Orsola de Castro, 43, is the founder of From Somewhere, which makes clothes out of recycled offcuts of luxury materials. With her partner, Filippo Ricci, she curates Estethica, an initiative in association with the British Fashion Council that showcases eco-fashion brands.
“I set up From Somewhere in 1997. Initially I either embellished existing items, such as crocheting around a hole in a cashmere cardigan, or I chopped old garments into something original. I found it funny to take something that was nearly dead and put it back on sale in some of the best shops in the world.
In 2001, I went to Miles, a factory in Vicenza, Italy, that makes knitwear for designers such as Yves St Laurent, Chloé and Karl Lagerfeld, and I started looking at the offcuts on the floor. I realised that with that amount of waste I could make a collection from scratch, not just the one-offs I had been making.
The concept of fast fashion is very new. When I moved to London from Italy in the 1980s, if you couldn’t afford something you would either steal it or wait for it, but it wasn’t about having a fiver in your pocket and having to spend it, as it is now. Fashion is more democratic now, but I hate fast fashion because it is so wasteful. Clothes should be ethically made and recycled
I’m taking the concept of properly.up-cycling – remaking something to a superior value – to the high street. I’m designing two collections for Tesco with another eco designer by taking leftovers from the factory in Sri Lanka where Tesco produces its clothes.
As well as recycling fabric I’m concerned with helping individuals. All our clothes are made in the Cooperativa Rinascere in Vicenza which helps rehabilitate disabled people and people with mental health problems. My seamstresses used to work for top fashion houses before they got ill and it’s been hard for them to re-enter their profession. One, who has clinical depression, was denied custody of her daughter a few years ago. Partly because of working for us she has now got her back.
It’s exciting to be a part of the process. When the film producer Livia Firth [the wife of Colin Firth] wore a From Somewhere dress at the Venice Biennale last September, the night Colin won best actor, I was told that the atmosphere at the Cooperativa was like a football match. They were so excited because they had made the dress.“
Orsola´s eco fashion tips:
- Buy clothes with longing and desire, don’t buy on a whim, and always buy thinking you will pass it on to someone else. That way you will buy good quality and classic styles.
- Take the time to learn how to sew and mend. Sewing machines are very exciting objects and one can be very creative with one’s clothes.
- At home my partner cuts a plastic bottle and puts it in the cistern in the lavatory. The bottle collects water and every day you save about a litre and a half of water from flushing.
- Support ethical fashion labels: I’m a big fan of Christopher Raeburn, who makes clothes out of reclaimed military uniforms and recycled parachutes. I love Nina Dolcetti’s shoes, Junky Styling and all the other labels that we showcase in Estethica. It’s important to show to the public that ethical fashion can compete with mainstream brands.
The liveeco team
