INTERVIEW #43 DAN PONTARLIER
“A sustainable closet is one that takes into consideration that fashion actually has an impact on the environment and the society. One that is cared for. It’s when people make conscious choices. It’s one where people actually value clothes.”
What’s your relationship with clothes?
First, I love fashion. It’s always been a passion of mine. Maybe because I come from a low income family and when I was a kid it became something to look up to. I was always fascinated by the magazines and designers' clothes. Nowadays clothing is something everyone needs to express themselves.
How would you describe your style?
Edgy, different and very fluent. I believe fashion has no gender. Even though I do not wear skirts, I don’t care about wearing heels or buying at the women's section. I want to express myself. Whatever makes me feel comfortable. I really like the Victorian era, the ways it was more fitting and with the long jackets. I mix things a lot depending on my mood. I feel more attached to monochrome, when it’s just one colour, yellow and red are two my favourites, I always try to stay in the same colour-scale. I like to wear one kind of tone on a top for example and then it has to be the same tone on some details on my pants for example. I also get inspired by drag in general.
How would you describe your closet?
Very mixed and a lot of different kinds of fabrics. I tend to use natural fabrics, but using cotton is not always that sustainable and people don’t always know that. Upcycled and second hand are mostly common in my closet. I even buy things just to upcycle them. I got a dress from Karl Lagerfield and I’m going to turn it into a summer jacket. My mother was a seamstress and even though she never taught me, when she passed away I really started to reveal the things she used to create. I went through her notes and so on. I asked a local seamstress from my neighbourhood to help me with the sewing of the garments, and she even taught me a bit of technique. It’s easy when you have time to do it but otherwise complicated, that’s why I recommend people to work with local seamstresses to do their own pieces. My closet is also super organised, inspired by Marie Kondo and Home Edit styles. They really know how to organise your closet in a way that is very satisfying.
“Upcycled and second hand are mostly common in my closet. I even buy things just to upcycle them.”
What is a sustainable closet for you?
It’s a closet that takes into consideration that fashion actually has an impact on the environment and the society. One that is cared for. It’s when people make conscious choices. It’s one where people actually value clothes. To have a sustainable wardrobe doesn’t mean that people have to get rid of their fast fashion items. The first tip is to avoid waste: don’t throw it away! You already bought it so take care of it and use it. And you can use some of your old clothes as fabrics for creating new ones. Don’t buy clothes from a brand you don’t want to support. Several brands like H&M and Primark have made horrible greenwashing mistakes so I would never buy something new from them.
“ I believe fashion has no gender.”
What do you think about the fashion industry?
First of all I think about art. It’s a wearable art. Something we wear to express ourselves. But it also has some disadvantage. Nowadays many big brands are starting to see the importance of upcycling. Some fashion brands already have plenty of the stock they can reuse. Some have done it for many years but some have never done it. For a long time that was seen as unfashionable to use something old from previous seasons. Customers didn’t want to be associated with something old, it could make them look poor.
But there’s still a lot of greenwashing. Like the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. I was so excited about it and I became so disappointed. They accept H&M as their partner and it doesn't make any sense at all if you’re marketing the show as sustainable. That truly brainwashes people.
“Most of my friends don’t know what sustainability is. They don’t know about the other aspects. I have to explain to many of them what upcycling is.”
What do you believe needs to change?
Policies and laws for starters. France has banned companies from burning their leftover stock of textiles. Not many countries haven’t done that yet. Laws and policies can truly make a difference.
Consumers need to be aware. Not only public figures, everyone that has an Instagram account, they can share it with their families and friends. Most of my friends don’t know what sustainability is. They don’t know about the other aspects. I have to explain to many of them what upcycling is. I’m really glad about the book in that sense, because it makes people realise that they can create change. So they can keep on doing good things.
What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?
• Upcycling! This is something you can do!
• Don’t be ashamed of things you already own.
• Try to make conscious choices.
• Repeat outfits please! Normalise repeating outfits. If you like an outfit, use it more often!
