Sustainable Side Hustle

We're big fans of Blue Bangs and everything it stands for. In a world where sustainability should be at the forefront of everyone's intentions in the fashion industry, entrepreneurs like Robyn are leading the way into this ever evolving area of Design. 

Using Vintage Denim as her core fabrication, Robyn recycles denim garments and remnants, transforming them into uniquely hand crafted pieces that would stand out in any fashionista's wardrobe.

Robyn was a Designer for 7 years, designing for household name brands in the UK and USA. But eventually, she hit a crossroads in her career and everything changed…

Robyn! We have so many questions we want to ask you, so let’s get started!

When you reached this turning point in your career, what was going through your mind at the time?

Thinking back I guess up until that point in my career, I just wasn't confident enough in my abilities to start my own brand. But after being in the industry for seven years, I felt I had gained a well rounded amount of experience and knowledge that enabled me to have enough confidence to trust in myself. At this point, I felt way more prepared than I’ve ever been and trusted my instincts that I could do this. 

When I was initially looking for new jobs and opportunities online, I knew I didn’t want to go down the same path of working in a corporate environment or for a big name brand again. So I would try things like typing in the word  ‘creative’ instead of designer into the job search bar to vary my options. And that's where I stumbled upon Made Institutes advertisement for a teaching position, from which I later was offered the job. What was interesting was that Made were claiming their students could create and launch a collection within a year and a half through doing this course. And I thought hang on, why can’t I do that with my 7 years experience behind me?!

So often we don’t have the confidence when we should. Now through being a teacher, just seeing the student's energy and enthusiasm keeps me going with my brand and encourages me to continue doing what I am passionate about.

I was also very lucky to have connections that gave me opportunities. Rachel Ford, the founder of Made Institute, gave me the opportunity to create my first full Denim collection and show it on the runway as part of the Made Institute Fashion show in Philadelphia. I had to have the collection ready in a very short period of time. But because of the stage I was at in my career I had the confidence to say yes straight away.

How did your previous experience in the industry influence the way you created your fashion brand?

Having worked in the luxury sector for several years, I felt like it was time for a change of pace. I wanted to further my learning and I thought working for a large fast fashion retailer would help me do this. Instead of the ‘runway environment’ that comes with working for luxury brands, I was learning a more thorough process from my new position in fast fashion.

When working in fast fashion, samples we had designed often did not arrive from the factories in time for our final collection presentations. So that we had something to present at the meetings, I was asked to cut up and re-purpose vintage pieces to create replacement samples. Interestingly, those were the samples that got picked for the final collection! This gave me a huge confidence boost and later inspired me to start my denim brand, Blue Bangs.

One major issue that stuck with me was how there is a massive amount of waste in fashion. In the luxury sector I was more aware of wastage in the office itself - including vast amounts of paper, time and money. In the fast fashion brands, there was an unspoken knowledge of the amount of wastage and harmful processes going on, and the impact it has.

I had never worked with denim before until I worked in fast fashion. l was not aware of the harmful chemical processes that denim goes through from start to finish, and the amount of water that is used for a single pair of jeans. The trend of distressed denim also comes at a damaging price. For example, if a pair of jeans does not look similar enough to the rest of the batch - whether it be similar fraying or grinding, they get thrown away. All of this made me stop and think, there must be another way of creating beautiful Denim pieces without all this wastage!

On the flip side, a huge positive I took from the luxury sector was that so much was done by hand, not using harmful machinery or chemicals. The attention to craft and detail sparked my interests in that area and made me rethink the value of each individual garment. 

Also, thinking back to my graduate collection, I experimented with fabric collage/applique using fabric remnants collected over my 5 years as a fashion student. So really all my experiences combined led me in this direction when creating my brand!

‘Building yourself back up is acknowledging this is how the world works. This can lead to new opportunities and gaining knowledge in areas you never even knew existed’.

Your brand is very much centered around sustainable practices, why is that important to you?

Fundamentally I believe there is already so much clothing in the world I do not need to add more. I want to create from what's already there. I can give clothes a second life, and choose materials that are going to last and contribute to circular fashion.

In moments of self doubt how do you build yourself back up?

Throughout my journey so far, I have heard so many stories of careers going up and down. Colleagues going through hard times, getting jobs and losing jobs. Building yourself back up is acknowledging this is how the world works. This can lead to new opportunities and gaining knowledge in areas you never even knew existed.

Name the biggest overall lesson you have learnt so far in running and creating a business?

Treating your employees with kindness and respect. Sadly many leaders in corporate get away with a hell of a lot. But when it's your own business you have to be an expert at tailoring towards your colleagues' individual needs, and valuing them as part of your business. At the end of the day, they chose to work for you and they shouldn’t be treated as just a number.

You are also a teacher at Made Institute, how has the transition been from Designer to Teacher?

Weirdly it hasn’t been too different. In many ways those roles are interconnected. Being a Designer helps to make me a better teacher. I constantly keep up to date with trends and events in the world of fashion, which helps me to stay current.

As a teacher I am constantly seeing students creating beautiful things. But it also makes me realize how we are always still learning. Some of my students arrive in the fashion industry later in their life. Learning a whole new industry is no easy feat, but I see people every day taking those steps. It really is incredible to see.

Do you feel students these days are becoming more aware of the implications the Fashion industry can have on the environment?

Oh definitely! I would say around 50% of my course is interested in working in sustainable practices right from the get go. And 25% of them are actually getting involved with the concept of zero waste design. It’s incredibly inspiring to see the students coming up with creative new ways to do this.!

What excites you most about the future of Blue Bangs?

I'm most excited about getting more of my jackets into peoples hands. There's no other feeling like seeing someone wearing a piece you designed. Working in fast fashion I got to see that a lot. Now I want to see that with my jackets.

With my denim pieces, jackets in particular, it's even more special. The customer isn’t just buying a vintage upcycled jacket because it looks cool, or it goes with the rest of her outfit. She's also identifying with the story behind the piece. 

‘I think it’s important to stay true to yourself and stay focused’.

And lastly what advice would you give to someone who may be considering starting their own business?

I think you have to really know your industry. Whether you have been working for others or in intense education, you can make steps towards it. Without either of those elements it’s possible you could fall flat. You have to educate yourself and learn from others. I think it’s important to stay true to yourself and stay focused. Always return to why you started this business in the first place.

By Emma Golley

Thank you Robyn!

You can check out Robyns unique Denim pieces at

www.bluebangs.com

Visit Made Institute for online and in-person classes at

www.made-institute.com