With a PhD in fashion design systems, Bernice Pan has the skills to push for structural change in fashion. She founded DEPLOY 12 years ago with a mission: To tackle the fashion system issue of over-supply and over consumption by creating smart and sustainable clothing that makes a meaningful and lasting impact.
She wanted to increase care and versatility for people while reducing waste and exploitation in the environment.
We are all about sustainable fashion initiatives at GLAMOUR. Today, we want you to meet two visionary women who are making changes to the way we buy and wear clothes. Let us introduce you to the founders of DEPLOY and A Novel Approach.
Meet Bernice Pan and Alice Wilby, who have just launched the Dress Better Do Better campaign, which encourages us all to do just that.
Meet: Bernice Pan, founder of DEPLOY
At DEPLOY, they prioritise value, versatility and style longevity whilst reducing resource consumption and environmental waste — enabling us all to dress better and do better.
“Sustainability is not an abstract virtue or a complex science. It is also not just about organic cotton or recycled plastics. It is the long-term relationship between people and environment. So no one can opt out of it,” says Dr Bernice Pan. “We can and must choose differently. Our decisions in what we don’t buy are as important as what we do buy. Fast fashion doesn’t work, not for us personally (we toss them out or pile them up shortly after purchasing them), and less still for the environment and the people who make them. So it is up to us to break out of this rut.”
Meet: Alice Wilby, co-founder at A Novel Approach
Fed up with seeing waste and overconsumption daily as a commercial stylist, Alice Wilby founded Futurefrock magazine in 2009. Looking for a slow fashion approach, she began styling editorials only using sustainable and ethical brands, whose approach to sourcing, production and seasonal trends was a world away from fast fashion.
Fast forward a few years and she co-founded Novel Beings with Khandiz Joni. Novel was a world-first sustainable style agency for artists who worked with sustainable and ethical cores to their practices.
“We have reached peak stuff,” says Alice. “As a culture our consumption is in hyperdrive. Fast Fashion has become a way of life for so many people, but it’s not just about cheap high-street clothing. Social media and digital tech has made it possible for us to consume designer brands at the same speed. Simply sitting on your sofa you can buy the newest drops from your favourite cheap high street or luxury brands, faster than you can leave the house! This means we aren’t encouraged to treasure our clothing. We have completely lost touch with the amazing skill and craftsmanship it takes to make our clothes and we don’t see the negative impact the garment industry has on the environment. So it’s no wonder the average garment is only worn 3 times before being disposed of, often ending up in landfill or simply lost at the back of a wardrobe, not being utilized to their fullest.”
Join: The #DressBetterDoBetter Campaign
The #DressBetterDoBetter campaign encourages us to engage with and value our clothing and ourselves. When we slow down and take time to appreciate what we are buying and wearing, not only do we treasure our clothing but we feel more engaged and empowered by what we are wearing. Which in turn inspires us to love our clothes for longer, because we feel great when we wear them.
To get involved, you can start by coming along to our Business Not As Usual panel on 12th June. Our very own editor-in-chief Deborah Joseph will be appearing. Come along, hear about sustainable options and make a pledge to do your bit for the environment, by dressing better and doing better.
