies is through acquisition.  

We do know better.  How do we act better?  

We will not stop shopping; we will continue to acquire and aspire.

How can we do this in a more conscious and sustainable way?

• Purchase from and align with brands that have a culture and create products for a better world.

• Work on who you really are.  You are not someone you looked at on the beach during vacation, wearing something you were momentarily impressed by.

• Develop your wardrobe as an expression of your personality and the impact you want to make.

• Make it yours.

• Be an inspiring leader in how you present yourself.  Fast Fashion might be tempting and convenient, but does it align with your values?

• Have fun and love life.

Best regards

Kate Padget-Koh

Do Our Personalities Dictate How We Dress?

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the “future of the wardrobe”.

How we will shop and dress in the future.  I constantly think about clothes, how to dress, and how to look more beautiful and stylish.  This is my admission to all of you.  I feel I should be more highbrow, less affected by looks, and more concerned with no more new clothes and sustainable ways to approach Fashion.  I wonder why…?

I recently watched two videos from THE CHIC LEAGUE on YouTube.  The channel focused on the connection between personality types (stated as Myers-Briggs) and the way characters in “Sex and the City” dressed; how the needs or confidence of each character was expressed in their ways of dressing.  For example, Carrie constantly needs to be the centre of attention with her witty, fashionable, quirky looks.  While Charlotte is quietly confident and traditional in her classic, preppy (quiet luxury) looks.  Is this something you see for yourself? 

Do you dress to align with your personality, or are you covering up what you consider are your weaknesses?  These theories had me reflect on my ways of dressing over the years and how they have evolved due to where I am personally, professionally and locationally.  I am not totally trend-driven, but I am very aware of the trends.  I will always “feel” a style or movement without knowing why, only to find it is an upcoming trend.  We could call it “peripheral awareness”. 

There is a constant pull between loving Fashion and being Sustainably responsible. For example, a recent trip to Dubai shocked me with the amount of Hermes Orans and Birkins everywhere. The Fashion there is visible and very branded. Yet clearly, the need for Sustainable responsibility is increasingly important. Many of us face the steady pull between these two polarities, and I am constantly looking at how to balance this. However, as a Fashion and Sustainability Industry Expert, it is my responsibility to go beyond my musings and create a set of possible solutions or methodologies.

As always, we learn from solving our own challenges; here are what I see as solutions:

• Consider why you are buying something.  

• Is it a real need; are you filling a void or feeling you need to keep up with others?

• Will you want to wear this for a long time to come?

• Can you repurpose or resell it after you have finished with it?

• Are you at ease with where this came from; is the Brand Sustainable, Compliant and Responsible?

• Is this aligned with who you are or want to be?

• Does it make you smile?

A lot of questions to consider here.  After all, we are all committed to creating a better world for all, and Fashion is an excellent place to start.

Best regards
Kate Padget-Koh

Are you a Fashion Manufacturer?

What is your current biggest concern or problem?

IS THIS THE PROBLEM: You need to take some action around the Future of your Business, create a strategy during this time of massive disruption and acquire more Clients.

You need to do something, but you don’t know what to do or how to do it. “I want to do something, but I don’t know the best way to do it”. You feel frustrated, confused and overwhelmed.

And what are the Circumstances?

A. You have a lot to do, which is another issue. You need to do it but don’t have the budget or time.

B. If someone saw you, you would be looking confused and unclear. You will be researching, and asking others.

C. You may be saying: “What should I do, how do I solve this?”. “Maybe I am not cut out for this”.

D. Why have you not solved this already? You don’t know how and don’t know who can help.

What is the TRANSFORMATION you want?

⁃ CLIENT ACQUISITION - A roadmap specific to your business.

• You feel relieved, informed, inspired and authoritative.

• You become a leader in the industry.

• You will be smiling and sharing.

• This affects your business and the way you are seen by others. As a leader; you will take leadership into other areas of your life; your family and friends.

If the above is you, then engage in our Manufacturer of the Future programme now!

Here are the CONTENTS OF THE PROGRAM:

⁃ Mapping: Current/Future

⁃ Visioning Tool

⁃ Branding and External Communication

⁃ Product and Niche Strategy

⁃ Leadership

⁃ New Client Acquisition

WE STAND FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY & CREATING FUTURE LEADERS.

The RESULTS you and your company will obtain:

You have A STRATEGY AND ROADMAP. You know what to do, and you are clear on the path ahead.

You are getting more attention and customers, articles and industry attention.

You feel inspired, and you inspire others. You are gaining attention and notoriety.

Others come to you. You receive attention and credibility. It feels amazing.

We would see amazing products and activities around your business.

You are so happy and fulfilled.

The consequence of not doing this: You will go out of business and become irrelevant, left behind.

Thanks

Kate

Founder at Fashionable Futures

No Business As Usual!

For the past few years, there has been a lot of talk of disruption in the fashion industry, and the topics which were associated with this were generally very closely linked. Such as the movement from ‘Bricks and Mortar’ to ‘Online Sales’, the domination of Amazon, the ‘Retail Apocalypse’, and the ‘Millennial Consumer’ being not as interested in Fashion as the previous generations. A lot of these subjects kind of made sense as to why the industry was so impacted and Fashion Retail so disrupted. The ‘Trade War’ followed due to the aggressive action of Donald Trump to bring jobs back to the US and rebalance the ‘Trade Deficit’. The ‘Brexit’ issue which seemed to suspend the UK and therefore, impact the buying patterns of the British consumer due to their sense of uncertainty and lack of clarity.

All of these seem quite logical, understandable and related. However, we’ve started to see other things emerge, which are really unexpected and hugely impactful. Writing this in Hong Kong, we’ve had eight months of pro-democracy protests, which has seen the numbers of Mainland Chinese tourists and, in fact, many other tourists, plummet and keep many locals at home and not in the mood to shop. We have seen many events cancelled or postponed, including the major Art Fairs and many Industry trade shows.

At the beginning of 2020, we saw the Covid-19 virus, or Coronavirus as it was then known, start to become a news item and over the past two to three weeks, there has been an escalation in concern regarding this. The question is, what does this have to do with the fashion industry? It impacts the industry on so many levels. The majority of China has been shut down, and Hubei province is a big part of the industry. The country was shut down during Chinese New Year, which extended the holiday and completely disrupted deliveries and manufacturing. However, the country is extremely efficient and will get back to normal as soon as it is able. The fear has certainly turned everybody‘s hunger for Fashion elsewhere. When lives are being impacted, this is where the importance lies. It has made us realise what is important in life.

How do we ensure something valuable comes out of this? Here are a few areas where we can really make an impact on ourselves and others:

1). Consider how others are impacted during these times. To have generosity and compassion, reach out to people in other countries. Offer your time to listen to them; you don’t know what they are dealing with.

2). If you are not able to move around as freely as usual, use the time to catch up on your sleep, and overall, encourage your well-being.

3). Look for new things to do, maybe take up a new hobby.

4). Meditation is a great way to centre yourself and really adds deeper dimensions to one’s life.

5). Spend time in nature, go hiking, running or even just a walk. It makes a difference. The most important measures to take during these times are to take care of ourselves and take care of others.

Be generous, caring and kind.

Thanks

Kate

Founder at Fashionable Futures