Afterlife Collection Magazine

CONTENTS
Afterlife
VOLUME 1 / 2018
Afterlife 1

CONTENTS
Annette Young
VOLUME 1
2 VOLUME 1 Afterlife 3

CONTENTS
Annette Young
VOLUME 1
page 6
page 8
page 12
page 18
page 26
page 32
page 40
page 44
page 52
page 62
page 68
page 71
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
AFTERLIFE: DEBUT
COLLECTION
MOTHS IN FLIGHT
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
IN FULL BLOOM
DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
EXPLORATION
A FASHION REVOLUTION
MAKING THE COLLECTION
CAPSULE RUNWAY
CONTRIBUTORS
THANK YOU
Copyright © Annette Young, October 2018.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any
content only at the permission of the author.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
LETTER
FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first volume of Afterlife. Let me introduce myself:
I am the designer behind the collection and the editor of this
magazine. Hello!
To start, let me say I have been fascinated by fashion and come to
think of it, fashion magazines, for as long as I can remember. This
year, I had the amazing opportunity to create my own collection
and this magazine, to share with you my vision of fashion.
Fashion is undoubtedly powerful and transformative. That’s what
I love about it. Look back through the 19th and 20th centuries:
fashion has been one of the key visual and political indicators of
each period, bringing its own richness to the historical landscape.
From the 1920’s flapper dress that challenged women’s personal
and sexual freedoms, the shift dress of the 1960’s the heralded
the rise of the youth movement to the current genderless trends
challenging gender conformity.
Fashion’s ability to spark social change has led to significant shifts
for humanity and I think we are on the brink of the next seismic
shift: towards sustainable and ethical fashion. For me, that is not
only about creating fashion that considers its impact but fashion
that connects with the wearer.
This collection and magazine are about transformation and
protection of the environment. It’s called Afterlife because it
considers life beyond what we see and the afterlife of garments
in the world today. It’s inspired by a deeply personal experience
after my mother died (more on that later) and a desire to create
fashion that is meaningful to me and hopefully to you. Because
I believe that fashion is far deeper than what we wear. It is an
extension of who we are, our memories, our values, our view of
the world and it has the power to transform our own lives and the
lives of those around us.
I hope you are delighted and inspired by these pages and it opens
your mind to the possibilities and beauty of fashion.
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CONTENTS
AFT
ERL
I FE
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CONTENTS
AFTERLIFE: ABOUT THE COLLECTION
CONTENTS
Afterlife
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
It’s amazing how moments in
time can change your life in
an instant. It was the erratic
flutter of a black moth’s wings
on the morning of December
17 that changed the way I saw
the world forever, and inspired
the collection you see in these
pages.
It was the day my mum passed
away. The world had never
been so quiet. The morning
sun streamed into the room
through sheer curtains as she lay
silently. I sat with her for hours,
wondering if she was still there.
Wondering what happens when
someone dies.
I finally left the room when the
sun was in the sky. When I
walked in to the spare room, a
black moth, the size of my hand,
followed me in to the room. It
appeared out of nowhere, flying
erratically, as if for the first time.
It seemed to want to be near me,
sitting on the bed next to me.
And I quietly said: “Mum?”
The words left my mouth before
I had thought them. It felt like her
presence.
Erratic yet quiet. Unsure but
trying. Gentle and sad. I stared at
that moth. Curious. In wonder.
Days later when it was time to
leave and our family was saying
goodbye I turned to leave and
saw the black moth: perched
on top of the pergola, quietly
watching everyone.
Unable to shake the experience
I searched for its meaning and
found countless similar stories all
over the world, along with Celtic
lore and American Indian stories
about black moths - all saying
it was the spirit in another form,
not ready to leave the world. I
wondered if it was true. I still do.
This experience opened my mind
to the blurred line between life
and death and the possibility of
realities beyond what we are sure
we know. It is in this space that I
created the Afterlife collection, to
reflects that moment: of darkness
and wonder, that slowly opens up
to reveal a new reality.
You’ll see throughout the
collection the form, shapes,
textures and motifs of the black
moth (pictured above).
Velvet and lace represents
the feathery and transparent
texture of the wings. The ruffles
represent the movement of
wings and the emergence of
new worlds. The black and white
represents transformation and
the purple is the colour of the
wall the moth rested on.
There is a second meaning
behind the Afterlife collection.
