86. Fashion Reimagined; movie review

 

FASHION. REIMAGINED

Cert 12A

110 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language

I have so much admiration for people who step away from convention because they believe they really can change the world.

Therefore, I was enthralled by this documentary about Amy Powney, one of the most significant disruptors of the fashion world.

This is an industry where greed has been seen to be good for decades. Demands are for ever greater numbers of designs and yet people have never thrown away more of their clothes.

In Becky Hunter's Fashion Reimagined, Powney dares to create a sustainable range and even encourages renting or reselling stock.

And now the industry is following her lead.

Powney is the creative designer at Mother Of Pearl, a small London fashion house which set out to produce clothes which have no negative impact on people, animals or the environment.

She and her brand manager Chloe Marks follow their supply chain across the world to ensure that every element of the process adheres to their beliefs.

This involved them visiting an ethical sheep farm in Uruguay to source their wool and on to other green companies in Peru, Turkey and Austria (sadly, wool in the UK is not good enough for luxury clothes).

Powney is driven by her background - she was brought up on a Lancashire farm and her dad is an environmental campaigner.

She has been one of the rising stars of the London fashion scene for quite a while but is dismayed by the damage it is doing to the planet through its processes.

Thus, she vows that her next collection, called No Frills, will raise the bar.

However, as Hunter's film chronicles, this is not an easy path because tracing the contents of our clothes from their origins is almost impossible.

Nevertheless, Powney won't take no for an answer and that is why this is a compelling and uplifting feature about one of the shining lights of modern fashion.

Reasons to watch: Cutting-edge industry

Reasons to avoid: Repeats itself a tad

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Campaign for Wool, Amy Powney was asked by his then Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, to design a limited edition wool scarf to showcase the sustainable benefits of wool and to raise money for The Prince’s Foundation’s Future Textiles initiative.

The final word. Amy Powney: "To be honest it doesn’t take a big effort to apply these values into your life. It actually feels great to be aware of what you consume and what you’re contributing with. " Less Is More

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