In aanloop naar Black Friday focussen we ons op de misstanden in de kledingindustrie, en het genormaliseerde kledingkoopgedrag in onze samenleving. Waarom lukt het ons keer op keer niet om verleidingen als Black Friday te weerstaan? Wat gaat er zo mis in de kledingindustrie, en waarom zijn we nog niet af van het kledingkoopgedrag waarin we items binnen no time weggooien? Zijn we vergeten hoe we voor onze kleding moeten zorgen? Ik ga in gesprek met Habib en Honor, de twee oprichters van de Creator Holy Foundation die dode kleding een nieuw leven inblaast. Het gesprek voerden we in het engels.
You’re creators, can you tell me what you do exactly?
We are the founders of the Creator Holy brand. Here we can give space to our calling to create. We are experts of fashion and upcycling. We design unique jackets, pants and suits for sale. Besides that, we give workshops, repair-café’s and advice on how to upcycle.
What is the goal that you reach with what you do?
We have several goals! One of the goals is that we ourselves stay inspired to share what life has given us. We want to be a provider, because the community provides for us. We want to be able to offer free education to everyone who needs it. We teach tailoring and designing to everyone who needs it. Especially vulnerable people.
Besides, we are students of theology. We want to be able to express the beauty of the Creator through theology and fashion; to be loving, to be kind, mercy-full and sharing. because sharing is caring.
You say sustainability is a mindset, can you explain what sustainability and sustainable fashion is for you? Or maybe how your work is more than sustainable fashion.
First of all, a sustainability mindset is to already value the things you have. Be content with it, because the longer things stay with you, the more meaningful they become. The longer you have your clothes, the more it will change your view on it.
For us, it meant that the more we worked with clothes thrown away, the more we trained our eyes to see beauty out of trash. The more we can experience the value of time. We want to encourage people to care for the world and practice their eyes for upcycling. We believe this is possible for everyone.
For our products, we aim for long-lasting products. They can stay with you for 50-70 to 100 years.
What do you think is wrong with the current (fast) fashion industry?
We love to see how the history of fashion changed through the ages. However, now we see that we’ve come to a point where we have enough. We’ll have to manage what we have and fight the mindset to always not want more. The markets are clearly broken, that’s why we want to repair it, by showing them a strong counter-example.
How can people become inspired by you to do the same with their own clothes, and learn how to recreate life from the clothes they have neglected?
We will continue what we are doing; so people can see what we do. We have faith that upcycling is for everyone; people can make an effort to create beauty with what they have. We like that people are inspired to look around in the community with the view of gentle caring for the world: there is enough.
How do people feel after they have made or fixed something with your help? Do they look at those pieces differently than to their other clothes?
Absolutely! They feel new! Some people even cry when they hear the story behind it. They didn’t imagine that their favourite pieces would come back to life. People are truly happy. For us, this is proof that when we spend time with old pieces, we will be able to see more in life. Thát makes us happy.
Kom op donderdag 27 november naar Green Friday om verder te leren hoe je koopverleidingen kan weerstaan en op een duurzamere manier met je kleding om kan gaan. Meld je hier aan!
