A young Buncrana woman is part of an influential team leading the trend for eco-conscious fashion.
Whether it’s an upcycled outfit, a vintage find or a well-researched investment piece, there are many ways to dress without contributing to the climate change crisis.
And Donegal’s Meg O’Doherty and her fellow UCD friends Victoria Latham Brunton and Sadhbh Whitty, both from Dublin, are guiding people on making smart and stylish choices.
The Glas Fashion Trio: Meg O Doherty, Sadhbh Whitty and Victoria Latham Brunton
With the help of their online GLAS Fashion movement, the team are promoting a passion for sustainable style.
GLAS has grown from a college project to show shoppers that fashion and sustainability is easier to achieve than you think.
@glasfashion.ie
Charity shop waistcoat for Sea Sessions in Bundoran
@glasfashion.ie
Meg said the page has been an eye-opening experience for her on the negative side of fast fashion: “It’s crazy to think that where once there were four fashion seasons in a year, there are now up to fifty two. This fast fashion system encourages a high turnover of trends and the production of poor quality, throwaway clothes.
“The water used to produce these clothes and the negative impact the clothes have once they end up in landfill is shocking, as due to the synthetic materials used to produce these items, they take thousands of years to break down and release harmful toxins into the atmosphere.”
The three students share outfit inspiration on their GLAS page, which is set to become a blog and e-magazine in the near future. Together, Meg, Victoria and Sadhbh show that being a conscious consumer can be a stylish solution.
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Donegal may not have as many thrift stores as Dublin, but Meg tells us there are lots of ways we can start at home:
Meg said: “Firstly, the joy of online shopping doesn’t have to be sacrificed when shopping sustainably. The app Depop is a brilliant resource for shopping second hand and keeping up with trends. A savvy shopper can buy from other like-minded people in Ireland or worldwide without breaking the bank or the planet.
“Sustainable brands do also exist and can be accessed online, such as Reformation or Ganni. However, it is worthwhile noting that such brands are more on the high-end side and their clothing should be looked at as investment pieces. This makes their prices well worth it, knowing that they’re going to last a lifetime.
“I also highly recommend having a look around your local vintage shops and charity shops, you never know what treasures you may find! One of my favourite ways of changing up my wardrobe is by ‘up-cycling’ clothes, be it by painting old jeans or cutting up old t-shirts, its a great way of revamping your style without adding to landfill.”
GLAS has only just begun, Meg says, and we can follow the Instagram page and glasfashion.ie to keep on top of the rising trend.