The collection considers the
afterlife of the garment: it is made
with natural materials that can
be recycled and the labeling
provides a detailed view of where
it was made and its precise
composition, so it can recycled
to its next life: as a second hand
or new garment. I think fashion
needs to think beyond one
season or one collection, but
consider the life and afterlife of
the garment.
This is a collection that is
emotional and meaningful
and I think that’s important in
fashion: for the designers and the
wearers.
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CONTENTS
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SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN
THE FUTURE OF FASHION
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CONTENTS
SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN
THE FUTURE OF FASHION
Much of the fashion industry has
become a scourge on the sustainability
landscape.
The clothing and textile industry
is leaving a trail of social and
environmental destruction from deadly
working conditions to soil damage and
toxic waterways.
As the second largest industrial polluter
in the world, next to oil, fashion is
making a significant contribution to the
global environmental crisis: and not in
a good way.
But what if we could re-imagine the
entire fashion industry to become
one that is a leader in ethical and
sustainable production? Is it time for
the fashion industry to lead the next
social, economic and environmental
revolution?
The Global Fashion Agenda, a notfor-profit
organisation that works with
leading retailers and brands to set a
common agenda for sustainability, has
created a roadmap to sustainability in
their CEO Agenda 2018.
The Agenda provides three immediate
solutions: supply chain traceability,
efficient use of water energy and
chemicals and respectful and secure
work environments, and three long
term solutions: sustainable material
mix, closed looped fashion systems,
promotion of a better wage system
and the fourth industrial revolution.
I took this road map in to my
approach to design and production,
to produce this collection as ethically,
transparently and sustainable as
possible in Vietnam. I chose to
focus on ethical work environments,
sustainable materials, reducing
waste and considering the impact
on the environment at every stage.
If there was a sustainable way to do
it, I did it that way: from the use of
waste off cuts to create accessories
to the 100 percent recycled pages
of this magazine. Because it is all of
these choices that create meaningful
beautiful fashion and creates a
positive impact on our lives and the
lives around us.
Sustainability also comes in to
creating emotionally durable design:
where garments are embedded with
a story that the wearer can connect
to, allowing them to experience a
different value beyond a piece of
clothing. I hope they will want to
hold on to the garments for longer,
avoiding waste and the production
of new garments.
My garment labeling also opens
the door for recycling and greater
transparency. Every garment is
labeled with a QR code and when
you scan it you see where it was
made, who made it and the exact
fibre composition. It is this level of
transparency and open-ness that I
believe is vital in fashion today.
I also chose natural materials and
single fibre fabrics: preferably cotton,
silk and wool. And where possible I
used excess stock or waste fabric
that would otherwise have been
thrown away.
Why natural fibres? Natural fibres
are not as harmful as synthetic
fibres like polyester which is the
most commonly used fibre and the
most environmentally damaging.
An estimated 70 million barrels of
oil are extracted and used to make
the polyester each year! And the
majority of that clothing is worn once
or twice. The impacts continue after
the end use of the garment as it takes
more than 200 years to decompose,
causing waste problems well beyond
our generation.
Of course all this can be changed
by choices. I discovered only two
factories in Hoi An used fabrics with
no polyester and they were 20-30
percent more expensive. But when
you weigh up the real cost to the
environment, the choice is easy.
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SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Afterlife of
THE COLLECTION
LEFT AND BELOW: Choosing materials in
the factory. It was important to choose low
impact and natural fabrics that were single
composition fibres, as they are easier to
recycle and less harmful to the environment
than synthetic fibres. This lace to the left was
100 percent cotton and used for my dresses
and tops. The excess fabric was used to create
accessories including the moths, mask and
shoe decoration.
BELOW: The web page with all the information
on the garment: where it was made, who made it
and what it is made of. Go to the web page now.
With companies like
The Renewal Project
giving garments
a second life by
repairing, reselling or
recycling garments,
data about the
history, production
and garment
composition of the
garment is more
crucial than ever.
Without this data
the garment can’t be recycled. With this in mind, I created
swing tags with a scanable QR code that links to a web site,
hosting all the data, photos and information about each
garment. This consideration of the afterlife of the garment
means the garment can be re-used or recycled.
Afterlife 23

Sustainable
DESIGN LEADERS
Sustainable
BRANDING
LEFT AND ABOVE: My collection and approach to sustainability
was inspired by sustainable brands like French sneaker brand,
Veja and Australian luxury brand KITX.
