consciousfashion

Not for all – Arrogance or honesty?

When we say that our work is not for everyone, it shouldn’t be seen as a sign of arrogance. On the contrary, if you ponder a little on the true meaning, you will perceive that it denotes a genuine and realistic approach.

Can we truly please everyone? No, obviously, we cannot.
To illustrate, if you usually buy fast fashion, you would never check out our selection. If you like to show off logo emblazoned garments, we are not for you. If you are a passive consumer, perhaps you will not interact with us.

Pleasing everyone is a naive goal, and though it’s impossible to accomplish, the downside of trying is that it generates a bazaar of elements. A fragmented and undefined proposal where everything is possible, but nothing stands out. Because there is no soul. No clarity.
The truth is that you have to be honest to say that what you do is not for everyone.

Over about twenty-five years in the fashion field, we saw the rise and fall of the system. A fast-paced environment in which profit and marketing took over creativity. And ultimately, it led to the exploitation of people and the planet. This system now needs a new air, something more, beyond that glossy facade. Creative visions supported by a conscious approach.

We are a drop in the ocean, but we are trying to bring a different viewpoint, providing a deeper meaning to fashion, and rediscovering its true beauty. And therefore evolve to the next level.

Our selection and thoughts are for those who appreciate the value of unconventional work that falls outside an imposed system. We aim to interact with individuals who are not passive consumers but active thinkers. Those who want to be informed because they are not stuck in the past or constrained by pointless rules but constantly evolving.

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Awakening

Awakening means developing your consciousness – ethical and social – in order to become a better human.

Awakening is an intentional choice. Indeed, it is the act of opening our eyes and realizing what happens inside and around us. Once we understand the reality, the damage we have done to other people and our environment, awakening comes along.

Therefore, we become aware that doing without thinking about consequences or, in other words, acting without a long-term ethical vision is not a worthy choice.

Awakening takes our eyes to see, our brain to think and pay attention, freeing our conscience to emerge. For instance, we reach a higher level of consciousness by reading books, essays or newsletters. Following thoughtful leaders. Interacting and sharing ideas in a community. Perhaps we could list other ways, but honestly, meditation is not our field of knowledge.

Ultimately, awakening is free.
You can pay someone to turn on the light for you, but then the process is yours. And no one can do it for you.

How does it all connect to fashion? Believe us, it does. Fashion as a reflection of our society is part of a system based on exploitation. Part of the world is living at the expense of others and the planet.

The awakening’s result is that we are not satisfied with this system anymore. We cannot take it as it is. Therefore, we want to bring a change.

How do we do it?

We do it by offering you a thoughtful selection. By intentionally taking fewer items. What we really need. Unique pieces. By not adapting to fashion rules anymore but being active agents of change. By bringing in our own vision and values. More is not the answer. Instead, less but better and more ethical choices.

How do fashion brands do it?
Smaller productions – higher quality – shorter and adequately paid working chain. No sales but real balanced value. No modern slavery to serve fast fashion.

How do you do it?
Consume less. Choose wisely.

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Design against waste

Waste is a major issue in our culture. Perhaps one of the biggest. Definitely a side effect of our lifestyle. Waste is the ignorant byproduct of our times, meaning the etymological non-understanding of what we leave at our back.

In other words, it is a blind and egoistic short-term vision. People don’t care. Their children will live in an open-air landfill. Not their business.

However, the problem is real, devastating, and we cannot hide it anymore. There’s no way to sweep waste under the carpet or make it magically disappear.

Acknowledging the problem and the environmental cost it carries along, is the first step. But what is the solution?

Design is the answer.
An accurate design is at the core of solving the waste issue. Changing the way we conceive products is absolutely crucial. We need thoughtful items in every single field and category – fashion, furniture, technology, etc.
Products made with eco, recycled materials. That will have multiple lives and eventually enter a circular pattern.
Items made to last.

By the way, it was so in the past in terms of lifetime. Now the life of a garment is just a couple of washings, the life of a cell phone, less than one year.
Moreover, the convenience culture played a huge role in maximizing waste habits and proliferating throwaway tendencies. Buying a new item is cheaper than repairing it. So throw it away and buy another one – even if it will last just a few months. The never-ending cycle has been triggered.

The point is that real designers make good designs.
Since fashion – like any other industry – is in the hands of people who are more attracted to marketing than design, it will be hard to see a change coming from the inside.

Unless a new generation of designers, aware of the problem and touched by it, will be willing to change for the better.
We are optimistic!

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Selection vs quantity

Carefully picking out the most suitable items vs quantity is an interesting point. Talking about selection when people are used to a supermarket thinking mode, indeed, is not an easy task.

A while ago, a lady who used to come to our boutique asked to try on an item. When we said her size was sold-out, she replied:
“My size is sold out because you ordered only a few pieces.”

Also, she said it with an ironic grin on her lips, as she intended to belittle our work.

Accidentally and unbeknownst to her, she had hit the point: selecting a few pieces is not a demerit. On the contrary, we firmly believe it is a plus! It grants you uniqueness, which is far better than being the clone of many other people.

In fact, we do it on purpose. To order a few pieces by choosing those of value, the special ones, is an intentional attitude.
We are at the opposite of the fast-fashion concept. Disposable goods have never been for us. Besides, fashion understood as a supermarket makes us shudder.

A selection #formodernhumans

Years ago, we were already on this path, and this direction is even more explicit now due to the recent events. Going for an evolved style – and lifestyle – means that we don’t need too many things, only the ones that make the difference.

We help you create your unique, distinctive individual style. We do it operating with respect for people and the planet. It’s a vision for a better world. It is not about quantity. Of course, it is not.

We cannot please everyone, and we do not appeal to a mass audience. But we can please people like us, a niche of like-minded individuals who share the same values.

It’s a selection for modern humans.

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Timeless: a mindful buying approach

Why now?

Timeless is a concept that has become quite popular in fashion nowadays. Why? And most of all, why now? Let’s dig deeper into this.

Timeless fashion – just as timeless design in general – refers to classic pieces: items conceived and made to last. But it also includes those pieces that feature such an innovative design that even after many years, they are still forward, always relevant. Evergreen, indeed. Those pieces end up being copied by other brands who feed themselves on the creativity of more advanced designers. And, if your eyes are a little bit trained, you can see where the inspiration of these items comes from.

Timeless fashion

Why now?
Now that the system has collapsed, we seek out ways to survive. Timeless is a good strategy because it gives worth back to clothing and its production system. Also, it opens us up to a more thoughtful way of consumption.

Timeless tells you to buy less but better. It is the opposite of disposable clothing, and the opposite of fast fashion.

However, we always promoted a vision of style that was more than consuming fashion trends quickly. And we did this from the very beginning of suite123, about fifteen years ago.
We mainly selected clothes having a certain stylistic content, never banal, with a good design, and made from beautiful materials. In fact, that is the essence of timelessness: items you can wear forever.

Now we are even more concentrated on this approach. Given the situation we are in, we firmly believe it is a mindful and appropriate choice.

The investment is higher, but it’s the only way to have clothes that last for a long time. A very long time if you treat them carefully. Timeless fashion is one of the steps we need to take to reduce our impact on the planet.

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