INTERVIEW #109 IZABELLA SIMMONS
Name: Izabella Simmons a.k.a Bella Bu
Based in: Gothenburg
Occupation: Fashion alchemist / sustainable designer at HURRA PANGPANG
Get inspired by: Anything mysterious, sassy, or hilarious
Instagram: @ubellabu
Bella! Welcome to A Sustainable Closet, we are so happy to have you here, tell us about yourself? Thank you for having me! I'm a hoarding sugartooth who recently started the lovechild HURRA PANGPANG together with Hanna Linnea Ryd where we live out our childhood dreams.
How would you describe your style?
Time-travelling villain meets ghoul, sliding out of Lydia Lunch’s vomit.
What is your absolute favourite material to wear, and why?
The safety pin! It's my most worn accessory. It's super practical and a beautiful piece of jewellery. It works as a quick fix if I lose a button or accidentally tear something up on a dance floor. By adding multiple pins it can reshape a garment that has a dated silhouette or will just make anything juicy that has gone a bit tired.
Where do you find inspiration?
Films, music and people I meet or the few dreams I remember from the night before.
Do you have a style icon, if yes, who?
Miss Havisham and Tank Girl.
Favorite stores or brands to shop from?
Out of town second hands, dumpsters and hardware stores.
What is a sustainable closet for you?
It's to always remind yourself that everything has a value. If you are aware of what, where and by whom the garments are made of, you will naturally love and respect your closet!
What do you think about today's fashion industry?
It needs to be overall more accepting and sustainable. There are ways to keep fashion fantastic without harming others and it's time for the big boys (the fashion industry) to join the party! From changing how fashion should be consumed and worn, can I get an amen regarding making the body image more sustainable, all the way to how fashion is produced.
What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
Get to know your closet, it contains your best friends! Before you go out and buy a new friend, try and fix your relationships with your current friends by mending them if they're broken, restyle, find new usage and so on. And most important, make it fun!
Describe your biggest closet/garment dream, like what are you dreaming about adding to your unique collection?
Spooky period pieces, from the nineteenth century or earlier. Always!