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Fast fashion still has its hold on the industry, but that grip may be loosening. With the help of independent designers, social media and public urgency, sustainable fashion has come a long way.
Designers are reckoning with the effects of wasteful fashion norms and trends. Egyptian designer Hana Amer creates high-end designs through zero-waste practices. Her UK-based label, Couca Couture, proves luxury doesn’t always have to mean wastefulness.
Amer’s love for fashion began as a child and her early efforts were already resourceful.
She describes creating outfits from “whatever materials I had lying around the house.” The inspirations for her designs were influenced by history and culture.
“I became deeply passionate about the art of couture and the traditional dressmaking techniques that had been passed down through generations. I learned the skills of deconstruction and reconstruction, upcycling, and reusing existing resources, and realized the potential and endless possibilities of these techniques.”
But she also wanted to bring back that respect for slow fashion.
“I could restore the value of fashion by going back to old dressmaking techniques, sustainable methods like upcycling, recycling and reconstruction, and adding practicality and longevity to garments through modularity, flexibility, and fashion psychology.”
She studied Costume for Performance at the London College of Fashion. Not long after graduating, Couca Couture was born.
She felt disillusioned by the fashion industry’s harmful practices, including the exploitation of workers and environmental damage.
“My grandmother, Kouka, was the catalyst that pushed me to finally start COUCA after many years of hesitation. I wanted to keep her spirit and name alive every day with me after she left us. Starting this project was a challenge for me, as I was used to creating gory monsters for costumes for film, but creating something beautiful and feminine was a different challenge.”’
Couca Couture’s designs take you back to eras when fashion was often praised for being both elegant and revolutionary. Sometimes it’s hard to see how the end products are created from the materials. But Amer doesn’t just jump right in. The research stage comes first and the inspiration has to be authentic.
“From there, I sketch and make technical drawings to bring my ideas to life. But the design process doesn’t stop there, as I’m constantly tweaking and refining my ideas, often getting new inspiration at unexpected times, like in the early hours of the morning.”
One of Amer’s favourite dresses is her Helenia dress due to the homage it pays to powerful women such as Cleopatra and Helen of Troy. The intricacies and the design itself are also in the spirit of fashion as art.
“I also have a lot of fun creating my Once-Upon-a-Tie collection. The process is reversed, I gather ties, combine matching prints and colours, and then create the corset or waistcoat design. It started with a few of my dad’s ties, and now I’m gathering ties from my clients and from people I know. It’s always interesting to see how different they all are and how the new product will look.”
Sustainable fashion has been a part of Egyptian culture since the birth of its civilization. Working-class women implement many of these practices but rarely get the same support as popular brands.
“As a sustainable fashion consultant and designer, I am passionate about promoting sustainable fashion practices in MENA. I truly believe that a multifaceted approach is necessary to achieve this, one that not only focuses on promoting sustainable practices but also providing education and resources for those who create sustainable garments, such as working-class women.”
Amer cites access to education and funding as some of the biggest barriers for craftspeople and designers. Marketing skills would also be a huge asset, as would connections to the right organisations, designers, and even influencers.
But it wouldn’t just be urban designers helping working-class craftspeople.
Amer explains how they can learn about more sustainable methods like handweaving or traditional dyeing. This all reaps the benefits of environmental consciousness.
“Urban fashion designers can also help to promote the sustainable garments created by craftspeople by featuring them in their collections, including them in sustainable fashion platforms and marketplaces, and creating awareness about sustainable fashion among their followers.”
Fast fashion still thrives on social media because they have so much in common. Even now videos of clothing hauls featuring popular brands like Shein dominate online platforms.
But that has also meant a vocal community of activists and sustainable designers are addressing these practices with their own content.
Amer is confident about the role Arab social media can play. By shopping less and wearing what you already have, people would be helping the cause.
In fact, many of her suggestions are about making the most of social media’s existing strengths.
“This can include sharing tips and tutorials on how to restyle and revamp older clothing items, encouraging people to shop their own closet, sharing ideas for customizing and modifying clothes through simple hacks, showcasing ways to upcycle and repurpose old clothing items, and advocating for a more mindful and sustainable approach to fashion consumption.”
Amer hopes sustainability practices are further promoted in the MENA region and through regional online media.
“While there have been some efforts in this direction, it would be wonderful to see a more significant mobilisation of the public towards sustainable fashion practices.”
As for Couca, much of the future is about upholding its values of sustainability.
“My sustainability journey is ongoing, and I am always looking for new ways to be more environmentally friendly. I am working on sourcing the least harmful fabrics, and I am determined to replace all my polyester fabrics with sustainable alternatives. I am also looking forward to investing more time working with scientists to explore the latest eco-material innovations.”
Amer’s ultimate aim is for sustainable practices to not just be limited to a small dedicated following of advocates.
“I want to show the world that it’s possible to have both luxury and glamour alongside sustainability. I believe that by striking a balance between these two, I can make sustainable fashion more accessible and desirable.”
