Centre for Sustainable Fashion

In I995 ‘Edith’s Sister’s’, marked the last of my commercial fashion collections – with 4 own brand stores, 100’s of wholesale clients and 11 years of continuous trade coming to an end. Prophetically, the catwalk show took place in the dark pedestrian tunnel that links the Science and Natural History museums in London’s South Kensington – an unacknowledged whisper of what was to come. Models and production teams worked alongside the buskers, Big Issue and security guys, whilst the attending audience sat on gold and red velvet chairs (a notable juxtaposition of privilege versus a hard life). 10 days later the business was closed, the ‘Receivers’ were in, and I joined the dole queue in Kilburn. An unfamiliar life began - marked by being asked for my autograph in the unemployment queue, on route to being interviewed by the brilliant Sally Brampton. A tumultuous time, I spoke of what it’s like to lose the security of your home, marriage, sense of self, creative family and the business in one go. Around the same time, I was approached by the publishers Faber to chart my creative life to date. Although premature for writing one’s autobiography, (age 34), it was a welcome time of reflection and rehabilitation. Despite the privilege of sitting still to write and reflect, a period of silence and depression landed, only to be punctured by an out of the blue note from my scientist sister; a yellow ‘post it note’ on a Wellcome Trust competition leaflet, with a single ‘?’ - The doors to working with scientists for the first time had arrived, with love. _____ I recently donated a 30-year creative archive to London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. For any enquires relating to access, to the digital and physical collection, please contact the LCF Archives at [email protected] Click here to read more about the archive: https://lnkd.in/dF2D9n7d #HelenStorey #UAL #UniversityOfTheArtsLondon #LCF #LondonCollegeOfFashion Image Credits: 1. Edith’s Sisters – Collection sketch for the ‘Planet velvet’ section, 1995.  2. Edith’s Sisters – Orla in the ‘Tunnel’ catwalk show, 1995.  3. Edith’s Sisters – ‘God of War’ Coat – Marie Claire, 1995.  4. Edith’s Sisters – Collection sketch for the ‘bum dresses’ section, 1995.  5. Edith’s Sisters – ‘Fighting Fashion’ book spread – the Tunnel show and Bruce Webber Vogue shoot, 1996.  6. Fighting Fashion Book cover, by Helen Storey, 1996.  7. Helen and her sister, the developmental biologist Kate Storey – material experiments at the Institute of Making, UCL.  8. The Anaphase Dress – Cell division between 1.5 – 4 days of development - Primitive Streak 1996 – Image by Justine.  9. The Spine column Dress – 30 – 40 days of development - Primitive streak 1996 – Image by Justine.  10. The Neurulation Dress – 22 – 25 days of development – Primitive Streak 1996 – Institut de Cultura, Barcelona (Catalogue).

'2nd Life' | Part 2 The evolution of ‘2nd life’ and reinvention began from an early age. It may have not been as ‘conscious’ as this sounds, as the feeling that asked to be followed came from my childhood days. A passion for fashion began in losing myself in the dress-up box from the age of 3. For me there was always something about ‘the find’ born in a quiet hum of revelry as a young girl, when hunting ‘for gold’ in jumble sales; the wait, for the doors to open, the charge and barge towards trestle tables strewn with possibility. Clothes that had already had a life, hinted at that life, clothed that life. The further back we could go to reconnect through those threads, from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, the more magic we could touch. Rampant technology and the web were still a whisper away and in the 80s/90s, I missed experiencing discovery, magic, dust and innocence. I was always visiting the button makers, from the back streets of London's Soho, to the East end and especially, Lalande et Collin in Paris, as if in some kind of ‘sweetie shop’ - buttons galore. It was thrilling to discover buttons that held or suggested material history and craft. A sample card still sits as if a ‘painting’ in my home. In a technological world, this button card speaks of treasure found, the touch of the human hand across time. In the early 1990s, we came across copious Amish blankets, amongst a clothes mountain imported from the USA (fashion by the ton). Rejected by fashion buyers, we keenly harvested these ‘textilian histories’ yet were torn as to whether to keep them as we found them or create ‘new’ pieces, giving them a wearable life. In the end we created a ‘one off’ capsule collection for the 1993 ‘Wild at Heart’ show and decided they shouldn’t be for sale. Instead, quietly, through the existence of the pieces themselves, they signalled for us the value of history and the precious in our ‘buy all you can buy’ culture. My son Luke and I were asked by ELLE Magazine, in 1993, to share our hunting grounds for second-hand clothes. I remember the shoot landed on a day of dreadful personal news. Yet on ‘auto pilot’ we turned up, me in my ‘2nd Life’ gear and Luke in his favourite jeans – the contrast between Luke’s energy and mine was notable – fashion and life collide. Image descriptions and credits: 1. Helen Storey feature in ELLE Magazine, 1993 2. ‘Dressing up from the beginning’ - A favourite black cotton lace dress (with bright green lining) and a hat from the 1940’s. 3. Jumbling Sale-ing, aged 12, with my mum wearing her much-loved purple hat. 4. Helen Storey sample button card from Lalande et Collin in Paris. 5. Helen Storey Amish Textiles Piece, 1993 I recently donated a 30-year creative archive to University of the Arts London. For any enquires relating to access, to the digital and physical collection, please contact the LCF Archives at [email protected] #UAL #UniOfTheArtsLondon #LCF #LondonCollegeOfFashion #HelenStorey

