Independent fashion designer and former student on The Northern School of Art‘s Foundation Diploma, Faye Joynes, is keen to get us thinking green when it comes to updating our wardrobes.

After working as a designer in the fashion industry for a few years, in July this year Faye, a former student of Ian Ramsey CE Academy in Stockton-on-Tees, set up sustainable independent womenswear brand Evie.

“I wasn’t content with the state of the fashion industry, and knew it had potential to be so much better” Faye explained. “Each Evie piece is made with care, by me, in my home studio using sustainable materials.

“No throw-away fashion here – these pieces are made to be loved forever.”

Reflecting on the challenges of setting up a new business during a global pandemic, Faye added: “I had the benefit of more time to spend on the business as I was furloughed but it has made selling harder because people are buying less as they are going out less.”

Business has been brisk in the four months since the launch of Evie and Faye has already secured a stockist in New York, independent fashion store Here Nor There, pictured below.

Faye added: “Overall I’m happy with how it’s all going but I’m still learning, slowly but surely. Learning what works best for the brand, in terms of the products I make, and how I reach my ideal audience.”

On her time at The Northern School of Art (before the School’s name change), Faye said: “I absolutely loved my time at CCAD and would recommend doing a foundation year to anyone.

“It costs nothing if you go straight from college and it set me up with the skills I needed to be able to comfortably progress to university level.”

Faye has shared the following easy to follow advice about adopting an eco-friendly  attitude to your fashion habits.

Five Tips for Building a Sustainable Wardrobe

1: Buy less, choose better

With the cost of fast fashion ever decreasing, it’s tempting to splash out on a clothing haul. We all love that feeling of treating ourselves to some new goodies, but how long does that feeling last before you realise that the only reason you bought that semi-see-through, tropical print dress was because it was “only a tenner”?

You may think you’re saving money by buying cheaper pieces, but buying in excess and replacing regularly means that you’re often spending more. Save up for that piece you’ve had your eye on and cut down on the impulse buys. Trust me, your wardrobe (and bank) will thank you for it!

2: Be lazy

Be lazy when it come to washing your clothes – they probably don’t need washing as much as you think they do. Leave them out to get some air every once in a while and spot clean when needed. You’ll be amazed how much longer your clothes last.

3: Shop from made-to-order brands

When a brand mass produces stock, a large portion of it often ends up in landfill, sometimes before it’s even reached the consumer. Following a made-to-order model means that no excess stock is produced, meaning less waste – yay!

All Evie pieces are made-to-order, like the Anne top pictured below, or made in very small quantities for shops. Find out more at https://www.evielabel.com/shop

4: Shop second-hand

You’d be amazed at the quality you get get for bargain prices on Ebay, Depop and in charity shops. One of my favourite finds is a vintage Katharine Hamnett blazer, worth around £500, for £2 (!) from my local charity shop.

There’s a knack to using Ebay which requires becoming well acquainted with the ‘filters’ bar. The first thing I do is set the condition to ‘Used’ – this filters out any straight-from-the-warehouse knock-offs and leaves you with the vintage gems you’re after!

This video has some further tips and tricks for vintage hunting on Ebay:

5: Repair and re-wear

You can learn nearly anything from Youtube these days, including how to repair your clothes! Imperfections such as holes, snags, stains and fading are easy to fix yourself at home.

Bobbly knitwear for example can be brought back to life using a fabric comb, available for just over £2 from amazon at for example https://tinyurl.com/y3ym68r5

Here are some other resources for clothes repair:

Fixing a hole in a T-shirt:

Repair a snag:

Follow Evie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evie.label/

Like Evie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evie-109963914085819