Why brands need to factor in sustainability!

After purchasing a pair of jeans from a fast fashion retailer, in about 6 months I noticed the fabric was beginning to fade and wrinkle. Until this moment, I had never really reflected on the fabric quality of my clothes, let alone the effect they had on the environment. After finishing high school however, I finally invested time into choosing garments that were made ethically after a series of clothing items I had bought formed holes. In my quest to discover brands that were sustainable, I stumbled across an article that forced me to realise the humanitarian interest that also followed with focusing on sustainable fashion. In 2013, a devastating building collapse in Bangladesh resulted in 1,134 workers dying and hundreds more injured. The poorly constructed building manufactured clothes for fast fashion retailers Primark, Mango and Walmart. Whilst Zara and H&M weren’t linked to the building collapse, their clothes are also manufactured in the same area and have since signed an agreement to ensure the safety of workers, something that should’ve been in place before the tragic event. This event reminded me that fast fashion isn’t just harmful on the environment, but also harmful to communities without a voice.

Since then, I’ve challenged myself to shop more sustainably and find labels that focus on quality, ethics and sustainability.

macgraw’s mission:

For their wondrous affair with lace and opulent designs, macgraw has established themselves as prominent designers in the Australian landscape. My admiration for macgraw developed after I was confronted with one of their lace tops on Instagram and immediately fell in love. This admiration inspired me to anxiously email the label about interning with them. Surprisingly, I received a response and an internship and over the last 12 months I’ve learned about their clothing operations and the effort that goes into ensuring the ‘Made in Australia’ tag. I’ve also witnessed many conversations  involving decisions to choose fabrics that are more environmentally friendly. With this in mind, I decided to interview Beth and Tessa MacGraw to find out the story behind their Australian made clothing and focus on sustainability.

What is macgraw’s history?

When we started the label 5 years ago we were both still in full time jobs so worked on the business afterhours and on weekends…macgraw HQ was run out of our lounge room.

It wasn’t ideal but it helped us get on our feet. I came in full time 3 years ago and Tess came in a couple of years ago when things were really taking off.

We’ve grown up a lot as a business since those days…and our girl has grown up with us

Beth MacGraw

What kind of clothes do you make?

We design womenswear for the advanced contemporary market…think of it as an entry level to luxury. When approaching a new collection we start with a central idea or inspiration and everything then stems from that.

Whether our starting point is the illusive pink flannel flower or French royalty we’ve found as it’s two of us collaborating we need a clear focus.

Tessa MacGraw

 Tess then hand draws our prints so they are always unique to us. Sketch first, then we play with colours, then it’s all digitised and we play with placement and work in to a repeat and then we test different base cloths. Once we have our prints the rest of the collection starts to fall into place.

We like to create customised laces and textures with our suppliers so all our fabrications lead back to our central idea and colour palette….every element is carefully considered to ensure it weaves back into the story.

Beth MacGraw

Is quality something you focus on?

Absolutely…we sell a premium product to an international customer so quality at every stage is imperative.

Tessa MacGraw

Did you always intend to make clothes here in Australia?

We always wanted to make a portion of our collections here. While starting out and learning it’s good to have a hands on approach to your business and product.

Beth MacGraw

 

Do you think you’ll continue to focus on sustainability as the label develops?

Sustainability has always been important to us. We are becoming more interested in the whole process…tracing our fabrics back to the yarn and looking at the processes by which they are made.

Tessa MacGraw

Does the label benefit from having the ‘made in Australia’ tag on clothing?

We find our international stores appreciate this the most…. The French and Chinese in particular.

Beth MacGraw

What would be your advice for anyone wanting to start a label that makes their clothes in Australia?

Do your research and try and find mentors who will share contacts. The industry is small so not everyone is forthcoming with information. Once you find good makers nurture the relationships, be honest and pay on time!

Tessa MacGraw

Why should individuals try to buy clothes that are made in Australia or made from sustainable fabrics?

Buying clothes made locally supports the local economy…it also saves on a lot of freight which adds heavily to the carbon footprint of a garment. All our local makers abide by government regulations and are frequently visited to check on working conditions so you know everyone in the chain of the garment is being treated ethically.

Everyone should be considerate of our planet so buying sustainable is a responsibility. Choose natural fibres where you can, pick quality investment pieces that you will keep forever…not something you will throw out next week.

Beth MacGraw

All photo’s belong to the author of this blog post.