Get to Know Joslin, A Designer Brand with Sustainability at Its Heart

The fashion industry is experiencing a much-needed renaissance being forced to slow down and re-evaluate how we really need and want to be consuming fashion. One champion of this movement is Joslin, an emerging Australian brand from Melbourne that’s values are rooted in sustainability. From design to distribution, its thoughtful practices are working toward an enlightened and ecologically friendly future for the fashion industry.

Joslin uses only textiles made from naturally derived fibres in all of its collections bringing the raw materials to life through designs that exude romance. Each look is a thoughtful blend of modern sophistication and elegance with signature ruffles, button detailing and smock silhouettes all present.

Joslin’s latest campaign was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic and was a celebration of what we have come to gain from these uncertain times. The socially distanced shoot was produced in Berry, New South Wales, bringing inspiration from the concept of escapism meeting isolation. Talented creators reconnected with each other and the beautiful land on which they were able to produce the imagery.

Upon its release, we spoke with Joslin Director and Designer, Elinor Joslin, to learn more about her ethereal designs and passionate pursuit of a sustainable fashion industry.

Elinor, why is sustainability in fashion so important to you?

Elinor: Every human on the planet wears clothes, and with this, every human to some degree is attributing to the consumption and destruction of our earth’s resources through the clothes we wear, wash and dispose of.

I am so passionate about the Australian Fashion Industry and I am so honoured to be a part of it, but for such a small population in such a vast country, we consume so much fashion. We all need to work towards protecting our environment and our children’s future by making conscious purchasing and dressing decisions to lighten our ecological footprint.

The over-production of clothing has destroyed so much of our natural resources, and both designers and consumers need to focus on the health of the fashion industry for the health of our beautiful planet.

ACC: Where do you draw your inspiration from for each collection?

E: My designs are influenced by everything and anything, from the silhouette of a flower, a vintage nightgown, an incredible editorial or even an Instagram post!

I do have a fascination with Victorian and Edwardian fashion, I adore these eras garment detailing’s of bows, covered buttons, cluny laces and ruffles – I just can’t get enough of these details and exploring new ways to design with them.

ACC: Can you describe a little bit of your process going from inspiration to textile choice? Do you begin with fabrics or do you seek natural textiles to fit your vision?

E: Everything I design starts with the fabrics and yarns I choose to work with, which are all limited to raw, natural fibres and in some cases, recycled synthetic fibres. I have become obsessed with researching the origins of my textiles and discovering new sustainable practices and technologies in clothing manufacturing. Every fabric I use has an ‘end of life’ solution, being that natural fabrics are in most cases biodegradable, I just stay away from genetically modified cotton wherever I can.

Currently I am designing a new denim capsule (made in Italy) from GOTS certified organic cotton denim that uses COREVA™ technology. Instead of traditional synthetic elastane (which is a synthetic fibre) COREVA™ technology uses a plant-based rubber to create stretch within the woven denim textile, making the stretch-denim completely biodegradable at the end of the garment’s life. I am going to explore non-traditional denim styling for this capsule.

ACC: What do you hope to see for the fashion industry moving forward toward a more sustainable future?

E: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the fashion industry’s consumption, planned obsolescence, exploitation and unsustainable practices into the light and I am confident that a post COVID-19 world is going to deliver so much change and a far more sustainable fashion industry over the next year and forth-coming decade.

I hope to see the elimination of genetically modified cotton being grown and to only see responsible forests of trees cut down to produce viscose and rayon fibres. More than anything, and this is the philosophy behind Joslin, I truly hope that the production of ‘virgin’ produced synthetic textiles produced from petroleum is stopped and replaced with a recycled synthetic textiles system that would be forever circular. Polyesters, nylons, elastane’s and acrylics are no different to plastic.

I hope to see the elimination of genetically modified cotton being grown and to only see responsible forests of trees cut down to produce viscose and rayon fibres. More than anything, and this is the philosophy behind Joslin, I truly hope that the production of ‘virgin’ produced synthetic textiles produced from petroleum is stopped and replaced with a recycled synthetic textiles system that would be forever circular. Polyesters, nylons, elastane’s and acrylics are no different to plastic.

Above everything, I hope to see garment and textile workers worldwide, which are mostly female, be paid above a ‘living wage’, not just a country’s set ‘minimum’ wage. The trickle-down effect of this happening would be a game-changer for everything else myself and so many other conscious/sustainable designers and brands hope to see happen in our industry.