United In Diversity

Souvenir invited Katharine Hamnett to talk about Brexit, being European, and the future of the EU in our Q&A.

A true pioneer; Katharine has been campaigning constantly across her career to raise standards within the fashion industry. She was the winner of the first British Fashion Awards in 1984, she was the first to use organic cotton despite many suppliers turning her down for the lack of demand, and for her collections she never succumbed to the pressure of trends, always seeing the bigger picture & focusing on how fashion can be utilised to make change.

Our garments are produced in Portugal by one single reliable partner, which itself has high social, ethical and ecological standards. Besides producing up to 43% of its needed energy with solar panels, the producer provides several major certifications in the fields of ethical and sustainable manufacturing such as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) and SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange).

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Katharine Hamnett with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 1984

“58% DON’T WANT PERSHING,” a reaction to the Falklands war - the famous stand against Margaret Thatcher, an image that got international media coverage, holds as an example of how powerful clothing can be when used as a medium for a message.

Katharine interweaves political opinions into her practice as a designer, leading by example to utilise her platform to spread a message & put pressure on those in power.

CHOOSE LIFE, George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley

USE A CONDOM, Naomi Campbell, Spring/Summer 2004

STAY ALIVE IN 85, Yasmin Le Bon at the Fashion Aid show, 1985

In conversation with Katharine Hamnett

What does Europe mean to you - and do you feel you’re a European? Why (not)?

Katharine Hamnett: Geographically speaking Europe is a continent of which the UK is a part regardless of whether it us part of the European Union. As a child I spent half of my childhood living in Europe, in France, in Rumania, in Sweden - as a family we travelled all over. I speak several European languages and went to several schools there, as well as attending boarding schools in the UK. I’ve also spent a huge part of my professional career working in France, Italy and Spain. I traveled all over the world and one this I discovered meeting many people is that we have much more in common than things that divide us. I am a hybrid - I feel that I’m a European first, British second. I care about Britain hugely, but I feel more at home in Europe.

How do you see Europe evolve in the future and what should be its most important goals?

KH: The European Union with its Free Trade and Freedom of Movement within it is a wonderful thing -hugely enriching culturally, economically educationally and environmentally- and of benefit to everyone, so we should stick together. It’s a force for good- for prosperity, democracy, education, culture, peace and civilization. Any problems it may have are best resolved from within.

What are your feelings about Brexit and what were the biggest changes, personally and professionally?

KH: I see Brexit as an unmitigated tragic disaster for the UK- culturally. educationally, economically, environmentally and regarding social justice and human rights. What’s wrong with having a free trade agreement with the richest, largest (pop.550 million) trading block in the world less than 50 kilometre away- compared to having one instead with the US (pop.350 million- and only if they get Northern Ireland sorted) over 8000 kilometre away, or New Zealand and Australia (pop. 28 million) almost 20.000 kilometre away? It makes no sense at all.

Is your work influenced by politics and if so, how?

KH: Everything is politics. As a fashion designer and manufacturer national and international trade rules and agreements govern the cost and type of raw materials and the processes we can use, how the people who make them are treated and the cost including sales taxes and logistics of making, selling and distributing clothes globally. Laws regarding freedom of speech and freedom of expression govern what you can and can’t say or wear on a T-shirt -even what parts of your body you can expose or not. The enormous media coverage that fashion gets worldwide is a platform to disseminate political messages and to effect political change that maybe could not be said or heard otherwise.

What can we all do ourselves to create more unity?

KH: Democracy is government by the people for the people and we’ve got to keep it that way. 99% of us want the same things -but many politicians are often just a vested interest group- in politics to get re- elected and working for the opposite. So- we need to take back control. We’ve been rotted by the comfort of a long period of peace. We have become apathetic, complacent and lazy. We don’t realise that it can all be taken away. Voter turnout for Brexit was pathetic. A tiny proportion of the population voted for it -and look what happened. We have to get more politically involved. We need to remember that hundreds of millions of people died in two World Wars, and other wars and protestors and journalists are still dying on a daily basis so that we can have and keep the vote. Use it or lose it! Voter suppression is everywhere, because politicians know that our vote is our most powerful tool to get the world we want. They are terrified that we -‘The Sleeping Giant’ as we are referred to- wake up, get politically involved, watch how they behave, turn out to vote in force and take back control. Vote for the good guys. Young people, even under voting age, also need to realise they can use the power of their vote before they have even got it -because they will be voting soon- so writing to their politicians and elected officials telling them about the world they want and warning them that they will be watching them … and if they don’t see them fighting for these causes when they get their vote, they will vote for someone else who will.

KH: I’ll think about it. Yes probably lots- but bye for now...

Is there anything you’d like to add?

KH: I’ll think about it. Yes probably lots- but bye for now...

Creative Direction - Souvenir Official
Photography - Jacqueline Landvik
Models - Katharine Hamnett & Inti Wang
Q&A - Ninette Murk
Words - Jad Salfiti

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Souvenir Official
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