ABOVE AND BELOW: Sustainability is considered at every level for this collection. If there was a more sustainable way to do it, I chose that way. The
hangers used to display the garments are made from sustainably sourced wood. The garment swing tags are made from 100 percent recycled card and
the string is made from hemp.
About Veja: Veja completely redesigned their
economic supply chain and design process to be as
transparent and sustainable as possible.
They work with organic cotton farmers in Brazil
who cultivate through agro-ecology, a method that
enriches soil by growing cotton along side corn,
sesame seeds and beans, rather than a monoculture
that impoverishes the soil. They employ rubber
tappers in the Amazon to make their soles, create
mesh fabric using recycled bottles picked up from
the streets of Sau Paolo, and use sustainably
sourced vegetable tanned leather. They take 6-12
months to design a shoe, aiming for a classic design
and well made product that will last for many years.
About KITX: With a focus on materials, Kit Willow
produces garments designed to have a positive
environmental and social impact. Her website
includes a tab titled ‘positive impact’ so customers
can learn about the materials of each garment and
how it is impacting in positive ways, both socially and
environmentally.
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Afterlife 25

IN FULL BLOOM
Afterlife immersed in nature
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CONTENTS

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DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
ABOVE: The concept mood board to inspire the designs.
DESIGNING
THE COLLECTION
What does it take to design a collection? Designer ANNETTE YOUNG takes you through the
process of designing her debut collection: Afterlife. See original sketches, fabric selections,
garment samplings, fittings and the final designs.
ABOVE: Applying moth shapes to the body to create the form of wings in garments.
The shapes helped evolve the forms and silhouettes of the collection through ruffles,
wing shapes applied to jackets and the cape and the moth motif created in 3D forms.
ABOVE: The collection begins with sketches, analysis of the colour palette and fabric
selection. The brand DNA always considers how the collection be sustainable and this
begins at the initial conception stage.
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DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
ABOVE AND BELOW: fitting the tailored jacket and ruffle front pants, then hand placing and fitting the wings to the jacket. Each
wing was hand sewn to the finished jacket. Below is the finished suit.
LEFT TO RIGHT: sampling the shape and form of
the wings in calico on a tailored jacket, sampling
the ruffle form and shape with a lace ruffled skirt
and the wing jacket, creating the sample tailored
jacket and hand sketches of the jacket and pants.
INSPIRATION OF
EMERGENCE:
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
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DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
ELSA SCHIAPARELLI
ABOVE AND BELOW: fittings of the cape at the
factory in Vietnam to determine the shape and
curve of the hem, the position of the arm holes and
the shape and form of the lapel. After the shape was
established I sketched and hand placed the sequins
on the coat to be sewn on by hand.
Below is the final garment worn with a lace and
velvet dress that represents the body of the moth.
ABOVE AND LEFT:
sketching the form and
shape of the cape and
sequins to represent the
moth shape and eyes.
GUCCI
INSPIRATION OF SHAPE AND DETAILS: VALENTINO
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DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
DESIGNING THE COLLECTION
PETAR
PETROV
SIMONE
ROCHAS
ROBERT
WUN
ABOVE: designers who influenced the dress
development in the form, shape and ruffles.
ABOVE AND BELOW: Above and left are
sketches of the dresses to work out the exact
size, form, shape and fall of the ruffles. There
were three dresses made in cotton lace with silk
chiffon and velvet ruffles. Left and below are
the sample garments that I experimented with to
figure out the placement and form of the ruffles.
I experimented with a Tomoko Nakamichi
technique to embed the ruffles so they appeared
to emerge .
ABOVE AND BELOW: fittings of the dresses to place the ruffles to carefully
cover the body but leave the lace sheer. To the right is choosing fabrics in the
factory. Below are the finished garments.
In the purple and cream dresses, the ruffles
represent the wings of the moth. In the black
dress, they represent the form of the moth body.
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PREVIOUS WORK
PREVIOUS WORK
EXPLOR–
ATIONS
ABOVE AND LEFT: In the lead up to designing the collection I experimented with moth shapes and forms in every day clothing, including the trench
with a wing shaped back (left) and pants with wing shaped pockets (above). The ruffles on the overalls (top left) inspired the development of the ruffles
on the cream and purple dresses to represent wings. The t-shirt to the left says “I’ d rather be a rebel than a slave” which is about following my values and
creating sustainable fashion rather than following what’s been done before.
