Questioning Fashion

IS there a ghost in our studio (Jo’s attic)? No matter, because we’re all about human spirit anyway - those big gestures by small businesses, small gestures by big names (that become big by association), distant communities bringing upcycling to a global audience. We needed to chat about nice things, and there are plenty of those within the circular and slow fashion movements. If you want a good r...

Yes we know, there’s been another accidental hiatus, but we just planned, recorded, edited and published a whole episode in one afternoon, so things are looking up. In this episode, we catch up on Ali’s recent embroidery work, including her response to a 19th-century wedding fan for an upcoming exhibition in Dunedin. We talk about fashion as art and fashion you just want to make for the joy of it....

Yes we know…. but the point is, we’re here now!! Just Jo, Ali and her permanently perplexed dog Teddy, all snuggled up with some Chamomile tea and a bundle of cables. Here are just some of the topics we cover (slash things we plug): Useful Box Sewing School Flip Fashion Forever | Instagram @slogue_fashion Generation Women Australia Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) Email any questions or comments (...

We’re not the only ones questioning fashion at this time of year. Despite the AFC’s best efforts to re-exclusify a ‘reclaimed’ Fashion Week, Carriageworks was still pulsing with big egos in big looks vying for airtime via vox pops. (Look up “Who’s the Final Boss of Micro Trends?” if you care.) No matter, because inside was where the real news happened. Here’s a question: what happens when you mix...

Could it be? Yes it could. Something’s coming. Something good. Jo has this West Side Story number in her head right now and fellow musical nerd Ali wants to know why. If you're a designer, educator, alterations expert, repairer, stylist or creative entrepreneur working in the slow fashion space, and you live in/near Sydney, Newcastle or Melbourne, read below and book yourself into one of the meeti...

From wrinkly leather to a 'lost online' slow fashion maker who finds comfort in our little pod, we catch up over a virtual mailbag of lovely comms that some of our surprisingly loyal listeners have penned. We loved recording this one so tell us some stories and we’ll do more!!! Wish we had a Locked Bag address but sadly it’s just the same boring old email… For your convenience, below are links to...

Regular listeners would know that we at QF are avid op shoppers. We like nothing more than to rifle through $1 baskets of stale smelling Lycra at our local Noffs in the hope of finding an original Donna Karan bodysuit. But that’s because we have the choice . We have the leisure time, the energy and even the funds to cover those pesky op shop inflations .. For those one in eight adult Australians w...

Thanks to the gorgeous Theresa Winters of some place in Illinois, but no thanks to the misbehaving sound equipment at the venue, we had the best time recording this episode live in front of an audience in Sydney last week. In the lead up to a clothes swap organised at the same venue (the Green Living Centre ) the following week, Ali and Jo discuss the potential issues of what should be a sustainab...

How the hell are you all? We’re so sorry for the radio silence. I hope you know we never stopped thinking about you. The fact is, we haven’t had an awful lot of head space since October, when Ali decided to shut up shop. Why did she do it? It was literally the best vintage dress hire shop in the southern hemisphere and had so many fans and regular customers. As any small business owner with a shop...

So it turned out Ali and Jo were visiting Europe at the same time! And since even family holidays bring up questions of fashion for these girls, they figured they’d stay in touch via voice notes (quirkily posing here as answer machine messages for your audio pleasure). What happened next? Christian Lacroix, for one. 80s silver ruffles at Portabello Rd, for another. The Case of the Missing Pile of...

Circular designer Marta Marcos imagined this and then went on to realise it too. Through her slow, Sydney made label you too can be part of this old school library-like process, one that celebrates storytelling and community through fashion. In fact, it’s even better because her fashion label Mine Yours Theirs actually buys the no-longer-hypothetical T-shirt/jacket BACK from you for recirculation....

In the least dry dictionary corner you can imagine, Ali and Jo unravel the most confusing words used in sustainable fashion marketing. They reveal the words most likely to pull wool over our eyes (wool from an unethical farm no doubt) - and greenwashing tricks to avoid. Ali discusses the convoluted word use around pre- and made-to-order, and Jo explains why your clothes are generally not, as promi...

In most cities that host a fashion week - and there are more than just the big four - there exists two layers of fashion lovers: the rich ones who buy straight off the runway and the not-so-rich, who invariably beg, borrow and thrift their way to street-style coverage, and spend all their savings on one show ticket. We belong to the second group, except we’re also considered industry/media, meanin...