'2nd Life' | Part 1    By the early 1990’s a reputation for experiment and innovation had been established and awarded – buyers never really knew what was coming next at Helen Storey, except that it would likely be completely different to the season before – a handprint for change was emerging.      In this time the ‘2nd Life’ collection materialised. Despite being interpreted by the press and media as ‘anti-designer’, its design philosophy of using ‘nothing new’, breathing new life and reinvention into what already existed, was adored by the fashion public and celebrities alike.      Guided by a feeling that felt both far off and embodied, a restlessness had surfaced, that in a time of constant consumption of the new (1980’s and early 90’s), there was abundant wasting all around. In retrospect, we were unwittingly burning our future, not just our materials, and energy, but our creativity and history too.    The photographer Platon captured key pieces from this time - from the ‘Industrial Zip Rose Collection’ to the ‘Rag Bowers’ made from every scrap of leftover collection fabric. At the end of each new season we were practising what would later become known as ‘zero waste’.     There were and are myriad ways to use what already exists in fashion – the yellow ‘floor waistcoat’, featured in Vogue, was made from recycled fabrics intended for agriculture and green house use (light reflecting/enhancing textiles). The stripe fabric made use of rejected trails of future fabrics, both from ICI’s Futures Lab in the early 1990’s.    Along with using scraps, we turned to trimmings too. The patchwork skirt, featured in Elle, used left-over size and care labels our industry uses by the kilometre. This shot reminds me of when magazines used ‘made to order’ to mean the designer loved it, but the buyers didn’t. Yet often these pieces were selected and loved by the stylist – back then fashion stylists had the same, perhaps more power than the designers.  A close and creative relationship of its own.    This way of working attracted interest from the media, including, with irony, campaign stunts for Gap and other high-street brands; the fashion industry is still, a glorious dragon that eats its own tail. Image Descriptions and Credits:    1. Industrial Rose, 1990. Image by Platon.   2. Domestic textiles re-imagined. 1992. Image by Platon.  3. Gap IOS Ad featuring Helen Storey, 1990.   4. Helen Storey feature in Vogue, circa early 1990s   5. Helen Storey feature in ELLE Magazine, circa early 1990s.    I recently donated a 30-year creative archive to University of the Arts London. For any enquires relating to access, to both digital and physical elements of the collection, please contact the LCF Archives at [email protected] #UAL #UniOfTheArtsLondon #LCF #LondonCollegeOfFashion #HelenStorey 

📢 We're thrilled to announce that UAL has been featured in Euronews highlighting the groundbreaking work of Professor Helen Storey, whose extraordinary fashion archive now resides at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London Professor Storey, a visionary designer and social artist, has spent over 30 years redefining the role of fashion in society. Her creations—ranging from pollution-neutralising clothing to dresses that dissolve in water—challenge conventional ideas and spark essential conversations about sustainability, consumerism, and the future of our planet. 🌏 At UAL, we're proud to house her archive of over 2,000 items, offering future generations the chance to explore how fashion can transcend aesthetics and become a powerful tool for change. Professor Storey’s work is a testament to the innovative and socially conscious spirit that defines our community, inspiring students to push boundaries and imagine new possibilities in the creative industries. Explore the full story here 🔗 https://bit.ly/3YDKb71