New Direction
So after my last blog “Why did I bother”, I have been making some tough decisions regarding my career path and future goals.
Over the past couple of years, since i have had health issues and have had much time to think and read and re-evaluate my life, I have become increasingly interested in Sustainable lifestyles, eco friendly & ethical fashion etc. This is more than partly as a result of my long running part time job at Fashion Giant, H&M.
During my health issues in 2012, H&M stuck by me, continuing my employment and supporting me every step of the way, even to this day. But it was last Spring, during the Conscious campaign for recycling customers old clothes that I found a new passion for my work with the company. Along side my duties as sales assistant, I have been working on projects about recycling, about plastic and learning about the often un-publicized projects in which H&M participate.
H&M often get a bad wrap in the media for their manufacturing practices, the chemicals they use etc, but they are constantly seeking improvements in new environmentally friendly technologies, they work with charities such as Water Aid and UNICEF, they work with international governments for Human Rights and living wages… Of course there can always be incidents when a company is growing fast and when new rules are implemented and the media only ever concentrates on the negative.
In the past year that I have been working on special projects and participating in the Conscious program in my own shop - (one of the biggest H&Ms in France), I have become increasingly aware of all the issues surrounding fashion and its “darker” side.
This new education coupled with my struggle to make it work as a young designer and my new personal goals has concluded by my taking a break from making collections after this May, when my current collection will be complete. Instead I will be focusing on sustainability and through H&M I may come back with a new concept for my own work or perhaps I will find a different path all together. One thing is for sure though: I will not be a sales assistant for the rest of my life!
Since making this decision you would not believe the amount of pressure that has been lifted, I can reclaim my life, my days off can be spent relaxing and my holidays will be just that, not to mention the cash ill be saving from buying fabric! Instead my energies will be going into other creative projects, with plenty of photo shoots in the works for this summer, getting some education on sourcing sustainable/ethical materials and creating garments for myself, for once lol.
So although my basic desire to work in the fashion industry has not changed one iota, this new direction has some twists and turn ahead and this blog will reflect that, as I post more current issues from the industry along side inspirational photos and images from my collaborations with photographers and designers.
“My fashionable life" just took a a whole new direction and its exciting and its un-predictable and I look forward to sharing with you the ups and downs in the life of a Fashion Designer in Paris.
xoxo LLM
P.S for all information relating to H&M, please visit the H&M website in your country.