Coming Full Circle with Megan Doyle & Gemma Williams
With the thrilling launch of our vibrant capsule collection, we've reached an incredible milestone in design and innovation! To commemorate this special occasion, we gathered together our cherished friends who are also inspiring women, for a day filled with celebration and the sharing of incredible stories about remarkable full-circle moments. It's a time of joy, connection, and inspiration!
Megan Doyle
Megan Doyle, is a leading sustainable fashion journalist who contributes her insights to esteemed publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, The Business of Fashion, and Refinery29. As a passionate advocate for sustainability in the fashion industry, Megan covers a wide spectrum of topics, from supply chain traceability to fashion tech, making her a sought-after voice in global discussions on the future of fashion.
Megan in the Andes Shirt Dress
Q1: What does coming ‘full circle’ mean to you in the fashion industry?
Coming ‘full circle’ is the idea that circularity is key to the future of the fashion industry. We talk so much about different sustainable materials or processes but unless we are preventing things from being turned into trash immediately or within a short amount of time, then it doesn’t matter what we are implementing at the top of the supply chain.
There’s a lot of space for recognising that the earth’s resources are precious and that we can’t keep cutting down ancient endangered forests to make clothes that will rapidly end up in the bin. When it comes to the fashion industry, circularity is central to everything moving forward. We need to make sure that we don’t take, make and waste stuff immediately.
Q2: What does coming ‘full circle’ mean to you in the way that you live your life?
I was thinking about this today because so many of the things I’ve worn for this campaign today are clothes that I've had for a really long time. These trainers I’ve had for 10 years and this skirt is also really old. I try to keep a circular mindset in my own wardrobe where instead of throwing out clothes, I keep them until eventually they come around again and I find those items I used to love.
The idea of circularity in my own wardrobe means I don’t have to buy new things all the time or regret throwing things away. There are stories attached to my clothing and you can find new life for them in times of your life that are totally different to when you bought them.
Megan in the Andes Shirt Dress
Q3: Why are you passionate about transforming the fashion industry?
As a journalist I can see that the way I can contribute to a better fashion industry is through communicating with people about what’s going on. I’m really passionate about sharing the stories that I come across, the problems, the issues and the things that I really care about within the industry that I don't think are getting enough attention or that I want to shout about a bit more.
There are obviously so many issues in the fashion industry and it’s one of those industries where if people don’t question the model that it all operates under then all sorts of dodgy things happen along the way that don’t get addressed. There are a lot of stories to tell but being able to put them into words and give people the platform that they might not have otherwise is really special.
Gemma Williams
Gemma Williams, a fashion journalist and curator, is a masterful storyteller who leverages her extensive experience spanning a decade in the China fashion, and luxury sectors. Her extensive network, bridging business leaders and creative disruptors, empowers her to tell compelling fashion stories and orchestrate immersive experiences. Gemma's work decodes the China luxury and fashion market in acclaimed publications like "Fashion China" and other renowned titles.
Gemma in our Arnhem Jacket
Q1: What does coming ‘full circle’ mean to you in the fashion industry?
In my practice, I see coming full circle as being responsible for creating and contributing to a positive, healthy working environment. It means holding the wider industry to account by standing up and speaking out. For example, moderating panels is an opportunity to be a part of the wider conversation. Writing or using text and words to formulate ways of engaging with circularity in unexpected ways can force readers to accept that circularity is a way of life, not an optional add on. It’s here, it's the now. You can be empowered if you choose to be.
I also believe it's about challenging people’s attitudes on these issues. I do this especially with regard to China by shining a light on the positive data and direct actions, trends and so on coming from the country which often contradicts assumptions. If China can come full circle, it offers great hope to the world.
Q2: What does coming ‘full circle’ mean to you in the way that you live your life?
Put simply, I see it as being honest and reflective about where we are as an industry and taking collective responsibility for what, how and how often we consume. For me personally, it means buying much less, loaning and continuing to take care of the clothes I have. But it’s a difficult issue to reconcile: How can I be a responsible citizen when I am propagating a dysfunctional industry that is based upon the fetishisation of newness, endless consumption and the disposability of clothing.
It’s also important to remember that there is a real, not ascribed, value to items – whether that’s at the luxury level or fast fashion – and we need to remember not to divorce this from production. There’s so much pressure in the industry, especially during fashion weeks and at events, to buy into a certain way of being/looking and I no longer ascribe to that.
Gemma in our Arnhem Jacket
Q3: Why are you passionate about transforming the fashion industry?
The fashion industry is a microcosm of the social, economic and locational polarities that are being propagated around the world every day. If the fashion industry could go some way to redress this, then it offers an exciting, revolutionary template for radical change. We need to come full circle on our thinking and accept that capitalism hasn’t worked and won’t bring transformation. Right now, parts of it are working, others aren't; parts of it are working well for some, others aren’t. A system must work well for all its parts. Turning a blind eye to the problems is no longer an option because there’s too much at stake. If Patagonia can do it, then others can too.