The Backstory: Bringing “Our Practices” to Life
Discovering A-ESQUE practices
‘Our Practices’ is an insight into our ethos and brand practices presented through a lens of sustainability. This detailed manifesto signifies a positive milestone in our brand journey toward greater transparency.
I had the pleasure of undertaking this opportunity to think critically about our design, production and client service practices, and map where we began, where we are now and where we endeavour to be in future, in relation to social and environmental sustainability.
It started as a conversation between our Founder and Creative Director Amanda Briskin-Rettig and I, in which we honestly acknowledged the significance of A-ESQUE practices with respect to sustainability, and the importance of greater transparency in this area. This is not to say that as a brand we were not open about how we engage with our values in practice, we simply did so in a more spontaneous way. It often occurred through conversations with our clients or posts shared on social media. Further dialogue unfolded amongst our team to initiate what soon became ‘Our Practices’.
The crafting of this manifesto involved intentionally delving into the sustainable and ethical fashion space and presenting our practices in such a way that distinguished the commonalities I unearthed. In doing so, it also brought awareness to where I situate A-ESQUE’s actions in the spectrum of movements and approaches undertaken in this space; each with a purpose of shaping a more environmentally and socially responsible fashion industry as a whole.
My methodology began with collating a list; tracing daily actions we undertake as a team and values we uphold. Having been immersed in the Atelier space for some time now, this process unfolded naturally for me. Clear segments arose from this collection of data, allowing me to categorise them with ease across our Brand Journey, Ethos and three fundamental pillars of A-ESQUE: Considered Design, Lean and Local Production and Conscious Services.
Common threads also began to emerge between our practices and elements from my comprehensive research in the field of sustainable and ethical fashion. What surfaced was a clearer alignment with characteristics of slow fashion. The correlations ranged from localism and longevity in product lifespan, to engaging the consumer and operating resourcefully in relation to material use.
While we continue to learn as a team and expand our capacity to embrace sustainable and ethical thinking and behaviour in our brand, we commit to sharing this growth with our community. I invite you to discover A-ESQUE practices along the way, starting here.
Written by Hayley Thompson
