Seasonal fashion constantly spins through a kaleidoscope of colours: from black, to mustard, to the currently cool neo-mint. The arrival clothing label Allthingsfi this season is providing an opportunity to add the practice of sustainability to the repertoire.
Working tirelessly over the past two years, Fiona Mehmet has created Allthingsfi — a business with a vision to remodel sustainable fashion as a solution to creating sustainable impacts on local community and society. “Fashion was something that I always obsessed over — but I realised that there weren’t many options in Brisbane when it came to ethical fashion,” says Fi. Upon recognising a booming clientele base consisting of environmentally conscious youth, she chose to bind her knowledge of fashion with a sustainable marketing approach. By focusing her collections on ethical sources and quality designers, Allthingsfi has been designed with the intent of showcasing lasting fashion without exploiting those less fortunate in its creation. From this blueprint, Fi has brought to the table an array of clothing and accessories to appeal to fashion conscious buyers without sacrificing their ethics.
When it comes to Fi personally, she credits her upbringing with much of her ethical and moral composition. Growing up in a family of Greek and Turkish Cypriot descent, she describes the atmosphere as often loud and filled with light banter. “I learned quickly that I needed to be strong willed if I was to be heard,” states Fi. “The one message of theirs which has always stayed with me is to reach out and help others when you can. I couldn’t keep count of the number of times that I saw my parents supporting people in our family and friends circles as I grew up.” It is most likely for this reason that Fi’s business venture is much more than another facet of slow fashion but instead an attempt at creating a climate of “conscious style”.
On recognising the basis for Allthingsfi, Fi created a collaboration with the non-for-profit organisation, Opportunity International Australia. A West End based social enterprise, Opportunity International Australia seeks to empower women by helping them lift themselves out of poverty, sustainably and for the future. For every item purchased, Allthingsfi makes a $1 donation to Opportunity International Australia’s microfinancing fund, which supports those less fortunate with their own business dreams. Opportunity International Australia hopes to revolutionise the economy through female buying power, creating a platform to help drive equality.
The Allthingsfi brand is designed to provide everything needed for a smart work wardrobe, through to a slightly more sophisticated evening outfit. Fi hopes her brand will inspire and “motivate women to dress for the lifestyle they want instead of the lifestyle they have, to feel empowered by multi-facet outfits that they can accomplish anything in”. Instead of approaching fashion with an “outfit of the day” mindset, conscious style and slow fashion asserts that our actions as consumers sit on an ever-turning spindle with consequences and opportunity for great influence. This is what Allthingsfi personifies, according to Fi.
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