Leading the sustainable fashion charge and projecting Ghana’s pioneering role in tackling the dumping of second hand goods on her shores, creative Ghanaian design house, Larry Jay, whose collections feature unisex garments of hand tied and dyed, handwoven, and upcycled fabrics, is fast becoming the toast of the fashion world.
Led by Creative Director, Mohammed Jafaru Larry, the brand has within seven years made such strong showings on the world stage with designs based on a principle of little to no waste which is part of the sustained effort of their brand ethos of utilizing recycled materials and traditional methods in fabric and garment production.
Currently in the US for a series of engagements, Ghana’s international fashion designer, Larry Jay, shares his message of sustainability to America, showcasing his sustainable fashion lines created with fabric that may have once been in donation piles.
Featured on Garden State New Jersey TV News 12 a week ago, Larry Jay, shared the illuminating story of how he came about using his talent to help clean up the environment, using clothes and fabrics deemed unusable abroad which likely ends up as trash and shipped to developing countries, often ending up in landfills and water bodies .
“Growing up in a very slummy area we used to see all of these clothes in our landfills and also water bodies,” says Larry Jay.
In the fashion industry since 2012, starting first with accessories, shifting to clothing in 2017, becoming quite the powerhouse of timeless style and classic cuts, the Ghanaian fashion brand made the decision to focus on upcycling used clothes, processing them into signature tie and dye materials. Much more than clothing, the Larry Jay fashion line repurposes garments that would otherwise end up in landfills and waterways.
“Starting the brand was not just to make clothing, but to make a change by repurposing this waste we have in our immediate environment into something of value,” he says
GreenAmerica.org reports on average, 700,000 tons of used clothing get exported overseas. Countries like Ghana import 6,000 tons of secondhand clothing every month from big brands and manufacturers from the United States and Europe. Larry Jay says not much of it is useable.
“Most of the things brought down are like maybe 40% OK, and 60% is all trash,” he says.
In this full circle moment which now sees other fashion houses employing, designer Larry Jay is taking his brand’s message of sustainable processes to cities across the US and Europe, where he’s showcasing his designs in pop up, as well as established fashion events, the most recent being at the Beauty Bar by Camila Mello in Livingston, New Jersey.
“We just want people to be very conscious of their consumption. Instead of just donating, you need to be sure where your clothing is going, and that makes you sustainable as an individual,” says Larry.
Source: Ameyawdebrah.com
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