LFW interview: Estethica founder Orsola de Castro

Orsola de Castro could easily be the most influential woman in UK eco fashion. As co-founder and curator of Estethica, the groundbreaking eco zone at London Fashion Week, Orsola is nurturing and showcasing the young eco fashion brands that could revolutionise the way you think about what you wear. In the week ahead of Estethica’s sixth outing at Fashion Week, Greenmystyle.com editor Sarah Woodhead chats with Orsola about Estethica, the show’s hot tickets, plus who Orsola thinks will be a massive eco fashion star. Greenmystyle.com’s London Fashion Week coverage is sponsored by eco fashion boutique DeviDoll.com.

Sarah: Lovely to chat with your Orsola. You must be very busy right now with London Fashion Week only a few days away.
Orsola: Yes, I’m very busy, but I’m getting used to it!

Sarah: How did Estethica begin and what is its goal?
Orsola: Estethica is the brainchild of Anna Orsini from the British Fashion Council, myself and my partner Filippo. We were originally contacted by Anna in 2006 to create London Fashion Week’s first eco space. My fashion label From Somewhere had been a regular exhibitor at London Fashion Week since 2000 and Anna admired our being impeccably eco but also high-end and mainstream. Estethica was always going to follow that vision. It enables eco brands to be seen within a mainstream context, to penetrate the real fashion market, and to enter the industry and the consumer’s consciousness from the main entrance door.

Sarah: So, you’ve had a lot of support from the British Fashion Council. That’s great
Orsola: I actually think that the BFC has done more for ethical fashion in the UK and internationally than is generally understood, from Hilary Riva’s show of confidence at the first ever Estethica (we were only 13 labels then – and it felt almost subversive being at the Exhibition Tent!), to the present Chairman, Harold Tillman’s personal involvement and genuine understanding.

They have put their weight behind Estethica completely, and are more and more enthusiastic about it. They have allowed us incredible freedom, unparalleled room for manoeuvre and have never been afraid about any potential uncomfortable implication, and we are talking big “industry” here.

This season for instance, which is the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week, Estethica is the opening act, on-schedule, at the BFC Tent. You can’t show more commitment, trust and encouragement than that.

Sarah: You have 38 exhibitors in the Estethica space this season. How do you choose which designers to represent?
Orsola: We have strict criteria and an even stricter questionnaire, so all brands have to qualify both in design terms and in their ethical ethos. The two are of equal importance to us: beautiful design and impeccable eco credentials.

Sarah: How have you seen the ethical fashion develop since Estethica began?
Orsola: Well, for a start there are lots more sustainable brands now compared to even just two years ago, all struggling to be ethical and design-led. The second main change is in the colleges, more and more students are emerging wanting to operate within the fashion industry in a sustainable way.

Greenmystyle: What should ethically-minded fashion shoppers be aware of when choosing an item of clothing?
Orsola: It’s up to the individual shopper. Provided they are well-intentioned to break the cycle of buy now buy cheap, it’s entirely up to them how they wish to emotionally engage with the clothes they buy.

Sarah: Can you tell us a little about the new arrivals at this season’s Estethica. What excites you about them?
Orsola: I’m excited by the sheer amount of new talent in recycling; Goodone, Raeburn, Reet Aus, Mia etc. It seems that recycling and upcycling is throwing us the best new talents, certainly the most creative. Also, Ivana Basilotta is an interesting example of using man-made bio fabrics. She uses Modal, it looks like chiffon, it’s super-sophisticated.

Sarah: Has Estethica ‘discovered’ any ethical designers, and helped them to become well-known?
Orsola: Well, we are still in the nurturing phase, but I think that Mark Liu will become the brightest star. Also Nina Dolcetti is getting amazing press attention. My feeling is that those two will solidify over the next couple of seasons and push eco to further boundaries.

Sarah: You have your own award-winning range too, From Somewhere. What can we look forward to for 2009?
Orsola: From Somewhere is launching a MAN/UNISEX range and a mini underwear line this season, but, most excitingly, we are part of the DEFRA Roadmap with an incredible project that we are doing with Worn Again. It’s all about bringing back manufacturing in large scale into the UK through a recycling and upcycling specialized plant. We’ll be officially launching the roadmap this Friday at Fashion Week. It’s inspiring and exciting.

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