SpoonFed Interview LFW

http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/spooners/tom-699/prophetik-interview-with-designer-jeff-garner-2143/

Kicking off Vauxhall Fashion Scout at this February's London Fashion Week is Tennessee-based sustainable brand Prophetik. We have a chat with designer Jeff Garner.




Over the past few years, various initiatives have arisen dedicated to championing new and emerging talent at London Fashion Week. With 21 catwalk shows over five days – not to mention all manner of other films, installations and live performances – taking place at the Freemasons' Hall, Vauxhall Fashion Scout is one of the most exciting.



Tennessee-based sustainable men's and womenswear brand, Prophetik, is kicking the whole thing off on the 19th February, so we thought we'd catch up with the man behind the label, designer Jeff Garner, to see how it's all coming along.



And it seems Jeff is pretty excited about coming to London: “I’m really looking forward to my show, Southern Shores,” he says. “I love the live presentation, the music, the energy. I’ve done a few shows in London, but this will be my first show at one of the main LFW venues. The Freemasons’ Hall is a beautiful building and really suits the brand.”



But it's not all work and no play: “I really enjoy coming to London for horse riding as well. Any time I’m in the city, I’ll take time to ride in Hyde Park. I do it very early, so if you’re up early enough, you may just catch me!”



“London is THE hub of creativity and, from my perspective, London is years ahead when it comes to sustainability in fashion. The fact that London Fashion Week has an ethical exhibition section – estethica – is great. London has really seen where ethical fashion is going and embraced it. There are so many ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly labels in London, and London is the home of the Ethical Fashion Forum. London is where it’s at for brands like mine.”



This is certainly true, but ideas around sustainability/organic/eco-friendly etc can often be vague at best. It's good to hear that Jeff's dedication to an all-sustainable label really is second to none: “I source my materials in America and Canada, using organic cottons, hemp, and recycled fabrics like Greenspun which is made with recycled bottles. All our dying is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, and we hand organic dye with indigo grown in the studio’s own garden. Everything is made in Tennessee.”





One of Jeff's philosophies is “The Sustainable Journey”. “This means,” he explains, “that a meaningful analysis and evaluation of any product's relationship to the environment must include a broad array of criteria including low-impact production, low-impact maintenance, and its classification as recyclable, reusable or incineratable. Primary considerations are low impact on plant and animal life, conservation of limited resources, and waste minimisation.”



But this is also a fashion label, and the look is just as important as the philosophy. Luckily, for both men and women, Prophetik is both ethical and seriously cool. And they even do dresses painted by elephants! “Designing for both men and women becomes a story, as the collections have to complement each other. I actually have a lot of pieces that are unisex as well. For menswear we blend organic silk, hemp and organic cotton for smoking jackets, trousers and waistcoats and for the womenswear we do pieces like organic silk dresses, two-toned hemp cardigan dresses, and organic cotton day dresses. The colour palettes always reflect and play off each other.



And the elephants? “One of our signatures is the Elle dress. We have dresses that are made from silk and organic cotton that elephants have painted in collaboration with the AEACP (Asian Elephant Art Conservation Project), which helps to raise funds for an elephant sanctuary in Thailand.”



So what can we expect on the 19th? “This season,” Jeff replies, “is inspired by the American Civil War. Countering strife and uncertainty, the range embodies hope and a romantic notion of another time. We’ll see complex coats and jackets, flowing dresses and capes with varied lengths and layering, all playing on the early concept of sustainability and scarce resources. We’re crafting an artistic mix of garments from remnants and antique, recycled trims. The Civil War will influence the colour palette with blues, greys and slashes of red.”