Good fashion takes time
Head to Queenstown Market any Saturday and you’ll find Jessica Simpson from So Sloe, a locally made clothing brand. Simpson is going against the fast fashion movement and providing one-of-a-kind garments.
While more of us are becoming aware of fast fashion and the impacts it has environmentally, the industry is set to reach new profit heights of almost $100 billion this year. Simpson is helping to combat the problem by producing high-quality clothing and accessories out of her studio space here in Queenstown. Building So Sloe was a gradual process that started out of a passion.
“I’ve always loved sewing and being creative – it was my favourite subject in school. I went and did lots of travelling and couldn’t really take a sewing machine with me, I was living away for around eight years or so. Then I moved to Edinburgh about four years ago and was kind of settled there for a little while, so I bought a sewing machine and started making my own clothes.
“It was just a slow process of friends being like ‘oh, will you make me one’ or ‘will you make me this,’ and then I just kept doing that. Once I moved to Queenstown my friends were like ‘you should do the craft market,’ and that’s pretty much where it started,” says Simpson.
Some of what Simpson creates includes hand-crocheted beanies made from New Zealand wool, dungarees, pinafore dresses, and fleeces. Each item of clothing at So Sloe is made from a custom pattern created by Simpson – simply downloading patterns online would mean she wouldn’t be allowed to sell them. She also sources materials from anywhere she can and has created designs out of some interesting materials.
“The wool is New Zealand, the smocks are 100% cotton, most of the dresses are 100% cotton, and the fleece is poly fleece, and I get them from all over the shop. Sometimes online, also any fabric store I go into I’m always looking for anything new, and sometimes thrift stores – I’ve bought bed sheets before – but literally anywhere I can find a fabric, I will buy it.”
Simpson has been attending Queenstown Markets for one year now, where all items are created by hand. Due to Covid the market has been quieter than usual but is picking up again now with the borders opening.
“It’s a good way for some of the local talent to get showcased. It’s such a cool little market and the fact that everything there is handmade by the person at the store means there’s no confusion about where things are coming from, it’s really transparent,” says Simpson.
You can find So Sloe every Saturday at Queenstown Markets along the waterfront at Earnslaw Park. You can also find her clothing online through social media or at sosloe.com