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CONTENTS
PREVIOUS WORK
ABOVE AND RIGHT: I designed the pleat for this coat and
had it hand pleated in Melbourne in organza. Left and
above are the design sketches of the coat, pants and t-shirt.
Above are samples I experimented with to design the shape
and placement of the pleated section.
The coat is made with 100 percent cotton and lined in 100
percent cotton, making it easy to recycle. The cape of the coat
is made with dead stock (excess) fabric.
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CONTENTS
A
FASHION
REVOLUTION
In 2013 the building at Rana Plaza collapsed killing nearly 1140 people and
injuring 2600 people. The building was a garment factory for many of the
leading fast fashion retailers in the world. The disaster shone a spotlight on
ethical work practices. So where are we at today?
Source: New York Times 2013.
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A FASHION REVOLUTION
A
FASHION
REVOLUTION
The fashion industry has more than doubled clothing
production in the past 15 years with the rise of fast
fashion. To cater for this, third world countries increased
their production capacity, particularly throughout South-
East Asia. But this has been at a high social cost.
Free trade agreements and poor labour laws opened
the door for exploitation and paved the way for modern
slavery, where workers are forced to work on wages 60
percent of the cost of living in the slums of Bangladesh
(Fashion Revolution 2016), for long hours with no secure
employment.
The Global Slavery Index estimates that 36 million
people are living in some form of modern slavery, many
of whom are making clothes for western brands (Fashion
Revolution 2016).
The fast fashion industry was thrown in to the spotlight
in 2013 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed, which
housed five garment factories for fast fashion brands
including Mango, Primark ,Benetton and many others.
The entire building collapsed killing nearly 1140 people
and injuring 2600 people, 80 percent of them young
women (New York Times 2013).
It became a turning point for the fashion industry and
posed the questions: How far would the fashion industry
go for profit? When did a cheap t-shirt become more
important than people’s lives?
Immediately after the disaster, the organisation Fashion
Revolution was established, to create a more sustainable
fashion industry with greater transparency of the supply
chain. Asking the question ‘Who made my clothes?’
they believed when we know better, we do better.
As the founder of the Fashion Revolution, Orselo de
Castro said: “Traceability and accountability is the next
frontier.
“We need to look at a fashion horizon, that goes beyond
just loving a brand because it looks good, but trusting it
because it does good” (Fashion Revolution TEXxTalks
2017).
Inspired by this fashion revolution, my goal as a designer
is to create ethical and sustainable fashion. For my
graduate collection I travelled to Hoi An in Vietnam,
to experience garment manufacturing in Asia, where
approximately 90 percent of Australia’s garments are
made.
Determined to create clothing ethically, I inspected
workrooms and factories, asking about employment
conditions and working hours. I found that of the 400
tailors in Vietnam, only four could prove that their clothing
was ethically made. And those four tailors were at least
double the price of the other tailors. I was presented with
the first challenge that every retailer faces in creating
ethical fashion: it costs more. But I had to remind myself
to think beyond the price and begin to redefine the value
of fashion.
The result was that I was able to meet and interact
with every person who made my clothes, giving me a
fascinating insight in to the garment industry. It opened
my eyes to the possibility of creating a more transparent
industry and connecting us to the people behind our
clothes. So I’d like you to meet them to and find out who
made these clothes.
ABOVE: Tam in the factory in Hoi An making the
purple coat for the collection.
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
LEFT TO RIGHT: Huông, Hái, Nhung, and Xa in the factory in Hoi An,
Vietnam where my collection was made. This is the lovely group of women
who made the dresses and tops in my collection.
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A FASHION REVOLUTION
A FASHION REVOLUTION
ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Photos of the factory and tailors who made my clothes. Above is the factory manager, Hanh joining me in asking: who made
my clothes? Below is Ut with Nhung, and Xa behind her, making garments for my collection. To the right is Xí who made my beautiful embroidered cotton
t-shirts. They were delighted to be thanked and acknowledged for their amazing work: which they said rarely happens.
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
MAKING
THE COLLECTION
VE: Patternmaker, Tâm, cutting the pattern for my wing jacket .
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
LEFT TO RIGHT: Working with Ella in the factory on creating the ruffle front of
the pants. Together we were figuring out how to create a soft curve. Below I am
working with the tailor of the purple jacket,Thu on the sleeve shape. I tried on the
body and sleeves of the jacket before they were constructed to ensure they fit and
form were right.
BELOW: Jacket tailor, Thu hand placing the ruffles so I could see their form,
shape , fall and position.
