Styled by Lauren Robinson

Sustainability is the most important word when it comes to the future of fashion. With decades of production using the make-take-dispose consumer model, drastic and immediate change is needed to avoid irreversible environmental damage. There is a deep-seated need in modern culture to want something new, but the cost of this is now much more than money.

A linear economy is no longer sustainable as Australia alone creates 67 million tonnes of waste every year. With so much waste being created annually, a circular economy is the turning point to fight climate change. It is a concept that seeks to rebuild capital and eliminate waste from the current linear production system by keeping materials and resources in a continuous flowing loop.

Unfortunately, there is no real reliable market for recycled products in Australia, so a circular economy on a national level is not yet a viable choice. There is a critical gap in supply and demand, and this is unlikely to change without government intervention as the recycling sector is generating material that is simply not being purchased. Therefore, it is up to businesses and social enterprises like the World’s Biggest Garage Sale, who have successfully implemented the idea of a circular economy, to use their knowledge and passion to pioneer a new wave of business management that could be the change the world needs.

Started in 2013 by Yasmin and Leigh Grigaliunas, the World’s Biggest Garage Sale is an event that repurposes unused goods to raise money for children’s cancer research.

Since its inception, over $314,000 has been raised for many different charity benefactors, and over 3.3 million kilograms of goods have been diverted from landfill.

As one of the only companies in Australia that employ a circular economy model, the World’s Biggest Garage Sale has connected people through sustainability and altruism to further normalise the idea of recycling and reusing rather than throwing it away. 

In order to understand even more about the World’s Biggest Garage Sale, Yasmin Grigaliunas, the co-founder and CEO, answers some questions about her business and the importance of a circular economy in 2020.

Rory Scott: Why did you start the World’s Biggest Garage Sale?

Yasmin Grigaliunas: “We were trying to solve donor fatigue. At the time lots of people were trying to raise money for lots of different great causes, but lots of people were very fatigued at how many causes there were to support. So, we were looking for a way to raise money, without asking people for money. I cleaned out my cupboards at home… and then all my friends and family cleaned out theirs, and all of a sudden, all these dormant goods that were sitting idle in people’s home were making their way to our garage.”

RS: You have moved from a small garage sale to the pioneers of the circular economy in Australia, what is the biggest difference now to when you started?

YG: “Well we’re not really just the World’s Biggest Garage Sale anymore. We’ve just fit out a commercial space for a governmental department where we actually remanufacture products made out of materials that others might think as waste. We’re in a circular economy precinct now, we’ve opened Australia’s first fully operational precinct where we take materials from consumers and organisations and make new products that would otherwise be disposed of.”

RS: How does your company help businesses in Australia with sustainability and what opportunities exist to use the circular economy to change the current model?

YG: “We have lots of organisations wanting to work with us and some of them are asking for all sorts of sustainability and circular economy reports on how to help them solve their challenges. Instead of giving them a report we actually give them a team and get on the ground and we solve the problems together and create new models. This is a significant opportunity for not only our country but the world to share the sugar and borrow the butter, and actually come together with the community to solve some of the biggest challenges of the world and deliver a more equitable existence for us all.”

RS: As you are the only real example of a working circular economy in Australia, how important do you think your work is to the future of the Australian recycling sector?

YG: “I think it’s critical, it should be business as usual for most companies. When you look at something that you’d throw in the bin, we want to challenge people to think about how they might be able to use that material in another way. Our team is very creative… we don’t see waste as waste, we see it as a resource, and I think our place in this space is to not only deliver on a circular economy output but help inspire others to see that the impossible is possible.”

RS: With the possibility of a complete circular economy virtually impossible to achieve nowadays, what do you see as the future for the circular economy?

YG: “We see the future where it [circular economy] becomes the norm. Where you can go to a shopping centre or precinct like ours and make a purchase and feel like you’ve had a new experience with something old. It really has transformed the second-hand industry to bring about a circular economy through education about the entire operation. We started Australia’s first circular economy meet up because we wanted to help educate people, not to tell our story but for others to tell theirs. The biggest thing for me is that I see a lot of people talking about it, but I would encourage them to actually go and start doing… get walking and do the talking.”

Illustrations by Charlotte Derou

You always hear about how the clothes you wear reflect your personality. But what if the clothing you wear could actually leave a lasting impression? What if what you wore could be a starting point for someone seeking help?

Caitlin Ayling, a 20-year old entrepreneur, watched her family and friend’s mental health deteriorate during lockdown this year. She was so impacted by watching the way loneliness and separation could affect someone that, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, she created an online society dedicated to encouraging lifesaving conversations.

