You know that 75% of consumers believe that sustainability is important and one-third are willing to choose brands that help environmental and social improvement (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). During the COVID-19 Pandemic, many people adopted the art of up-cycling. “At least four in ten Brits have turned to up-cycling as part of their efforts to help reduce wastage and to protect the planet” (InsightDIY). I am proud to say that I fall in this statistic. During the pandemic, I created tons of sustainable garments, from turning tissue boxes into bags to making flower walls using pizza boxes. When I was approached by Dan Candler, Founder of @candlercreativecommunity, to style a shoot based on sustainability, I was quick to accept this offer.
We met up for a coffee where we brainstormed some creative ideas before going out and thrifting. Whilst thrifting, we discussed issues regarding sustainability and overconsumption. For example, brands greenwashing and the struggle to become sustainable in a world infested with fast fashion brands. As a result, we decided to base our photoshoot on this “sustainability confusion.” That’s when we established the term “Thrift Flip.” We wanted to flip our thrift and create an editorial with a meaning behind it, an editorial that will have people thinking and questioning the future of sustainability. From the hair and makeup down to the garments made by me (@madebynale), we wanted to conduct everything sustainably.
The Symbolism
Our female model, Ela Judge, wore a gorgeous hand-crafted skirt curated out of woolly hats. This outfit was inspired by the amazing work of Nicole McLaughlin. To complement the look, Ela wore a bralette made out of exfoliating gloves, which were hand-dyed to match the shoot’s color palette. Ela’s look represents an individual who is striving to be sustainable. Previously, they were a notorious fast fashion shopper. As a result of their shopping habits, they were left with too many hats and too many gloves. Having seen the rise of sustainability campaigns and the popularization of upcycling, Ela’s character decided to take matters into her own hands.
Whilst Sonny, our male model, channels a confident person who has worked incredibly hard to change their fashion style and become a lot more sustainable. Sonny lives, breathes, and eats sustainability, hence the plants growing out of him as seen in the NFTs. Sonny’s character is so sustainable to the point where he is turning green. We wanted to incorporate denim into the look, as denim is known for its extremely long longevity, which from my perspective represents the future of sustainability — it’s here, and it’s here to stay. Do you consider yourself a Sonny or an Ela?
Be sure to let us know your interpretations of our Thrift Flip Editorial over on our social media accounts. We will also be releasing an exclusive thrift flip podcast episode delving deeper into this topic, so be sure to give us a follow on Instagram for updates.
@thestylishpsychologists @candlercreativecommunity
Written by Naledi Mbayiwa Volume @thestylishpsychologists
Creative Flames Involved in this editorial 🔥:
Creative director/ photographer — Dan Candler (@dan_candlercreative)
Designer/ styling/ Article auther — Naledi Mbayiwa (@styledbynale
@madebynale)
Models — Ella Judge (ella.judge.portfolio) & Sonny Barthley (@sonnybarthl3y)
Make up artist — Jo (@jo.makeupart)
Hairstylist — Jessy Gray (@jessygraymakeup)
Videography — Liam (@ljeditsvideos)
Community Articles
