In today’s clothing climate, it’s a common turn of phrase. Festering floordrobes, nurtured by our love to shop, wear once, and quite literally – drop, are slowly swallowing the bedroom floors of fashionistas worldwide.

According to the gang at The Clothing Exchange, the average Aussie wardrobe contains 104 unused items. We wear approximately 20 per cent of our clothing 80 per cent of the time, and, as a nation, spend $1.7 billion dollars on clothes we rarely sport.

When gazing at the healthy hoards of fabric bursting out from behind un-closable closet doors, being a style-stasher doesn’t seem like such a hefty crime. But when the cold, hard facts are considered, a hint of self-reflection occurs. As a group of fashion fanatics with sustainable sentient discovered this week, it’s time to ditch the cheeky buy-and-deny, and enter retail rehabilitation.

Savvy, sophisticated and sustainable. These are the words that united the otherwise diverse troupe of panellists at Wednesdays Wardrobe Workshop. Hosted by the Melbourne Clothing Exchange in partnership with the 2015 VAMFF Cultural Program, this in depth discussion saw an ensemble of industry leaders come together to address the peculiar phenomenon of the overflowing “drobe”.

Mats Ekstrom from slow fashion retailer Swensk, BusinessChic blogger Cheryl Lin and sustainability consultant Fabia Pryor joined Violette Snow and Sigrid McCarthy, the lovely ladies behind Melbourne’s most sustainably stylish publication, HESSIAN, to guide what was a truly enlightening and ideal-examining chat.

Fronting an audience of fashionistas enthusiastic for ethical improvement, founder of The Clothing Exchange Kate Luckins and Melbourne swap meet host, Linn Vikander bounced questions around the panellists, addressing issues such as, ‘why do we keep things we don’t wear?’ and ‘how can we turn our overflowing wardrobe into a functional wardrobe, while still enjoying the frivolity fashion has to offer?’

Ekstrom credited his male clientele as leaders of the minimalism mission. “They shop with a purpose,” he explained, “and this usually includes buying something that means they don’t have to return for another three years.”

But Lin, Pryor, Snow and McCarthy suggested it’s possible to consume carefully.

“Editing your wardrobe doesn’t mean divorcing yourself from the fun of fashion. Take it as a challenge to hone your personal style, keep the pieces that compliment this and trade those that don’t away,” proposed Pryor.

Following the conversation was The Clothing Exchange’s personally curated wardrobe-waste solution. Why drop, when you can swap? With each member of the audience bringing a small bag of unwanted garments to trade for pre-loved pieces, it became evident that despite suggestions of slow fashion being ‘boring’, swapping can procure just as much fun than shopping. And with the expert assistance of Vogue Japan’s Leeyong Soo in the styling booth, we learnt it’s possible to look hip in hand-me-arounds.

Hosting wardrobe exchanges every couple of months, if you, like us, are currently guilty of cultivating a hefty crop of clothing, take yourself, your friends, and a bag of your finest unworn apparel along to the next meet.

You’ll trade forgotten treasures for some stylish new steals, and have a whole heap of fun in the process. And, with all un-swapped items going to charity, we’re sure the brains behind The Clothing Exchange have found the most enjoyable solution to the wardrobe-waster yet.

Swap/Style/Snap, and you won’t look back.

For more details on The Clothing Exchange, visit clothingexchange.com.au

We arrived with only basic knowledge and departed with what was guaranteed to be a “hopeless addiction” to two of Japan’s most delicate art forms. With a woodblock print demonstration and verbal voyage through the traditional Japanese wardrobe promised, the crowd assembled eagerly, many already dressed to impress in Asian-inspired attire.

Condensing what sometimes takes months to complete into a thirty-minute display, Terry McKenna from the Australian Mokuhanga School opened the afternoon with a crash course in woodblock printing. Somewhat overlooked as a form of fine art in its traditional territory, to many Japanese artisans this rigorous method of carving, smoothing, rolling and pressing ink from block to paper is considered little more than a commercial process.

“The artists come up with these unique prints, only to be forgotten behind the demand of the publisher in the printing room,” McKenna explained, “it was always a collaborative project, and the craftsman remained largely anonymous.”

But similar to the Kimono, during the mid 1800s when Japan exited trade isolation and reopened its ports to the global market, Mokuhanga prints became sought after artefacts, regarded as exotic and luxurious by even the most astute of European art collectors.

Similarly, just as Mokuhanga inspired the imaginations of artists like Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh, the mysterious Kimono was adopted and interpreted by the Parisian fashion crowd, injecting a hit of cultural confusion into previously conservative couture houses and design ateliers.

