Meet Marie Eve Aubry, Redress Design Award 2020 Menswear Finalist

Marie Eve Aubry

CANADA

Anxiety about the climate emergency and the need to take action to restore the planet provide the starting points for True Gen, the Redress Design Award collection by Canadian designer Marie-Eve Aubry. “The environmental situation weighs on the shoulders of present and future generations,” she reflects. “Younger people are increasingly searching for truth and authenticity. I have mandated myself to address climate change in my work, to find new alternatives for a better future and to generate greater knowledge and tools to educate people.”

Fashion’s role in the emergency is significant: “The fashion industry needs to slow down and rethink the value chain from design to production,” says Marie-Eve, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and Management at École Supérieure de Mode de Montréal, Canada. “We must change the way we produce and consume garments. It’s not just about being sustainable, it’s about being responsible, which can positively impact the health of our people and our planet.” In this context, techniques that challenge the conventionally wasteful practices of mainstream fashion hold resonance.

In True Gen, up-cycling and reconstruction techniques are applied to locally sourced textile waste including damaged textiles, end-of-rolls, textile swatches, clothing samples, and secondhand clothing. “Over the past years, I’ve been keeping materials given to me by friends and family,” says Marie-Eve. “The materials I work with inspire me because they used to belong to someone I have known. They have a story.” And in Marie-Eve’s hands, that story continues: True Gen is built around the vision that people don’t have to buy so many clothes or discard them as soon as it’s not on trend anymore. I intend to create garments with a longer life-cycle by using durable materials, high-quality workmanship, amazing fits and convertible designs. I want the consumer to cherish the garment and recognise the value of what they own."