Since then, The 3:17 Society has become a space of empowerment for those struggling with their mental health. Wanting to spread her message further into the community, Caitlin created hoodies printed with the phrase, “Your mental health is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it”.

“I lost a friend last year to suicide and he passed away at 3:17 in the morning, so that’s where that time-stamp came from”

Caitlin Ayling

The ‘3:17’ timestamp means a lot to Caitlin, serving as a reminder of why spreading mental health awareness is so important. “I lost a friend last year to suicide and he passed away at 3:17 in the morning, so that’s where that time-stamp came from” she explains. With five dollars from each hoodie sold going directly to the organisation Headspace, Caitlin says the purpose of the hoodies is to create conversation and spread mental health awareness.

Laughing, Caitlin shares a time when wearing her hoodie encouraged strangers to come up to her and ask what it said: “I wear mine to the gym in the mornings … at 5 o’clock in the morning, no one talks to each other at that point. And one morning I had three people come up and read what it said. That’s the whole purpose of it, to be a conversation starter.”

According to the Black Dog Institute, every day six Australians will die from suicide and a further thirty people will attempt to take their own life. One in seven people will experience depression in their lifetime, which is the third-highest burden of all diseases in Australia.

Dylan Matheson is a friend of Caitlin’s who watched her build The 3:17 Society overnight. Having suffered from depression and anxiety, Dylan knew instantly that this was something he felt he needed to be a part of. “Mental health is a big part of who I am now and the last thing I want to see is people going through what I did. So, anybody doing something to try and fix or change mental health I’ll be a big supporter of,” Dylan explains.

Since purchasing the hoodie, Dylan has received a lot of attention from his friends and believes it’s a great way to spread mental health awareness.  “The hardest thing about going through depression and anxiety is that your brain just turns on you and it’s really hard to think about the positives that you have in your life.”

“I’ve certainly had friends that have seen me wear the jumper, ask about it and ask me where it’s from … as simple as it is, a jumper with the words ‘mental health is nothing to be ashamed of’ may start the conversation and raise a bit more awareness,” he says.

The 3:17 Society hoodies have also helped change the way mental health is talked about in other people’s relationships. Zoe Nickson decided to purchase a hoodie as a way to support her friend who was journeying through her own mental health illness. “I only purchased it because we’ve always had these conversations with her about her mental health and so I was literally getting this jumper specifically for her. She ended up buying one as well,” Zoe explains.

Zoe also believes the hoodie is an influential tool in starting conversations and helping others. “When I read [the hoodie] I thought, ‘man do you know how many people’s lives could change by reading that in a shopping centre or something? I think it’s so important … you never know what kind of impact it will have on that person, you never know, you could be preventing a person from ending their life,” she says.

Read more about 3:17 Society at their website

Or follow them on Instagram

If you or someone you know needs help contact Lifeline 13 11 14

Visit Lifeline for more information on how you can help yourself and others in times of mental and emotional distress.

Photography by Ashleigh Hobbs

In 2020, as society continues to accept the idea of gender fluidity, fashion follows suit, with the blurred lines between masculine and feminine style becoming a mainstream concept.

Male or female, fashion allows us to explore complex ideologies of gender, identity, sexuality and status. Throughout the ages, clothing has been one of the most traditional ways to identify gender; but, should it be?

With garments commonly designed to adhere to the stereotypical ‘tall and broad’ male physique, men’s fashion remains constrained by form, style and design. An example of this can still be seen on the red carpet today as men generally adhere to a “black tie” look, limiting their scope of self-expression. Women, however, have the opportunity to express themselves more freely, through their choice of garment, hair and makeup. These differences indicate a limitation of choice when it comes to gendered fashion, with men’s clothing placing more priority on function and structure while women’s fashion has more space for creativity. Now, designers – such as Tim Lindgren, owner of Tim Lindgren the label – are encouraging society to redefine these gender norms.

“[When people look at] red carpet events and how men [are] now wearing dresses just to, you know, drive that cultural conversation in society…it becomes a ‘normal’ thing,” he says. “This [then becomes] a genuine conversation about that happening.”

Tim Lindgren

A prime example of a male drawing on this ‘freedom’ of self-expression found within a more traditionally feminine look was when Australian actor, dancer and musician, Keiynan Lonsdale, made his debut at the 2019 Met Gala in a Manish Gora gown covered in 1,500 handmade and embroidered butterflies. This further encouraged the evolution of gender fluidity and non-binary fashion, with skirts and dresses now exhibited more frequently down runaways and red-carpet events by men.

