The Museum of Anthropology was lit up and alive on March 12 with bold colours, textiles and the ambient sounds of runway music and oohs and ahhs from the crowd for the second annual Slow Fashion Show, hosted by the Slow Fashion: Circular Textiles, Sustainable Fibre Research Cluster.
The show marks the culmination of the research cluster’s Slow Fashion Season, an initiative bringing together artists, designers and the community to promote sustainable fashion practices. It included free maker workshops, a gallery exhibition, a Slow Fashion Symposium and the UBC Student Sustainable Fashion Challenge, which invited students to compete for a chance to showcase their work at the event.
The evening began with a 20-minute performance of FakeKnot by Ralph Escamilian, in which the artist gradually descended into a neatly pleated grand paper gown, only to scrunch it up to the percussive backdrop of wooden pegs clacking together.
The Slow Fashion runway was introduced by Musqueam weaver, artist and Knowledge Keeper Debra Sparrow, who welcomed the audience to Musqueam territory and introduced the woven Salish blanket sets that she developed alongside her daughter Aleen. This was followed by showcases from members of the Slow Fashion Research Cluster and the winners of the LaSalle College Fashion Games, a 6.5-hour competition to construct a ready-to-wear garment using only used marathon T-shirts and denim.
The show was divided into four general categories: Ceremonial, Workwear, Casual and Curious. Finalists from the UBC Student Sustainable Fashion Challenge modelled their pieces alongside artists specifically requested by members of the Slow Fashion Cluster, with the winner announced at the end of each category.
While finalists Brianna Klassen and Ellie & Sophie Hu were standouts for their respective salvaged hoodie ball gown and denim corset outfit in the Ceremonial category, UBC student Bori Yoon came in first for her take on a historical mid-Joseon garment that she wore at her wedding. Hand-dyed with natural Maiwa dyes and made out of heirloom ramie, the stunning blues and yellows of the piece remain vivid in my memory.
The artists invited to show their works in the Ceremonial category were the Material Matters Lab and UBC MFA alumna Reggie Harrold, whose Jingle Coaster Dress quite literally shone. Inspired by the traditional jingle dresses worn at powwows, the piece was constructed from cardboard beer coasters cut in half – leftovers from Harrold’s partner who had owned and later sold a restaurant and was left with piles of beer coasters. It was also encrusted with jewels, adding to the “jingle” that rang whenever the model walked. The dress was accompanied by a matching headdress that completed the striking look.
In addition, Harrold showcased the Sinew Dress, which was constructed entirely from hand-knitted strands of sinew in red, brown and white. “It’s like knitting with sinew, which is very unique,” Harrold said. “Because it’s artificial sinew, it’s really waxy, [which makes for] a really interesting texture when it’s worn on the body.” While sinew is traditionally used for sewing and binding, Harrold’s piece reimagines it as the base itself, making for a visually interesting, risque and modern couture item that explores traditional Indigenous techniques through a contemporary lens.
The influence of modern couture is evident in Harrold’s work. “I’m constantly looking at other designers that I really like – Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen, Viktor & Rolf,” she said. “High-end, detail-oriented.”
The reverence for couture ran through much of the show, including in Nicole Dextras’ Red Bio-Jacket in the following Workwear category. The jacket was a unique reinterpretation of the Chanel jacket, long associated with the craftsmanship of Coco Chanel. Instead of the traditional wool and cotton material, Dextras developed an alginate bio-thread made from seaweed to weave into the shape of the iconic jacket.
Dextras’ version gestures back to a time when couture was more closely aligned with wearable art. For her, it symbolizes how the fast fashion industry has diluted the meaning and value of couture. “Coco Chanel wanted to make a working jacket for women, something that was soft and comfortable … People coveted and spent a lot of money on purchasing these things; it became a status symbol,” Dextras said.
“My use of this biomaterial in making a replica jacket is a reflection of where we have come … If you got something that was designed in Milan, it was probably made in Milan, and it was very well made [by artisans]. Then they discovered that they could have these produced in another country, and it won’t cost as much, but we’ll charge the same.”
The quality eventually deteriorates and becomes fast fashion in spite of its label as a luxury brand. “We’ve come to this point where people are just buying clothing that will fall apart after one washing, when initially the whole point was that it was high quality.”
Campus Security — preparing to transition to UBC Community Safety — was also invited to showcase their work. Staff modelled prototype uniforms that were developed as part of the UBC Community Safety Design Challenge, in collaboration with the research cluster. The garments are intended to foster a greater sense of trust and approachability within the community.
Yvonne Ilao won the Workwear category for her piece, “The Modern Filipiniana”, a denim workwear outfit that used red, blue and gold to honour the Filipino flag and a top made out of hospital scrubs to represent the Filipinas working in health care, alongside other thoughtful nods to Filipina identity and representation.
After showings of Yolonda Skelton’s “Ocean Whispers Seaweed Secrets” — an upcycled leather coat with lamb skin and cowhide appliqué — and “Warp” — a collaboration between Carl Stewart and Sol Skelton detailing an outfit made out of recycled denim — Emily Carr student Janae Rajarethnam took first place in the Casual design challenge. Their matching skirt and jacket were made out of recycled single-use plastics they had collected, along with recycled textile scraps from other student projects.
Yifei Zhang won the Curious category — the final of the evening — for a gown constructed out of paper made from natural mulberry fibre, which made the dress both biodegradable and durable. The competition was likely close: fellow finalist Keilani Leon presented a hand-sewn dress with wings made from crow feathers gathered during the moulting season, while Chloe Cumming created a garment from produce nets collected over countless grocery trips, which made for two inventive pieces and strong competition.
Regardless of the outcome of the challenge, the Slow Fashion Show ultimately brought together designers, models and spectators to put emphasis on care for clothing, the invisible labour behind garment making and the ecological responsibility behind every step of clothing production.
As Harrold put it, “sustainable fashion is rooted in my culture; it’s life. It’s necessary that we value our land and our resources.”
If you missed the show, many of the costumes from the runway are also on display at the Slow Fashion Exhibition at the Hatch Art Gallery from March 16 to 27.