WORKING TOGETHER IN THE FACTORY: Working with Ella and Thu in the factory to figure out the construction of the purple silk ruffled suit jacket
(above) and the black wing jacket (below). We experimented with the form and shape of the jacket and the position of the ruffles to make sure the jacket
maintained its shape while carrying the weight of the ruffles. Tailor Thu said it was a challenge for her but she did an incredible job! It was amazing to
watch them work. This jacket was made in three days. Over the page you’ ll see the finished suit.
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
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HAND MADE
DETAILS
HAND MADE DETAILS
ABOVE AND RIGHT: With the black moth as inspiration I sketched and designed the sequins and beading for the silk chiffon
top. I hand picked and chose the black sequins to be sewn on, so as to represent the exact form and shape of the moth. To the
right you can see the beautiful finished top in cream silk chiffon with the hand sewn beading and sequins.
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HAND MADE
DETAILS
ABOVE AND BELOW: I created 3D moths with artists
Rosemary Williams and Pamela Thuan in Rosemary’s studio.
The moths were made of waste fabric from the cape and
black dress, along with sequins and ribbon scraps from our
cupboards.
I also covered shoes (left) in purple fabric that was left over
from the making of the purple suit.
The moths were applied to the coat (right), white dress and
shoes.
I wanted the moths to replicate the moth I saw, with erratic
flight as if it were landing on the garments. .
RIGHT: The finished garment: a purple wool coat embroidered
with the moths and embellished with the hand made moths.
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CAPSULE RUNWAY SHOW
CAPSULE RUNWAY
Afterlife was shown at the Capsule Runway: a runway show held at Melbourne’s Meat
Market arts centre to an audience of 500 people. The show was put together by 25 RMIT
fashion design students (including me!) to showcase our graduate collections. See the full
student collection online now.
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CAPSULE RUNWAY SHOW
BEHIND THE SCENES
ABOVE AND BELOW: Behind the scenes: getting all
the student garments ready for 40 models, my Afterlife
postcards for sale to guests, hair and makeup and
below is me backstage.
ABOVE AND BELOW: Preparing the venue and seating at
the beautiful Meat Market. Below are 500 guests eagerly
waiting for the graduate showcase.
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CONTENTS
CAPSULE RUNWAY CONTENTS SHOW
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CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS
CREATIVE
CONTRIBUTORS
Writer, editor and designer: Annette Young
@annetteyoungdesign
Graphic design: Annette Young and Michael Shippard
Creative Team for Nature Shoot
Photographer: Jessica Garcia
Makeup artist: Chloe Lee
Model: Karla Duckworth at Duval
Creative Team for Studio shoot
Photographer: Jessica Garcia
Hair and makeup artist: Andrea Takagi
Model: Lili Currie at Duval
Capsule Runway
Event and runway coordinated by RMIT fashion design students
Photographers: Steven Thuan, Reannon Smith, David Thompson
and Ava Dong
Photographer for earlier work: Elizabeth Gao
Making Team in Vietnam:
Factory 1: Ella, Huông, Hái, Nhung, Xa, Ut, Thu and Tâm
Factory 2: Hahn, Hoa, Luyêń and Xí
Photography: Annette Young and Pam Thuan
Artist support: Rosemary Williams
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THANK CONTENTS YOU
CONTENTS
THANK YOU!
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT....
Michael Shippard, Graphic Designer: for your amazing
advice on all things design.
My studio leaders throughout my degree: Adele Varcos,
Peter Boyd, Denise Sprynskyj, Chantal McDonald, Sang
Thai and Cassandra Whet.
Anna Thomas, for giving me excess stock fabric to make
garments and samples.
Jean and Geri for the office test shoot.
Jon at Duval for finding my models.
Ellla who understood and translated my creative vision
and could translate it in the factory.
Pam Thuan for her support, advice and providing me with
bowls of Pho while I was in crazy mode designing in
Hoi An.
The gorgeous girls at art group: Rosemary, Pauline, Marni
and Pam for their artistic advice and help creating the
moths.
Steve Thuan for curtains, clothes racks, innuendos and
support.
Michelle Kenney and Murray Young for financial and
moral support.
Lisey, Julie Erin and Bree for hugs, love and support.
And finally... my mum ... wherever you are.
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CONTENTS
Afterlife
VOLUME 1 / 2018
CONTACT
Annette Young
+61 428 063 889
@annetteyoungdesign
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