Lindgren, who is also a senior fashion lecturer at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) School of Design, says, “it was quite surprising how society had typecast us into these stereotypical gender roles in fashion. [The idea] that men should be wearing pants and a woman should be wearing a skirt [is a strange concept] when, biologically, it should be the other way around. Males are anatomically different to females, so it makes more sense that women are to wear pants and men skirts.”

Another brand looking to decrease the divide between masculine and feminine fashion is jewellery designer Joel Berechree, the founder of ONETWOTHREEFOUR, a Gold Coast-based handmade jewellery label. “[For] nearly every ‘feminine’ ring I make, there is always two or three messages I receive from very masculine, footy loving, snag-on-the BBQ men asking if they could get something similar,” Berechree says. “If I advertised it as a women’s ring, it would be interesting to see how little interest from these men it would get which shows the power in genderless clothing and accessories in general. I think we need to take a backseat on forcing clothing styles on to genders and let people decide what they actually like.”

How a person feels in their clothing is more important than conforming to traditional gender stereotypes

Berechree believes society is beginning to be less definitive about what people should wear. “I think it is important to keep it flexible as some people want to feel and dress and present their gender and some people would rather stay ambiguous.” He also explains the idea that how a person feels in their clothing is more important than conforming to traditional gender stereotypes: “I’d say 20% of my clothes are ‘women’s’ and I feel masculine when I wear them and that’s pretty cool to me”.

Influential brands and media platforms often release statements claiming that male representation will be filtered into the societal norms of fashion. However, as action on these statements remains minimal, the continued marginalisation of men’s fashion exaggerates the issue through creating an environment where men believe they are unwelcome. Kathleen Horton, Senior Fashion Lecturer at QUT School of Design believes “it’s frustrating because we don’t get to teach many young men; because, they aren’t thinking it’s something they can be interested in. But I think…fashion is really changing, more so over the past few years than ever”.

With men’s fashion remaining largely under-examined, there is further opportunity for designers to explore ways of merging traditionally feminine and masculine style. Following the rise of ‘power dressing’ throughout the 1980s, female fashion continues to draw inspiration from menswear, with styles such as the ‘boyfriend jeans’, ‘boy short’ and oversized t-shirts now staple pieces in many women’s wardrobes. Although the concept of women deviating away from a more traditionally feminine wardrobe has become socially acceptable, the same cannot be said for the diversification of menswear. As acceptance of gender fluidity becomes a part of the everyday, fashion plays a crucial part in how people express themselves and portray their identity. How someone is dressed can no longer be used to quickly identify their gender. It is not as simple as it used to be and the fashion optioned available need to reflect this.

Hi gorgeous, you’ve called 1800-comfort wear. How may we assist you in finding the ultimate tracksuit set?

Oh, you’re tired of putting on your old trackie dacks and hoodie? Not a problem; we’ve got you covered. Welcome to your go-to-guide for a lockdown loungewear look.  

Let’s be real, coronavirus has made most of us wake up every morning in a bit of a rut. Riding alongside us, through what seems like an endless dismal voyage, is our loyal companion: comfort wear. When getting dressed for another day of uncertainty feels like an impossible feat, it’s there to give us that ‘warm hug’ feeling of security we’ve all been craving.

Globally, tracksuits have become street style staples

You could say us Aussies know how to rock the classic trackies, hoodies and thongs or even a pair of cosy Ugg boots – it’s basically our national uniform. Some of us wear it with pride, while others consider the iconic look straight-up bogan. Kathleen Horton, a senior fashion lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology, explains “with tracksuits, there are class and race to think about as it’s part of Black fashion history and the influence of… hip hop culture in the 1980s and 1990s… whereas, the history of loungewear…[has] always related to luxury”. Globally, tracksuits have become street style staples, with high-end fashion brands such as Gucci and Vetements adding tracksuits to their ready-to-wear collections. It’s this alignment between high and low-end style that’s sparked a global trend.

Hello coronavirus and welcome lockdowns, working from home, and zoom calls with ‘above-keyboard’ dressing; cue the comfort wear explosion. With the home becoming a multipurpose space for many consumers, fashion industry trend analyst, WGSN, states “working from home is impacting…traditional career-wear…with [consumers needing] options that are versatile enough to take wearers from the computer screen to the sofa or the store”. With that, almost every fashion label has offered some version of comfort wear as the market transformed into a frenzy of monochrome, and tie-dye tracksuits and sets. Kathleen adds, “[brands] didn’t know what else to do”.

