Tracing the Truth: with Maggie Zhou

In conversation with Australian slow-fashion enthusiast, writer and producer, Maggie Zhou.

July 9th, 2021

Written by FibreTrace®

In another segment of our Tracing the Truth series, we connected with Maggie Zhou to understand her personal journey with slow fashion and how this has affected her everyday purchasing decisions.⁣

Explain your journey towards slow fashion and its importance to you.

Growing up, I didn’t care too much about fashion or the clothes I wore. But entering my teen years, I fell into Instagram’s fashion blogging world and started documenting my outfits regularly. From that, I began receiving free clothes from fast fashion brands which felt really flattering and exciting. As the years wore on and I slowly learnt more about impacts of fast fashion, I felt an unbalance and disconnect within myself. At the end of 2019, I made the decision to try and stop working with fast fashion brands. Slow fashion is so important to me because I really believe we have a responsibility to care for garment workers and our planet.

What is your approach to sustainable fashion and how does this affect your everyday purchasing decisions?

There are a lot of barriers to entry for sustainable fashion, from the financial cost to the lack of size inclusivity. I guess I’d say my personal approach to sustainable fashion is through slower, conscious decision making. I’m not someone who regularly purchases items. I prefer to really sit with a potential purchase before putting through a transaction. In action, this looks like making a wish list of my most sought after pieces that I’ll search out for months, even years. Or, at a minimum, I try to put 24 hours between myself and a purchase to see if I really want something or whether I just want that retail therapy hit. But of course, I’m far from perfect and have made many spontaneous shopping decisions – some good, some bad...

Is there a common misconception around slow or conscious fashion that you wish to address?

A hard truth to swallow after being bombarded with $5 sale racks for so long is that our clothes shouldn’t be this cheap. I had to really reframe what I personally would be willing to pay for fashion – and I used to think $20 for a top was expensive! A quote I read a while ago has really stuck with me. It goes something like, “fast fashion isn’t cheap, someone else is paying the price for it.” If you’re on the receiving end of a dress that costs under a tenner, think about how much – or really, how little – the makers are being paid. 

What are some of your favourite sustainably-led Aussie brands right now?

Arnsdorf, Handsom, Denimsmith, Nobody Denim, Nano Workshop, Project Bowman and A.BCH.

What are some of your top tips for the best second-hand finds?

Don’t just purchase something because it’s cheap! I’ve learnt that the hard way – it can be so tempting to splash out in op shops because it’s more sustainable than purchasing new, but you’ll still be feeding the overconsumption beast. Pay attention to fabrics, silhouettes and colours. Picture yourself rewearing it with multiple pieces from your existing wardrobe. Ask whether you own someone similar already. Regardless of whether it’s cheap and secondhand, will you cherish this for a long time?