Make it Perpetual
A perpetual wardrobe that will last longer. The first excuse to invest on it is money but if you make a calculation on how much you're spending in those cheap garments is even more than investing in 10 high quality garments a year that will last much longer without sacrificing necessarily your style.
I’ve always thought that your are what you eat, think and what you wear. Yes! Red flag for those who are just eating McDonalds, feeding the impostor syndrome thoughts and wearing Shein.
The first thing that people respond towards this statement is “I don’t have money to buy those expensive brands” but if you make a calculation on how much they’re spending in those ‘cheap’ garments (which are not cheap because someone else is paying the price for producing them) is even more than investing in 3 high quality garments a year that will last much longer, yeah it won’t be new but will be more environmental conscious and fair paid not sacrificing necessarily your style.
The big issue and the challenge is to change our mindset towards the right way to consume fashion. My wardrobe nowadays is based:
In buying less, but smart.
Investing in classic pieces.
Renting some others for certain events (like weddings, parties, etc).
Restyling some garments with my textiles.
Resell those that I think I can give a second chance and recover the investment (specially from luxury brands).
Loan some others to support fashion brands that I love.
Let’s stop wasting natural resources and money! Let use more our creativity to mix and match accessories with classic pieces to make outstanding outfits and invest in clothes for a real connection with a brand for their values, their social commitment I bet will make you feel more better is exactly the same feeling like when you eat a protein poke bowl and boost yourself with positive thoughts!
I hope this article was useful to start changing your mindset and let’s keep the discussion on instagram!
Lots of love
Eri x
Here are some of my favourite outfits with some classic pieces.
Here are 10 pieces which are key to a perpetual wardrobe.
Anciela’s Latin Notes
The vibrant colours and daring style of Latin America to London in a presentation aptly titled, Latin Notes from Anciela during London Fashion week.
A humble celebration of the sacred pigments of Mexico and Colombia.
After attending 10 shows at London Fashion Week SS24, I’m exhausted but happy to see that more and more designers are embracing sustainable practices. Some of you were asking me which one was my favourite show and I can’t mention just one but what I can say that I feel emotionally and deeply connected with Anciela and her ‘Latin Notes’ show.
Maybe is because Jennifer, the designer is also a Latina based in London and I know the hard work that involves trying to grow in the fashion industry but we Latinas are resilient, and we keep using our voices and create awareness of our cultural heritage and value of artisan craftspeople and indigenous communities across Latin America.
Anciela’s show was an immersive experience bringing Latin flair to London Fashion Week. Held in an atmospheric crypt, a diverse range of models from all ages, genders, body sizes and ethnicities took to the catwalk, many dancing to the rhythm of Latin notes while sashaying down the catwalk. The show definitely brought the audience into the story and the fact that there is diversity in the style of clothes and models gave everyone a sense of belonging. I love that!
In this collection Anciela collaborated with Studio Kuhu (Mariana Leyvato) to create three new colours for this collection using Mexican dyes from Oaxaca - which in our culture are traditionally used to convey stories and speak to the land - and English Madder.
"Latin Notes" is a humble celebration of the sacred pigments of Mexico and Colombia. Anciela showcases how these pigments come to life and react to the elements, as seen in the floral motifs achieved by altering the pH of these dyes.
Deadstock poplins, Irish hemp-linen jacquards have been carefully dyed and treated with these captivating colours in collaboration with BFTT Textile Designer Alice Timmis. Some of the pieces features lustrous splatter jacquard, woven with raffia and recycled British yarns from Iinouiio as well as Natural Tencel jerseys and waxed fabrics from Esce-tex and natural wooden beads and corozo buttons which made the collection look eclectic.
What I enjoyed the most is when Anciela’s designer painted Desta French clothes in the middle of the stage before performing a nostalgic latin song to close the show to celebrate the contemporary Latinx art, tradition, music, and design .
“Supporting women is important to me but supporting Latin women is even more. We put our soul into whatever we do, and Jennifer is a clear example of that spirit in action. I’m totally in love with her new collection!”
For the show I wore the Valentina hand bleached denim jacket and trousers from Anciela’s archives, finished with a Miu Miu bag, a pair of navy blue velvet boots and my favourite Burberry sunglasses. Both pieces featured a custom leaf print hand bleached in London made with dead stock indigo heavy raw denim, the easy fit with a draped front hem and a classic revere collar allowed for a playful silhouette while keeping the classic indigo denim feel. Guys! I was catching eyes on the street with this outfit :)
If it caught your eyes too you can buy the set here: Valentina Jacket and Valentina Trousers.
For more beautiful pieces from the brand please visit https://www.anciela.com and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any question or comment!
With Love,
Eri x
Chloè driven by purpose.
I attended yesterday such an inspiring talk of Riccardo Bellini currently the CEO of Chloé. It took place at Jesus College at the University of Cambridge on a Tuesday lovely evening. Me and my friend we decided to make a tour around trinity college before the event. It wasn’t my first time there but is always good to come back!
