FEATURED DESIGNER_ SADIE WILLIAMS
WHERE ARE YOU BASED_ LONDON
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?
My work is very personal and reflective of who I am. I'm interested in juxtapositions, mixing sporty with feminine, tomboyishness with girlishness, decoration with simplicity, and modernity with craft. I'm resourceful yet exploratory at the same time, and find true enjoyment in working with texture, pattern and color.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE UPCYCLING?
Taking something discarded/surplus/left-over/destined-for-landfill or forever sitting in a warehouse/attic/studio and reworking those materials into something purposeful, positive and new.
HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY INTERPRET THE CONCEPT OF UPCYCLING IN YOUR WORK?
I love scavenging for old, tacky, vintage things and then creating something original and special out of them. Fabrics, trim, charms, buckles, badges, buttons, deadstock — I always have a rich bank of stuff to play with when making something new.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER IN THESE TIMES?
There is no blanket prescription of what and how a designer should be. Designers shouldn’t feel forced into fulfilling a particular role, as this only breeds inauthenticity. Designers should follow their own path and recognize that this role comes with a certain amount of responsibility, not only in terms of their output/carbon footprint, but also the messages they send out to the world. Hopefully current global circumstances will lead designers to acknowledge the importance of putting ethical practices in action, but I'm wary that a pressure to fulfill this role can lead to brand messaging that doesn’t align completely with their conduct.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The relentless pace and sheer waste that comes from the industry's schedule and expectation to produce seasonal collections.
I would also like to magically eradicate the bullshit! There is so much game-playing, so much spin, so many half-truths (especially with 'green-washing'). People lose sight of what matters, behave mistrustfully, and frankly even ruthlessly, when they're seduced by this industry's never ending game.
Having said that, it does make you realize and feel grateful that there are also so many deeply kind, talented, generous and brilliant people in this industry; and we genuinely want to raise each other up and move things forwards in the right direction.