Just short of the iconic Coca-Cola sign in Sydney’s Kings Cross is a miracle of a shop that sells vintage clothes AND books. What? You haven’t been to Grand Days? Well, come on in and enter the best idea Jo ever had. For the first recording of Questioning Fashion in front of a live audience, Ali and Jo asked world renowned Clare Press to be their guest. You’re welcome. We hope the warmth and posit...

France’s exciting new anti-fast fashion bill reminds Ali of the country’s long history of protecting its fashion industry. Just up for air from her usual deep dive, she shares some fascinating facts from Versailles and the lace-loving Louis kings to now. Jo, meanwhile, looks at Australia’s softly-softly approach at tackling fast fashion, and wonders whether the whip will come out any time soon. Wh...

Once considered bottom of the stylists pile by the upper echelons of fashion, so-called 'celebrity stylists' (sometimes 'red-carpet stylists') are suddenly being given the credit they think they deserve. As Zendaya's renowned stylist Law Roach explains: “There’s been this idea that I’m supposed to be grateful [to have a celebrity client]. No. She’s supposed to be grateful that she’s working with m...

In true Questioning Fashion style, Ali and Jo grapple between the joy of cheap and cheerful group dress-ups and the mountains of dumped plastic spangles left in their wake. When Ali finally got her Eras tour ticket, a year after Jo overdressed for Harry Styles, it struck them both that while it isn’t a new phenomena (remember the Bay City Rollers’ tartan kick flares? Yeah, neither do we) — it has...

Ali and Jo go on an excursion to talk to sustainable fashion designers Gary Bigeni and Sally Jackson at Sally's Join the Dots studio in Marrickville. We discuss their approach to sustainable fashion and specifically their work with the Opera House developing upcycling workshops for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras . We apologise for the very "real world" audio on this one! Maybe listen to it...

This week we're talking clothing care and sharing our favourite tips for washing, repairing and storing our clothes - because true sustainable fashion isn't about only buying from ethical brands or going op shopping all the time, it's about wearing the clothes you already own forever. Email us: questioningfashionpodcast@slogue.com.auOur Instagram accounts: instagram.com/questioningfashionpodcast i...

If you don't already know Terrance Williams - a fashion designer and influencer from Dallas, Texas - then boy are you in for a treat. We get to know the man who rose like a phoenix when a post went viral and filled his inbox with hate. We hear how he grew up poor and as the only kid of colour in school, was bullied for his secondhand clothes, began a law degree with ambitions of helping asylum see...

Remember how Downton Abbey used to LOVE doing Christmas Specials? Well, this is ours. We take a deep dive into Downton's costumes, do some weird impressions of McBride and Violet, and discuss how Jo met one of the Downton maids at drama camp in Manchester, England. Ali as always has done some actual research so listen for some fun facts. We also ask each other to come up with a new character...

In our last official episode of the year, we head back to Ali's History Corner and learn all about sequins and sparkle. We talk about the EU's recent glitter ban, the history of sequins and how to style sequins. Email us: questioningfashionpodcast@slogue.com.au Our Instagram accounts: instagram.com/questioningfashionpodcast instagram.com/jogambale instagram.com/bellstreet Our TikTok acco...

This week Ali tells Jo all about Oleg Cassini, a costume and fashion designer who dressed Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s and led an action-packed life throughout Europe, Hollywood and New York. Oleg Cassini loves to credit himself with... well, basically everything. What's your claim to fame? The interview with Gene Tierney is here Email us: questioningfashionpodcast@slogue.com.au Our Instag...

Today marks the release of the most FABULOUS new book about vintage and personal style. We were lucky enough to talk to the author of the book, deliciously titled How To Be Fabulous, for this week's episode, about all things vintage, secondhand, personal style and "bowerbird capsule wardrobes".  Charlotte Dallison has worn many (fabulous) hats, from owner of a vintage boutique, Chez...

We get all fangirly with our latest guest, fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes Bell, who's absolutely killin' it in the UK with her infinite knowledge on the subject. She's turned what she admits was a dry subject to study (cue snores in the lecture room) to a relatable and fascinating phenomenon that sees her as a regular on panels as well as the average Pom's favourite cosy...