Threads of the earth

It’s easy to throw around terms such as ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco fashion’, but do you know where your t-shirt is from and who made it?

Amy Roberts is dedicated to creating environmentally friendly fashion with her label Vege Threads, by producing garments that are ethically made, low-impact and sustainable– designed to be worn year-round and stand the test of time. Vege Threads uses 100 percent certified organic cotton jersey and a sheer luxe tencel. All cotton used is certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and all tencel is sustainably harvested and processed by Lenzing (a leader in marketing and manufacturing man-made cellulose fibres). It is grown in controlled settings using only natural fertilisers, with no pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals in sight. Lenzing tencel – a plant-based lyocell fibre that hails only from sustainable forests is extremely absorbent, irritation free, naturally prevents the growth of bacteria and is 100 percent biodegradable. All pieces are made in Indonesia under fair and monitored working conditions. Roberts designs her garments to be worn by all ages, body shapes and across seasons. “I design a lot of styles for Vege Threads continuously, such as, when a shape responds well with customers or from feedback about particular cuts they like. As I work with natural dyes, the process is based a lot around fabrics and the colours we can develop. This range focuses on 100 percent organic cotton basics, a luxe tencel, an organic lycra for the active yoga wear and the new unisex capsule collection of knits.” Her inspiration for the new season follows similar minimalist themes and easy-to-wear styles seen in the summer collection but further develops the Vege Threads aesthetic with nautical stripes. This season introduces new colours of natural blues, earthy greens, off-white and a natural dark black – a mix of indigo and Ketapang leaf, a tropical almond leaf carrying a warm brown undertone. Roberts explains, “Although I have separated the collections across two seasons, I try to design pieces that move against the grain of fast fashion ‘trends’ and can be worn all year round. The vibe for the collection definitely has a coastal feel, with the capsule range of nautical stripes and fisherman knits.” For the new collection, Roberts teamed up with Kara Town (AHD Paper Co), photographer Jenna Agius and local models Sabrina Sterk and Scott Giles. Roberts says having the right team is very important for the Vege Threads brand. “It was really great to have Kara helping me for the autumn/winter location shoot. After working together on The Town Local pop up, I knew Kara had an amazing eye for detail and style, and also as a close friend, she has seen the brand develop and knew my ideas of what I wanted from the shoot. It’s been really fulfilling to be able to collaborate with like-minded people in Adelaide who see the potential in building something great even from a small city. Sabrina is a very soulful, holistic girl, who has her own organic health blog (The Living Table) and lives her life with the same values as Vege Threads. Scotty (our male model) has his own organic coffee brand (Mischief Brew), so both individuals are really grounded, lovely people who see the value in what I’m doing and that’s a really important thing in my brand.” Working with online store Walter G on handdyed tote bags is just the beginning for Vege Threads, as Roberts looks forward to more collaborations in the future. “I am currently looking at a small collaboration with a kidswear lifestyle brand. We are throwing around some ideas, but nothing concrete just yet!” vegethreads.com