However, Daniella Dionyssiou, co-founder of the e-commerce brand Verge Girl, states “it was more of a creative move” when they introduced the ‘VRG GRL Beverly Hills Tracksuit Sets’ to their store. She says “we decided to design what we were all wanting to wear”.

Daniella explains “[the trend] was born out of necessity. Brands needed to sell clothes and they needed to create looks that people wanted to buy when they were not going out”.

So now, let’s get into what you’re here for; your go-to-guide for the must-have tracksuit brands that’ll rock each and every one of your worlds.

First off the ranks, for our loud and colourful queens, we gift you, Local Heroes. Whether you’re into tie-dye, vibrant monochromes and graphics or monogram prints, this Polish brand is your one-stop-shop!

Next is for our sporty, streetwear chicks who love a good sneaker and gold chain. For you, we recommend mega sportswear brand Adidas. These guys may have been around forever, but they have some seriously cool street style sets that’ll have you clicking checkout faster than Netflix’s ‘next episode’ timer.

Calling all our trendsetters who can’t help but copy their favourite celebs and influencers; we’ve found the perfect shop for you – Temptation Vacation 1994. If you’re into the crisp, off-white American university sweater aesthetic paired with a 1980s vacay, cosmopolitan-in-hand vibe, then this is the brand for you.

But we can’t dismiss our empowered and passionate planet warriors who live and breathe sustainability, driving the future of the fashion industry. At long last, Pangaia has arrived, with every vibrant colour and neutral tone tracksuit you can think of.

Our professional working girls, how could we forget you? We know you all love a neutral, minimalist aesthetic, so we’ve found Lunya. While still rocking the tracksuit look, Lunya has created washable silk pants with wide-leg ties and relaxed sweatshirts to ensure you’re still meeting a work attire dress code for Zoom calls from the comfort of your couch.

At last, we thank you for calling us and hope that you’ve fallen completely in love with comfort wear.

My photoshoot captures the essence of the underground skate/music/fashion culture in Brisbane, and how it connects others together. I wanted to capture friends finally being able to hang out amid COVID-19 – able to skate, make music and express themselves through fashion. I also wanted to showcase, but not directly address, racial diversity through using a range of models. More than 60% of the garments displayed were also bought locally from op shops, thus promoting a sustainable practice.

CREDITS:
Photographer: Trey Cahill
Assistant Photographer: Luke Nicholson
Stylist: Trey Cahill
Photo Editor: Trey Cahill
Models: Ulysses Knoploch Xaia De Paula, Brock Swannie, Ray Levinge, Jardel Casimiro-Gil
Garments: Self-owned by models (60% from local op shops)

My original idea was to explore the changing aesthetics in Chinese culture. I started experimenting by mixing different clothes from different eras. I
understand that fashion can represent culture. Nowadays traditional
clothes are circling back within the community; people choose to wear them to show their own interests. I wanted to personify each era and capture what it would be like if they were all in one room together. I juxtaposed traditional and ancient dress from the Han and Tang Dynasties with clothing from the 1920’s and modern streetwear.

Credits:
1. Photographer: Yanting Mao
Model: Liang Yue
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Liang Yue
Editing: Yanting Mao

2. Photographer: Yanting Mao
Model; Yushi Zhang
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Yushi Zhang
Editing: Yanting Mao

3. Photographer: Raymond Huang
Models: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao; Liang Yue; Yushi Zhang; BanBan
MUA: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao; Liang Yue; Yushi Zhang; BanBan
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao; Liang Yue; Yushi Zhang; BanBan
Editing: Yanting Mao; Raymond Huang

4. Photographer: Raymond Huang
Models: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao
MUA: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Shutong Liu; Yanting Mao
Editing: Yanting Mao

5. Photographer: Yanting Mao
Model; Yushi Zhang
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Yushi Zhang
Editing: Yanting Mao

6. Photographer: Raymond Huang
Model: Yanting Mao
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Yanting Mao
Editing: Yanting Mao

7. Photographer: Raymond Huang
Model; Yushi Zhang
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Yushi Zhang
Editing: Yanting Mao

8. Photographer: Yanting Mao
Model: Liang Yue
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Liang Yue
Editing: Yanting Mao

9. Photographer: Raymond Huang
Model: Yanting Mao
Hair, Stylist, Clothes: Yanting Mao
Editing: Yanting Mao; Raymond Huang