Yesterday I attended such an inspiring talk of Riccardo Bellini currently the CEO of Chloé. It took place at Jesus College at the University of Cambridge on a Tuesday lovely evening. Me and my friend we decided to make a tour around trinity college before the event. It wasn’t my first time there but is always good to come back!
Riccardo is a great leader who bets for a more responsible and purposeful fashion, he talked about Chloé’s path towards a transformation of the brand into a purpose driven model and I honestly went out of that conference feeling very inspired and more sure than ever that direction that my business is taking is the right one.
Luxury brands are now betting more for handmade materials that supports social causes and are driven by purpose, inspiring designers and fashion labels to make a positive impact like Chloé is doing. Riccardo explained that Patagonia was an inspiration for them and they spent time studied their business model in order to become Bcorp and to be the Patagonia of luxury brands.
Chloè got the BCorp in one year and a half but the most interesting thing is the the way Riccardo perceived the Bcorp certification, as a great achievement yes but more as a cultural transformation within the company and himself taking in consideration that the way you create social change in fashion is by leading to inspire .
There was couple of questions from the audience which Riccardo answered in a way that made me philosophize regarding some topics the fashion industry is facing right now. He mentioned that in such a position that he is he needs to take very difficult decisions where it seems to be sometimes a little bit of incongruent like for example cutting all the cotton production at once will affect many families in local towns which depend economically from those jobs but at the same time you are harming the environment and it’s true! it’s finding a balance to take actions within big companies like Chloé to make a real positive impact.
I did made him a question but I will share it with you in my upcoming podcast …
I hope you find it useful
Eri x
“We live on an assumption of infinite growth model in a very finite type of world that’s why circularity plays a fundamental role.”
Bottega Veneta to last forever.
On my search to look for sustainable and luxurious trendy bags , I found the candy cassette leather shoulder bag from Bottega Veneta which ended up to be one the best purchases of my life. Not because of the beautiful design but because of the values of the brand. Bottega Veneta is now offering lifetime warranty with its new Certificate of Craft program, a new service that “offers unlimited refresh and repair" for any Bottega Veneta handbag this program has just convert my bag in a very good investment. Why? Because I can either resell it when I get bored of it and pass the lifetime warranty to someone else or I can inherit it. It takes days, not hours, to make their products. According to Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta they are designed to last forever. The brand’s new commitment to craftsmanship brings me back to the concept of intrecciato a technique that was developed in the 60s by this Luxury house as a result of the Veneto region in the north east of Italy where Bottega Venetta headquarters were located. Intrecciato means braided in Italian is a technique to weave this thin leather together into thicker to build more durable pieces and it has become an iconic technique for the brand. This bag is very useful for night outs where you just need to carry your phone, and essential make up but not more. Have a look on the different colours available clicking this link : Bottega Venetta Mini Cassette bag.
Vivienne Westwood: Leaving a legacy.
Vivienne Westwood
Vivianne Westwood (1941-2022).
We need more people like Vivienne Westwood to change the industry. She was a truly inspiration for me and for many people for sure.
With her mantra “buy less, choose well, make it last” she was one of the first women who encouraged me to change my consumer behaviour through fashion but also to raise my voice to fight against many injustices that are happening in the world, specially when it comes to the role that women play in the society. and the unfair wages paid to people making our clothes. She also taught me how to be sexy, rebel and how to be myself without apologising.
Vivianne Westwood is a legacy and her impact over the last 60 years has been enormous and will continue into the future with her family announcing the launch of ‘Vivienne Foundation’ next year which will be focused to solve issues related to climate change, war, human rights and capitalism to honour her life, design and activism.
Below find some pictures of me wearing an outfit from her last SS22 collection and if you want to see her collection highlights at the V&A museum please follow this link https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/vivienne-westwood .
Eri x
Vivienne Westwood Photograph by Juergen Teller, 1993.
Circulating my wardrobe
RENT & BUY MY WARDROBE
I need to confess that I was a fast fashion victim. But what does fast fashion mean? According to goodonyou.eco is defined as “cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed to meet consumer demand.” In my point of view it also falls into the idea of create desire and make consumers to dispose clothes as fast as possible so brands can sell more and more while accelerating their supply chain they get cheap labour and cheap materials. That is the dirty game of fast-fashion consumption.
As I have said before the pandemic was a wake up call for most of us to rethink our purpose but mainly for climate change, that was the moment when I started Koua Studio and I changed drastically my consumer behaviour towards fashion. I’m particularly fan of wearing luxury brands because of its brand heritage, creative art and the power they give me when I wear them. But what is really behind a luxury brand? It’s not just its longevity that makes it sustainable is the value that can be added now if you know how to consume them.
The following diagram shows one of the ways I consume fashion nowadays.
Apart from the added value they give me, I can recover the investment , help to stop the fast fashion wave and give the chance to someone else to wear it too!
Before sending the items to the new owner. I always make sure they are sent to the dry clean and in its best version possible. Visit my shop https://www.erika-alvarez.com/shop . There are always new items coming in depending on the season. Those that I decide to set in circulation and I give a second life and make my ROI back.
Contact me if any question.
Eri x