Fernanda Velasquez
Our twenty-third member of the month is Fernanda Velasquez
UCRF is running a ‘Member of the Month’ feature on this blog, where a member, selected at random from the membership database, is sent five questions to give us all an overview of our members. Our twenty-third participant, Fernanda Velasquez, is a fashion designer and brand owner who gives new life to unwanted garments and deadstock materials by creating desirable upcycled garments.
—1 How would you sum up your research/practice?
I am a fashion designer who started her sustainable fashion brand. I strive to educate my community on sustainability and fashion. I design pieces from unwanted garments (upcycle) and deadstock. I strive to make my fashion brand as sustainable and transparent as possible.
— 2 How do you address fashion and sustainability in your work?
I address fashion and sustainability in my work by creating upcycled garment pieces. Revamping unwanted garments and offering alternatives for their reuse. Sometimes an updated style or a different perspective is all we need. By upcycling a garment, you can give it a new life.
— 3 What are the conflicts you have encountered around fashion and sustainability in your work?
The conflict I have encountered is the difficulty of finding sustainable raw materials. Most of them are already unsustainable since they are produced in mass. When looking for deadstock fabrics, it is usually not readily available compared to unsustainable alternatives like fabrics or notions in big box stores. Another difficulty I have encountered is how time-consuming upcycling is compared to creating a garment from a brand-new piece of fabric.
— 4 What do you consider the key sources and cases when it comes to fashion and sustainability?
What I consider the key sources and cases to fashion and sustainability are documentaries and my community. Documentaries offer a look at fashion and sustainability from experts in the field, while my community showcases what fashion and sustainability are really like in my reality. I think that they both go hand in hand and can help better understand how to make a difference.
— 5 Could you recommend some less-known sources or cases you think should be more widely shared?
I would recommend reading The Conscious Closet by Elizabeth L. Cline. It is one of the books I found extremely useful when I was starting this journey. I think less-known sources or cases are The true cost and Reimagined. They showcase what fashion and sustainability are and how they have, and can coexist. Lastly, a resource for beginners that is up to date and straight to the point regarding different sustainable ways to get rid of unwanted garments is 6 Sustainable Ways to Get Rid of Old Clothes and Shoes.
Thank you Fernanda for sharing your work!
