Kit Willow has printed some of her new Spring pieces with care instructions. She recommends eco–dry cleaning. Others got the phrase compassionate human. Sustainability is baked into her Kitx brand. As a native of Sydney, Willow is confronted with the realities of climate change more than many others, because regions of extremes feel the effects of global warming more dramatically than other areas. New South Wales, the southeastern Australian state where Sydney is situated, is now in its sixth year of drought. The fashion industry can’t reverse climate change—it will take enormous projects at the nexus of science and technology to begin to do that; we’re talking about a planet-size challenge, after all—but it can lessen its polluting impact. That’s at the heart of what Willow is doing at Kitx. Her paillettes are made from plastic waste, and her lace is made from upcycled polyester and silk.
One thought-to-be climate change–related crisis that has lately been on Willow’s mind is the global die-off of bees. We’ve already lost one-third of the worldwide population. It’s worse than it sounds; if the bees die, so do we. The bees’ plight led her to the hexagonal shape of honeycombs, which she used not only as a template for the geometric print of great-looking silk dresses but also as the basis for her patternmaking. Willow has cut on the square and on the rectangle in the past, with gracefully draped results. The six-sided hexagon she used here produced lilting handkerchief hems. We also appreciated her honeycomb-motif upcycled lace, the look of which was graphic and cool while remaining quite delicate. For climate change warriors who like a fairy dress.
