Australian fashion label Madre Natura has vowed not to launch this year’s collection until every piece from last season is sold.
The brand doubled-down on this stance by showcasing ‘The Last Season Collection’ at Australian Fashion Week last week, on a runway presented by cleantech startup Greener.
Madre Natura founder and creative director Jackie Galleghan confirmed with Ragtrader that 50 per cent of last season’s collection remains.
“The message was never about making sales, we wanted to make a bold move to spark change in our industry,” Galleghan said. “For us, it was about spreading this message to all brands at AFW and beyond, in order to encourage them to build a more positive future for fashion and the industry."
Following the AFW show, Galleghan witnessed a 1,737% increase in traffic to its website. She has also met with new wholesalers that she and her team will explore ahead.
“When we decided to make our debut at Australian Fashion Week, we knew that we wanted to use this opportunity to not just talk about sustainability in fashion, but to literally show Madre Natura’s commitment to slow fashion and the future of our planet.
“‘The Last Seasons Collection’ concept was in direct response to Australians throwing over 500 kilograms of clothing into landfills every year, and as an ethical fashion brand, not wanting to contribute further to this issue. ‘The Last Seasons Collection’ was our way of opening up a conversation around waste in the industry, and encouraging the industry to do their part no matter how big - or small - to contribute to a more optimistic future for all.”
Galleghan added she and her team are finalising its new designs for the upcoming collection, and will release it at the right time.
She also said that partnering with Greener for AFW this year and ahead was a strategic move for the brand.
“At Madre Natura, sustainability is embedded into our DNA and we want to help others in the industry do the same,” founder Jackie Galleghan said. “That’s why we’re partnering with Greener, whose platform is all about making it easy for businesses to take action.
“We didn’t want to just talk about sustainability, we want to prove we are doing something about it; and demonstrate that it’s possible to take meaningful action to reduce waste and emissions without choosing between planet and profits.”
For last week’s runway, Madre Natura also signed on TikTok influencer and rising model Unice Wani, alongside other models in partnership with Chadwick Models.
Galleghan was also invited to showcase two signature garments for the 25 Year Anniversary Fashion Design Studio (FDS) Runway on Tuesday night last week, having been a 2011 graduate alongside Emma Mulholland and Anna Quan.