SUSTAINABILITY in fashion takes many forms, the most popular being the use of recycled materials like polyester or synthetic fabric made of PET bottles that would have otherwise end up in landfills.
These are novel ideas and while they are not wrong, their concept of sustainability still involves production and use of raw materials.
For Singaporean entrepreneur Suhana Ab, the idea of sustainability should start at source, and that means reduced consumption. When we reduce consumption, we use less and produce less waste, she says.
"And if we expand this idea to clothes, the consumption pattern should be about buying better and fewer. Clothes made of exceptional, natural materials like cotton would provide you that longevity. You may want to experiment with styling to get different looks, but the material would last for years, if not decades," she says.
And so she founded Maison Q, a kids clothes label that are all reversible. That means with every purchase, you buy "two-in-one" shirts, "two-in-one" dresses or "two-in-one" shorts. It saves space in the wardrobe and gives parents more choices to style their kids in.
TELLING A STORY
Suhana loves children's books and their illustrations, so she began looking for beautiful patterns and motifs that tell stories. It may be about a day at the carnival, with images of the ferris wheel, children and snacks, or Chinese New Year with rabbits and frog buttons, as well as kuih kapit.
"We work with a Japanese cotton manufacturer to make the fabrics so all our prints are unique. We don't buy ready-made fabrics. The cotton we use, because of the reversibility of our products, are of lower gramme per square metre (GSM), so it is breathable and kids wearing clothes made of the material will be comfortable despite being a double-sided clothing," she says.
Perhaps in some ways, she wants to re-live her childhood through these images. She wants these images to evoke happiness and that fuzzy feeling you get when you remember your younger days.
"This is also something I learn from my children. They, like all kids, teach adults how to seize the moment, to do what makes you feel fulfilled and to have fun," she says.
SPECIAL SKILLS
Suhana's husband owns a clothing factory in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia. There, they train seamstresses to sew reversible clothes. "It's a specialised skill because the seams require meticulous finishing.
"Not everyone can do it, but we have 13 employees who can. These artisans need special skills to make reversible clothing, and it includes how to close the seams.
"And because we own our manufacturing facility, we don't produce run-of-the-mill clothes, and we don't sew in bulk. Our quantities are small and we make sure of their quality," she says.
One of the things that Suhana did to test the durability of Maison Q clothes is to wash them hundreds of times to make sure the colours don't fade and the clothes can still hold their shape.
"Our clothes are durable. They are designed to be handed down to cousins or siblings once the children outgrow their sizes, and they will still look presentable on the new owners," she says.
"In the face of fast fashion, I think it's important to remind people that sustainability starts at source and the best way is to invest in few, but good quality clothes that can last for years. Sure, children outgrow their clothes fast, but you can always gift them to their cousins and siblings as thoughtful hand-me-downs. Kids grow fast and their clothing is always seen as something temporary. I want to change that," she says,
CUSTOMISING CLOTHES
The brand will be having its Reversible Bar event in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 4 to 5 at Alila Bangsar, where customers can pre-order clothes and customise the fabric.
"We don't take a lot of orders for this service as production is difficult, but customers like customisation and this is one of our ways to deliver that value to them. They are not restricted by our set of patterns," she says.
It will also be launching its baby segment soon, with swaddles and blankets that are perfect for newborns and, of course, will still look good to be given away after the baby grows up.
To reserve a space at the Reversible Bar event, WhatsApp +65 8356 9355.