TREKTALKS - With Ethical & Sustainable Byron Bay brand, Jume
TrekTalks is a series of Blog interviews where I will be diving into topics such as health, wellness, minimalism, nature, sustainability, plant based living, salty life, travel, mindfulness & much more. I will be talking one on one with like minded businesses, events, fellow travelers & organizations, to deliver their insight into these subjects.
If your on the look out for more inspiration, knowledge & advice on following a more sustainable mindset when it comes to you’re choices in the threads department, then this blog is for you. Today I’ll will be chatting all things sustainable fashion with Byron Bay, Australian creator, Jessica Blume. Jessica is the brains & passion behind the incredibly impressive brand, Jume. We will be discussing how exactly we can all improve on our eco-friendly mindset, thoughts on today’s fast fashion, tips on how to become more sustainably conscious & more.
"The fashion/textile industry is the second most environmentally damaging industry in the world!!!!! And most clothes people buy are barley worn more than once or twice, not to mention the horrible working conditions for most textile production" - Jume
Ethical love & care oozes from each & every creation produced by Jume. One of their key focuses being production. Only sourcing sustainable natural fabrics & plants or using low impact dyes throughout their manufacturing. On top of their care towards their manufacturing, Jume also contributes a section of their monthly profits towards indigenous run organisations. A dedicated contribution that is unfortunately a rarity in the fashion industry. So let’s get started & dive into the mind behind this incredible brand.
Q - DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVISE ON TRANSITIONING TO A MORE ECO-FRIENDLY & SUSTAINABLE MINDSET?
I would say it’s as simple as caring then being curious and asking questions. Look at the cost of things, if it’s a 30 dollar tee then who is paying the rest for you? If it’s a home cleaning product then is is full of poison. Look at packaging, did it really need to be plastic? It really doesn’t take long for these thoughts to be second nature and once you set up sustainable practices it becomes routine and way easier to continue with, from filling your cupboards with reusable jars and farmers market veggies and garden herbs, eco food wraps, reusable cups etc. I also think we need to be more open to slowing down the impulse that capitalism encourages to shop so much. We don’t always need new things, we can wear second hand, trade, borrow, repair and also wear things to death. This is where timeless style over ‘fashion’ as a mindset can be far more sustainable. Question your impulses to consume, who benefits from that impulse and who loses and is that aligned with your moral integrity?
Q - WHAT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES DOES JUME STAND BY?
With people it means paying people really well alone the entire production line so that everyone is stoked with the balance of what they give and receive and making sure the environment they work in is peaceful, caring, safe and comfortable. With materials it means researching fiber and textiles so that you know the water consumption, pesticide use, availability and carbon footprint of each type and choosing the most sustainable ones that may cost more or have certain properties which are challenging to work with and finding a way to make them shine. Hopefully this encourages others to seek them out too. I also don’t do seasons. This slows things down in an attempt to break the fast fashion model that is so damaging for the earth It means packaging and posting in a way that is conscious and as sustainable as can be. It means small runs so no dead stock. It means looking for ways to reduce my carbon footprint. now that I’m not spending so much time in Indonesia where I was working and swinging between, the next step will be to move production here. Though the fabric and sewing cost will be the same here for me, this will be a challenge as it means starting from scratch and working with bigger minimums. Something that I am finally ready to do. I wish there was more fabric production here so that didn’t require importation but sadly that isn’t the case.
Q - HOW DO YOU DRAW NEW CREATIVITY THROUGHOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
Usually it’s the fabrics that inspire the garments. Since I work with eco friendly fabrics only, I am quite limited so once I find a special fabric then I think about what garments it would look the best in and then think of a cut that will be timeless, flattering and suit people of all sizes and ages. I really want clothes that do not discriminate but are also super versatile and can be worn various ways. I also am obsessed with colour and my weaving background helps in this. My paintings, ceramics and other work tends to have a palate that just subconsciously ends up in my collections.
Q - WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S FAST FASHION INDUSTRIES?
I hate it! We are in a global environmental crisis. The earth and it’s ecosystems are dying and we must stop this destructive capitalist system before we destroy everything on this planet that we love and value including ourselves. The fashion/textile industry is the second most environmentally damaging industry in the world!!!!! And most clothes people buy are barley worn more than once or twice, not to mention the horrible working conditions for most textile production. It’s a system that doesn’t even bring joy to the consumer anyway as they are never satisfied, always feeling like they are chasing some new thing, never content and thinking that they are choosing this with free will. It’s a mindless sickness that does harm that most people in the west have the privilege of ignoring. It must be stopped.
Q - CAN YOU SHARE ANY TIPS ON HOW WE CAN BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLY CONSCIOUS WITH OUR CLOTHING PURCHASES?
One way is knowing the stores that do the eco thinking for you such as staple store, Noel and Gladys or kind curation which only stock ethical garments and home wares. It means not impulse buying. If you don’t want it a month later, years later, than you never should have got it so there is no need to rush. For me that means no after pay for you it may look like keeping a wish list and sitting on things for a bit. I also thing places like Depop or eBay are amazing for second hand garments by brands you love. So often the garments available are new or a season old, look there first. Recycling clothes is always a better idea than buying new and I always recommend that even though it means less sales for me! Also do your own textile research and keep an eye out for the good ones. Things can be more complex than they seem for example cotton is terrible and some synthetic fabrics are way better so don’t be misguided by ‘natural’. And ‘Australian made’ isn’t always synonymous with ethically and sustainably made. Hemp is incredible!!!!! Always go for hemp!
Q -WHAT INSPIRED THE CREATION OF JUME?
I had recently finished studying textile design at RMIT and was obsessed with textiles and weaving and would also make my own garments all the way through uni as I was broke. I really wanted to find a way to combine my two loves but knew after all my sustainability studies in the course that fashion was deeply problematic. So I thought ‘the only point of doing yet another label would be to do it ethically’ at the time there were very few labels that I loved that were sustainable and I felt that there needed to be more options available if consumers were really going to start making the switch. I am so happy to say that now there is heaps of stunning labels that do this and I’m seeing such a rapid shift!
Jessica Blume - Jume
What an inspiring insight into the mind of an ethical & sustainable designer. I hope you have been able to pull some nuggets of gold from this interview. I know I most certainly have. I think it is well over due to confront & most importantly begin improving our attitudes & actions in the fashion industry. With dedicated brands like this, it most certainly makes the journey much easier.
I look forward to connecting with more like minded trekkers soon, bringing you more refreshing, honest, inspiring & relevant topics. Until then, enjoy the ride.
PEACE X Kirsty, Brent & Alfie