But as Leanne O’Sullivan from Melbourne’s Kimono House was quick to demonstrate, the Kimono’s translation from local to international stage came with a change of context and meaning. Carefully unwrapping her multi-layered mannequins, O’Sullivan explained the significance and function behind every knick and knack, proving that despite the basic ‘wrap-like’ design of the contemporary Kimono, the garment – which actually encompasses a number of occasional, seasonal and hierarchical variations, is one complicated outfit choice.

Fittingly referred to as “a world of undergarments,” O’Sullivan’s demonstration proved the Kimono makes stressing over contemporary lingerie choices seem rather trivial. At once, a Samurai might be wearing up to twelve layers of Kimono, all pressed into place by numerous belts and sashes and a collection of rolled towels, “to fill in the gaps.”

Learning about a culture that has made such an artistic and aesthetic impression on our own is something truly special. And, concluding the seminar with an intimate viewing of some of the Library’s rare Japanese artist books from the Edo Period, Off the Page, Onto the Kimono proved to be one of these especially enlightening experiences.

If you missed out, don’t fret – the Libraries Edo-era collection is still on display. The decorated doors to O’Sullivan’s Swanston Street Kimono House are always open, and if you think you’d like to try your hand at some Mokuhanga, McKenna will welcome you into his class with open arms and a sturdy block of wood.

www.kimonohouse.com.au 

www.mokuhanga-school.com.au

www.slv.vic.gov.au

The forward thinking folk at Brunswick Street Gallery have been toying with the idea, too. They’ve noticed the pervading theme of futuristic exploration amongst the cities budding artisans, and they’ve recognised the past is better left behind.

So, when presented with the opportunity to host an exhibition as part of the 2015 VAMFF Cultural Program, curator Miriam Arbus set her sights firmly on what’s to come. Assembling an assortment of local futuristic fashionistas,The Brunswick Street Gallery’s latest exhibition, We Wear Future, was born.

Ragnhild Utne

FOOL Clothing

Poised among the whitewashed walls of the Fitzroy gallery space, We Wear Future is an exhibition featuring 30 interpretations of fashion forecasting at its finest. A time machine of the trendiest type, this hand-curated collection of diverse design talent give meaning to the words ‘future’ and ‘bright.’

We left the bustling Brunswick Street and arrived in a loft-like simulation of the catwalk of tomorrow. Comprising of a cluster of small rooms connected by larger, open spaces, the exhibition ensures every artist is given ample room to divulge their futuristic discourse.

Meg Kolac

From Cadia Belante’s slumber-evoking dialogue with consumption in urban environments to Jevan Strudwick’s interpretation of sustainability through edibility, it’s clear that ecological concerns are at the forefront of these fashion fledglings’ minds.

“We weren’t just after that stereotypical ‘futuristic look’,” Arbus explains of the designs on show, “we wanted to develop a feel and awareness towards local and sustainable practise.”

Complimenting a central theme of the 2015 VAMFF Fashion Industry Forums, Arbus and the BSG team have accessed the gallery medium to engage with the topic of sustainability, too. Browsing the diverse range of exhibits, from the wearable to the     wacky, we are reminded that sometimes art speaks just as loud as words.

Eileen Braybrook

Another interesting element of We Wear Future is its balance of mediums. Unlike many fashion-focused exhibitions, the garments do not neccesarily take centre stage. Vibrant prints by the likes of Melbourne illustrator Meg Kolac sit seamlessly alongside the more textile and print-based focuses of Bree Ellet and Sharnee Thorpe, proving apparel isn’t the only medium worthy of facilitating design-directed dialogue.

And, if every exhibition in the future includes a personal greeting by the galleries pet, we’d like to teleport immediately. Milly, BSG’s resident Russian White was quick to point out her favourite exhibit, curling herself around one of Belante’s sleeping bags already doubled as a dress.

Cadia Belante, featuring ‘Milly’ the cat.

“What we wear will dictate what the future looks like. How we live will dictate what we wear.” If the work exhibited above the rushing reality of Brunswick Street has anything to do with it, we will soon be living with a greater ecological conscious and sporting some pretty excellent threads.

Closing this Friday March 6, skip to Brunswick Street Gallery quickly to catch a glimpse of the future for yourself.

Open 10am-8pm every day this week.

For full details of exhibiting artists and a photo gallery of the opening night, visit the BSG Facebook page.

Photographs courtesy of Brunswick Street Gallery, taken by Eliza Bell.

Nestled within the decorated walls of the Johnston Collection, with teacups in hand and ears eager, a group of unlikely listeners saw three ladies of literature come to life.

