5 sustainable style rules to shop by
Mother of Pearl’s Amy Powney on buying well, ignoring trends and giving rental a go
When it comes to sustainable fashion, Amy Powney is the leader of the pack. She has spent her career pioneering meaningful change in the industry, converting Mother of Pearl into a brand that’s able to call itself ethical and sustainable.
Starting in the cutting room in 2006, Amy worked her way up to creative director, along the way winning the coveted BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund award. She used the prize money to bankroll the 2018 No Frills collection, focusing on natural fibres, a transparent supply chain and social responsibility, which has since become the core ethos of the brand.
This journey is the subject of an award-winning documentary, Fashion Reimagined, on Now TV, and the reason why we asked her for these five tips to shop more sustainably.
1. Stick to the basics
‘First work out who you are, what your lifestyle is and how you can create a core wardrobe to suit yourself. For example, I’m a really simple, casual dresser and I’m a working mum, so I’m always running from place to place. I like things I can throw on and dress up or down.
‘Once you work out what you need from your wardrobe you can create a solid collection of basics that you can elevate throughout the year. For example, your favourite summer dress can be paired with sandals and bare legs in the summer and a thick jumper, tights and boots in the winter.
“Do I love this? Will I wear this over and over? Will this become part of my staple wardrobe? If the answer is no, don’t buy it”
‘In my opinion women look their coolest and sexiest when they don’t look uncomfortable. Wear what you know makes you feel good, flattered and comfortable.'
2. Buy better
‘Vivienne Westwood said it best when she said, “Buy less, choose well, make it last,” and this is the general rule to try to stick by. When we say “buy better”, I’m very conscious that everyone has a different budget, so I think it’s just whatever you do buy, you need to think, “Do I love this? Will I wear this over and over? Will this become part of my staple wardrobe?” If the answer is no then don’t buy it.
‘It’s not about giving up shopping, it’s just about being really considered about your purchases. I’m a huge fan of a statement coat because you can invest and know it’ll last years.’
3. Steer clear of trends
‘[After the pandemic] we started looking inward. We stopped to consider who Mother of Pearl is, what we want to say, what our narrative is and why we’re doing what we’re doing.
‘Once we stopped worrying about what everyone else was doing and focused completely on ourselves, it made the brand so much stronger. We stopped doing fashion shows and panicking about trends – and as a result I’ve never been happier and the brand has never been more cohesive.’
“There’s a really important place for rental if you love fashion and experimenting with completely different styles”
4. If in doubt, rent
‘I’m not naive to the fact that some people have a need for a lot of clothes; maybe you have work events to go to, or weddings, or just love getting dressed up when you go out. This is when I think rental platforms make sense. I’ve never understood renting an “everyday wardrobe”, but I can definitely understand the value of renting pieces if you love fashion and experimenting with completely different styles. That’s where there is a really important place for rental.’
5. Pay attention to materials
‘When we talk about buying better, people tend to think it’s about buying better brands, but buying better materials is absolutely the best way of buying better. Knowledge is power and learning about materials is a great way to be savvy when it comes to sustainable shopping. I’m an ambassador for Tencel (a fibre made sustainably from natural materials) and the more I’ve researched different fibres, the more respect I have for an item of clothing.
‘Now, when I think about any garment, I understand the entire supply chain. I don’t look at cotton and think it’s cheap, I look at it and know how much hard work has gone into it.’
