Fashion Journey: From Fabric to Future
Every week in class, we’ve been exploring our own fashion entrepreneurship journeys using guided writing prompts. The prompts have helped us to articulate our motivation, values, and brand direction. We have considered fashion inspirations, missions, and what ethical production means for our potential brands. Each little writing exercise leads us toward a richer understanding of starting a fashion business for purpose. It provides an opportunity to connect our theoretical learning with reality and build a meaningful story from the ground up.
Background music fades in.
Hey everyone, it’s Thanusha here, and welcome to my reflection podcast. Honestly, this course turned out to be far more layered than I expected. From history to activism, from labour rights to circular fashion I’ve been on a whirlwind tour of the fashion world.
We began with sustainability, and let me just say, my brain flipped! I used to think deadstock meant useless leftovers. Now I think, "Can I upcycle this?" Learning that only 1% of textiles are recycled (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2023) was shocking. As someone from a non-fashion background, this module nudged me to rethink my own consumption.
Then came uniforms. Boring? Nope. I discovered that uniforms have been tools for rebellion in subcultures like punk and hip-hop. Fashion speaks louder than we think.
The T-shirt module blew my mind. From the US Navy in 1913 to Vivienne Westwood's punk revolution, and how it’s now a billboard for activism and branding the humble tee is no longer humble.
Denim was another eye-opener. Levi’s archival pieces from the 1800s?! Japan now owns many of the original looms for premium selvedge denim no wonder Japanese denim is a cult!
Then we zoomed out globally: cotton farming in India, Brazil, Australia and how tech and government policies shape fashion supply chains.
The stories from garment workers in Bangladesh and Colombia left a deep impact. These aren’t just systems, they’re lives. It made the fast fashion model feel very real, very flawed.
Fashion history took us to the court of Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette as a fashion victim, and Charles Worth, the OG couturier. Fashion = power.
And finally, menswear and identity from Beau Brummell to Oscar Wilde. I didn’t expect fashion to show up in gender and queer history, but here we are.
This course? So much more than ‘essentials.’ It’s a toolbox for anyone who wants to think fashion, not just wear it.
Background music fades out.
(Wilson, 2025)
Figure 1 & 2 sourced from Pinterest, 2025
Figure 1 & 2 sourced from Pinterest, 2025
If I had to name one person who's completely redefined how I view Indian fashion, it’s Jully Patel, better known as Just.Jully. Her aesthetic is the holy grail of effortless elegance classic, refined, yet totally grounded.
Her styling is like a masterclass in pattern, layering, and intentional dressing. Indian wear doesn’t always have to scream colour. She proves that muted tones, blacks, navies, and neutrals can speak just as loudly and more gracefully.What I adore about her is the thoughtfulness behind every look. Whether it’s how a sari is tied, how shoulder pads are styled, or how she blends gold and silver everything is curated without feeling forced.
Her "Get Ready With Me" videos are like mini tutorials. She makes you feel like a friend, not a follower. Her dry humour (especially when she roasts her mother-in-law) makes her content relatable and aspirational. Jully teaches us that true style isn’t loud. It’s confident. Her modern-minimalist take on Indian fashion is the blueprint I want for my brand: slow, rooted, expressive.
(Instagram, 2025)
My goals? Financial freedom, social impact, and environmental ethics. Inspired by my dad’s charitable work, I want my brand to mean more.
Fashion hooked me in my teens. What started with trend-spotting became a deeper understanding of personal style and mindful consumption. India’s fashion scene lacks strong regenerative practices. I want to help fill that gap by building a sustainable, modest, and quiet brand.
Not from a fashion background? That’s okay. That’s why I chose fashion entrepreneurship. I want to learn the system before I challenge it. My brand won’t just sell clothes. It will tell stories, uphold ethics, and lead with intention.
My favourite tee? A black cropped T-shirt. It's my go-to because of its versatility. But now I also think about its journey.Made from organic cotton, it represents a shift in my mindset. I now value the backstory of garmentsfrom farms in India to factories in China, it travels far before reaching my hands.
Brands like H&M say they use organic and recycled fibres to reduce their footprint (H&M Group, 2024). Their recycling programs promise to extend circularity (Vogue, 2023). They even aim to replace all fabrics with sustainable ones by 2030 (Fashion Journal, 2024). But I still wonder how do we verify that? What’s the real impact?
Task 1: Blog Post
References
Thanusha T (2025) Photograph of T-shirt [photograph], personal collection, accessed 4 June 2025.
Fiona w (2025) Fabric to Fashion Essentials , lecture notes distributed in GRAP2792: Fabric to Fashion Essentials, RMIT University, delivered on 15 April 2025.
Patel J (2025) [Description of the post] [Instagram post], Instagram website, accessed 4 June 2025. https://www.instagram.com/just.jully/
Fashion Journal 2024, H&M’s sustainable future, Fashion Journal https://fashionjournal.com.au/fashion/hm-sustainable-future/
Grazia 2024, H&M Conscious Collection: A step towards sustainability?, Grazia Magazine https://graziamagazine.com/articles/hm-conscious-collection/
H&M Group 2024, Sustainability efforts and circular fashion goals, H&M Group https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/sustainability-at-hm.html.
Vogue 2023, H&M Conscious Collection: Recycling waste into fashion https://www.vogue.com/article/hm-conscious-collection-recycled-waste-circularity
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