Rendered only by the voice of Rodgers, the presence of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy Buchanan, Evelyn Waugh’s Lady Julia  and Patrick White’s Dorothy Hunter permeated the room. Why? To focus on the role of literature and how it communicates fashion to the world.

As part of the 2015 VAMFF Cultural Programs “Talks and Tours” section, Fashion in Literature – Out Loud concentrates on the importance of style and imagery in bringing particular fictional creations to life.

For years we have relied on literature to help us read an outfit. Glossy fashion magazines update us on new season trends, and a plethora of style encyclopedias, ranging on topics from couture to Chanel, fill the shelves at libraries and bookstores alike.

But perched in front of the well-read crowd with manuscript in hand, Rodgers, a celebrated actor and audio narrator, reminded us of how easy it is to become enthralled by the lives of those existing purely on the page.

From the deep southern twang of J. Gatsby, to the tongue-in-cheek humour of White’s protagonist Dorothy Hunter, Rodgers’ accented renditions took the crowd on a verbal tour of three visually evocative eras, re-awakening within many a forgotten childhood luxury of being read to aloud.

With her punctuated voice swirling around the dainty room, we had to remind ourselves we weren’t actually couched within the roaring ‘20s, or pre-war England, witnessing the gangly Lady Julia beg Charles to take her hand.

Did you know in the original Gatsby, Daisy has dark hair? Tiny details – the crisp white of a servants sleeve, the indifferent tangle of pearls and chiffon lying on the floor – these are the things that make our favourite characters the complex beings they are.

And, as Rodgers’ readings highlighted, not only do such visual intimacies raise a character from two-dimensional to three, they are also imbued with wider social, political and aesthetic meaning. A snapshot of history, so to say, captured purely through prose and clothes.

The first of a number of intellectual discussions taking place as part of “Talks and Tours”, for a dose of fashion you can’t get on the runway, Fashion in Literature – Out Loud was an excellent reminder that for something so visual, style becomes incredibly influential through the power of the written word.

As Virginia Woolf once wrote, “… clothes change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.” Style resonates with the reader, just as Rodgers captivating performance and passion for storytelling resonates with us.

If you enjoy appreciating fashion from both an intellectual and interactive perspective, the “Talks and Tours” category has only just begun. For a full list of discussions, ranging from historical to contemporary matter, click here.

Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan in Jack Clayton’s The Great Gatsby, 1974.

But this hardly comes as a surprise. With her list of accolades extending longer than a ball of yarn, Kee’s archive-inspired anthology seems a fitting next-step for the charismatic designer that never stops.

On Tuesday evening, amidst the trove of trinkets on show at Melbourne’s Pieces of Eight Gallery, a lucky mob of Kee-devotees were granted some serious sneak-peekage.

Beneath a giant rendition of Kee’s all-seeing spectacles, 14 pieces from the New Beginning collection were available to view, touch and even try on.

Both nostalgic and new, the small selection of scarfs, sweaters, beanies and knits feature many a nod to the classic Kee, with desert pea and boomerang motifs colourfully collaged alongside more monochromatic palettes reminiscent of her Black Opal days.

But texture breathes life into these old favourites. Hand picked from the finest Australian Merino’s before being shipped to Italy for spinning, the ‘cashwool’ used to construct Kee’s collection is groomed to standards rivalling that of professional hair care. Even slight amounts of stress placed on cashwool producing sheep can affect the quality of their fleece.

But such attention to detail shows. A sensory experience of the cosiest kind, on Tuesday the “look but don’t touch” rule was difficult to enforce. Thankfully though, the kind folks at Pieces of Eight took this into account, and allowed the cooing crowd to quite literally pull the wool over each other’s eyes.

While A New Beginning took centre stage, the gallery’s regular tenants stole our hearts, too. If you haven’t visited Pieces of Eight, whether it’s to purchase or ponder the assortment of local design talent, this dainty trinket trove is the cities one-stop jewellery shop.

Despite the absence of Kee herself, the gang behind the gallery ensured her presence was truly felt. Framing the festivities with cardboard cut outs of native flora, Sydney based paper-master Benja Harney paid homage to Kee by converting the galleries façade into a waratah inspired wreath.

Available for pre-order on the evening, it was awfully difficult to try and not buy. But with many of those present already decorated in Kee’s designs, the garments on show will undoubtedly wriggle their way into a number of well-loved wardrobes.

What better way to open the 2015 Cultural Program than with the lady who made Australiana acceptable. Open to the public at Pieces of Eight Gallery for the duration of the 2015 Cultural Program, A New Beginning is well worth trying on for size.

For more information about the event, click here.

Photo credit: Kim Victoria Wearne