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GOOD WORK

As creative director of Kowtow, Marilou Dadat brings a sense of thoughtfulness and simplicity to her own wardrobe, and that of others. She talks about making a positive impact with our fashion choices.

AS TOLD TO ZOE WALKER AHWA AND TYSON BECKETT

Marilou Dadat is one of those effortlessly elegant people who can transform a simple plain white tee or oversized shirt into something completely charming. It helps that she’s French, and worked as a designer in Paris for 10 years. Now based in Wellington, the creative director for the brand Kowtow grew up in the French countryside, in “a small village in the middle of nowhere” where she was surrounded by farmers, craftsmen, activists and artists.

“I realise now looking back on it, this environment shaped who I am now,” she says. “I’ve always been creative, drawing 24/7 and making things. There was not much to do in the countryside!”

Dadat, who has been with Kowtow since 2018, sees herself as a product designer more than a fashion designer. The brand champions Fairtrade organic cotton throughout its ranges.

The process from sketch to stores takes 18 months and encompasses a Pōneke-based team and multiple long-time manufacturers in India.

“The functionality, the feel and the way a garment is made – as well as its impact – is as important as the way it looks.”

Impact is a word that comes up a lot with the brand, which has had circularity at its core since it launched in 2006, before these sustainability conversations were mainstream. As part of that, Kowtow recently launched its first impact report, a detailed 60-page report that shares their sustainability journey, achievements, aims (including for all Kowtow clothing to be plastic free by the end of this year) and supply chains.

Dadat and her team, including managing director Emma Wallace, marked the release at an open day of their Pōneke studio, welcoming fashion students, customers and friends to take them through the “seed to garment” process.

As for the future of sustainability and where to next, these are conversations that Dadat has constantly – in her own wardrobe and with her work for Kowtow. Prolonging the life cycle of garments is a key focus. Next month the brand is set to launch a repurposed collection, the first in a series of capsules transforming surplus materials into reimagined garments – and development of more environmentally friendly fabrics and materials.

Dadat believes the biggest challenge, among many, facing the fashion industry right now is overconsumption and waste.

“As a designer we want to make clothing that lasts for a very long time. That’s our responsibility, when you put something out into the world, it’s not just use and dispose,” she says.

“The next thing is to really focus on materials: where are they from, and once they are out in the world and transformed into product, what’s their end of life? And how can we regenerate that material into something else?” she says.

“I think it can be overwhelming for people to choose the right thing, and we can all feel guilty about the impact of what we buy. But there is that saying that the most sustainable fashion is the one you already own – we really believe in that. We want to make clothes that last longer, and that means you stop buying new clothing.”

I AM PROBABLY A LIVING CLICHÉ OF THE FRENCH ‘EFFORTLESS’ STYLE

– the jeans and white T-shirt designer uniform! It has to be literally effortless for me. I want dressing up in the morning to be as easy as possible so I can juggle family and intense days at work. I don’t think I use fashion as a way to visually “express” myself, but they are quiet ways of living a responsible lifestyle, buying only what I need and making it last.

I THINK MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHING

has just got more and more minimalist and practical! I organically built a modular wardrobe and phased out synthetic fibre. I became more picky too, buying less and better actually ends up being more economical. We would not have much spare money to spend on clothing when I was growing up. With little money, my mum and I would always prefer op-shops over fast fashion shops. As a teenager, vintage shopping definitely sparked creativity for doing cool things with little and finding unique pieces. I can thank my mum for this!

I DON’T REALLY HAVE ANY SENTIMENTAL THINGS IN MY WARDROBE,

but I do love my music T-shirts that I gather at gigs. They spice up the white T-shirts collection. There is not much sentimentality around the clothes I own, but rather a deep respect for them because I know how much goes into every single piece.

CLOTHES HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE,

practical and fit in with other pieces that I already own, have multiple use and longevity. Natural fibre over synthetic. I am lucky to have mostly all my wardrobe from Kowtow. But if I had to buy new and from another brand, I always have to do some research on the brand and its manufacturing process. Most importantly, it has to be something I need. For the very few occasions that it is something I want more than need, it has to be special

A SPECIAL PIECE I RECENTLY PURCHASED WAS FOR MY BIRTHDAY,

a shirt from [local brand] Lucky Dip. Each shirt is unique and the one I got was made of a secondhand embroidered tablecloth. It is colourful and slightly see-through, so special and beautiful! There is also this white shirt that I designed for my first Kowtow collection. It was a lovely process to develop this shape and detailing, pretty much with scissors and pins on myself. When an idea comes to reality and lands in a wardrobe to be cherished for years to come, it is a lovely feeling.

TĀNGATA / PEOPLE

en-nz

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/283454965746134

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