Raised off the grid in a windswept swathe of rural English land by activist parents in the ‘90s, Amy Powney’s family’s lack of materialism would later become the grounding force in her understanding of how we give and take from the earth. Throughout her youth – living in a caravan where water came from a family well and power from a wind turbine built by her father – Powney had always felt troubled by the devastating environmental impact of the fashion industry, “given its long history of social issues and more recently the enormous environmental impact with the growth of fast fashion and consumerism”, she explains. “It made me question how we grow things, how we treat animals, and gave me huge respect for key workers in supply chains as myself and my family worked on the local food produce farms.”
By 2002, she had moved to Kingston to study fashion design and thereafter, joined cult luxury label Mother of Pearl where she spent her days sweeping the cutting room floor as an assistant. “My childhood dream was always to work in the creative industries in some way, art was my favourite subject in and out of school and I always knew creativity as a job would be my happy place,” she recalls. Eventually working her way up to creative director and now owning the majority of the business, she won the Vogue award for Best Young Designer of the Year in 2017 – receiving alongside it a significant cash sum – with which she initiated a dramatic shift in her business and a peerless effort to develop a completely sustainable collection. From field to finished garment she highlights the people, animals and resources that go into a garment across complex global supply chains, her personal experience becoming the precursor to a much needed change. Now, documented in feature format, Powney has debuted a trailblazing independent film – produced and directed by Toronto-born 2022 BIFA nominee for ‘Best Debut Director: Feature Documentary’, Becky Hutner – dubbed, Fashion Reimagined.
Pulsing with the indelible energy of the fashion industry and deftly exploring its environmental impact, Fashion Reimagined ushers in a new narrative for production, aiming to drive impact, spark wider conversations and transform the way we engage with clothes. “There are so many incredible documentaries out there which lift the lid on industries but they can often leave you feeling overwhelmed at the end and unsure of how to act on what you have learnt. I think Becky has told a story of hope by weaving my personal story into the film. If the caravan kid can do this then anyone can!” Powney says. “It reminds me of my favourite quotes: ‘I always wondered why someone didn’t do something about that, then I realised I was somebody.’”
Following Powney’s development of Mother of Pearl’s No Frills collection in 2018 – its first fully sustainable range – a socially responsible ethos unfolds over the course of three years. Tracing the entire supply chain and considering its production footprint from the outset, she brings timeless styles and wardrobe forever favourites to life. Five years on and No Frills forms the brand’s core collection – a range made from organic and natural materials, putting social responsibility, respect to animals and low-environmental impact first.
A Duck Production in association with Sustainable Films, its 100 minutes of true transparency bidding to transform the way we engage with fashion at a time when many experts agree the most important thing we should be doing to tackle climate change is talk to each other. With award winning producers Lindsay Lowe and Andrea van Beuren, alongside executive producers Cindy Meehl, Vesna Cudic, Stewart le Maréchal, Lisa Marie Russo and Vik Bansal, director of photography Daniel Götz and original music by Phil France, Fashion Reimagined brings into sharper focus the story of our clothes.
“It’s fantastic that the conversation is becoming more mainstream, but we have to be careful that serious and considered action is being taken and it’s not just green-washing, which has become endemic in the system today,” Powney declares. “Brands use this to confuse the customer and over exaggerate their sustainability credentials. If a brand is talking about sustainability or transparency all the time you know it is at the heart of what they do. If it’s one off marketing moments, it’s being used for a different purpose.
“There needs to be concrete legislation which sets the parameters on all areas of the supply chain, from field to final garment and around the materials and processes used and to protect the people and animals involved. That is why I would like transparency to become the key conversation and for brands to be required to show what they have achieved with their supply chains and where they need to improve.”
Fashion is still a major and ever-accelerating contributor to climate change, ocean microplastic, deforestation and landfills. The way we produce clothing and indeed our very relationship with clothes needs to change fast. “I hope anyone who watches [Fashion Reimagined] goes away and asks more questions, demands more from the brands they shop from, across all areas from fashion, to furniture, to food. I hope that the film inspires people to make better and more informed choices,” Powney declares. “If I can change one person’s mindset, then the work we do and the film has succeeded.”
Photography courtesy of ‘Fashion Reimagined’ Film. ‘Fashion Reimagined’ was released in UK & Irish cinemas March 3, 2023, and is now available for television via Sky and Now TV. Discover more.
