Tonight at 7pm: The mindset behind a regenerative knitwear designer
What is the number one rule to designing with nature and science in mind? We speak to Silvia, the founder of luxury knitwear brand ACIEN.
What’s the number one rule for today's designer?
Give back what you take. This is how we would define the term regenerative in its simple simplest form - even in the fashion and clothing space.
As the industry moves towards a sustainable future, as a means to reduce the impacts of climate change; with Fashion, being one of the most watched industries as it outwardly changes its supply chain; is publicly scrutinised for its greenwashing efforts, and is impacted by every single person on the planet that wears clothing - we start to look into what our role looks like and the jobs required to accommodate this massive shift. Echoing the questions and topics discussed in our first print Colèchi Journal: AGREENCULTURE which explores fashion and farming through essays, thought pieces and photography.
Inside the AGREENCULTURE Journal
YKWU Digital: How to become a regenerative designer (and thinker)
So our next YKWU Digital takes place virtually tonight, Monday 15th April, with Silvia, the founder of luxury regeneration brand ACIEN - and we will be finding out what it takes to become a regenerative knitwear designer, working with luxury brands (such as her experience with Vivienne Westwood and LVMH) and setting up an independent brand gaining recognition in the luxury fashion market globally. Discovering the mindset shift and changes occurring as fashion, nature and science take precedence behind the scenes of some of the biggest luxury brands globally. It is only a matter of time before these innovations become mainstream.
Free tickets for Substack members - book via Eventbrite below.
ACIEN's Take On Regenerative Fashion
Since studying, Sylvia has worked with Vivienne Westwood, LVMH, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, and is now the founder of her own brand ACIEN; working on unique pieces that involve regenerative practices. For ACIEN, these practices include soil nourishment - ensuring whatever has been taken out of the soil has been put back in; eliminating toxic chemicals; scientific innovation in dying - as opposed to using the standard dyes that are dangerous and local empowerment
During today’s session, Sylvia will take us through her journey as a regenerative designer. She will talk about her experience including winning the LVMH Green Trail Award in 2023; as well as being part of London Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week and being featured in some huge publications including Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Sylvia will share with us how her brand ACIEN is at the intersection between luxury and regenerative and sustainability and how her work is redefining how we use sustainability within the luxury landscape. At YKWU, we are constantly fascinated by ways that the knitwear industry and the practice of knitting and crochet can be used to provoke new conversations. When we look at Sylvia's work, each piece is unique, structured and sophisticated to the point where you can imagine her spending hours and hours and hours producing each garment by hand. Sylvia will share the mindset that she has to push her work into global spaces, as well as asking questions on what it really looks like to be at the forefront of scientific innovation in fashion. Plus what the future looks like for designers using regenerative practices from natural dyes to ethical yarns.