Almost 3 years ago I came back from work one day and decided to put an idea that was bubbling in my mind on paper. I grabbed some sticky notes and wrote down what I would spend over 1000 days developing: The Power Collection. After years of working in advertising, I knew that there must be a better way of producing clothing. Lack of transparency, unsustainable practices, mistreatment of the workers, many women not feeling represented by the media globally and feeling anxious about reaching unrealistic beauty standards, retouched images. I wanted to make clothing in a different, meaningful way. Here is how I've done it.
The Power Collection was created from a bunch of posted notes to a line that is set to create fashion in a meaningful way
The clothes are made in a shelter in India that hires and trains women in need
Models are chosen based on who they are as people
Models (from the left): Hodaya Vaknin, Corinne Cazeneuve, Charlie Craggs, Tene Edwards. Photograph by Alex Pawlowska.
They're activists, spiritual workers, ambitious women calling for more representation
Models (from the left): Kayela Damaze, Meena Bhella, Sylvia Mac, Zeba Anjum Jahangir.
Seema works in the finishing room in the shelter. She started working here as family issues that have gone on for too long forced her to find a job to provide for her family
Sylvia Mac - a child burn survivor, a diversity campaigner and founder of Love Disfigure, a platform celebrating and supporting those living with hidden and visible differences
Kavita stitches. She works hard to make money to support her three children’s dreams
Hodaya Vaknin - a part-qualified accountant and spiritual coach
Geeta is responsible for stitching. She started working at the shelter when her husband lost his job
Meena Bhella - a make-up artist and inclusivity campaigner, championing South Asian women in the creative, fashion and beauty industries
Kayela Damaze, known as LaLa Love – a stylist, a model, and a self-love advocate.
Bhawana is a Market and Sample Fielder. She started working at Work+Shelter when her mum was very sick and she needed to support her family
Tene Edwards - a poet and self-love advocate
Corinne Cazeneuve - burn survivor and body positivity activist
Joyti is responsible for stitching and air filter monitoring. She really likes to sew now and when she is at the shelter she gets to be around friends who are family
Charlie Craggs - transgender activist and author
Zeba Anjum Jahangir - actuarial science graduate and inclusivity advocate
Nilam is responsible for stitching. She loves the shelter because she gets to work, be with friends and make money. Her home life is difficult and working here keeps the problems out of her mind. Her biggest dream is to have a peaceful happy life
Since I had the prototypes, wherever I traveled, The Power Collection traveled with me. From Wadi Rum in Jordan
Photograph by Chelsea Brown.
Photograph by Tyseer Mohammed.
Photograph by Chelsea Brown.
To Glastonbury in the UK
Models (from the left):
Rebecca Wilson, Millie Ralph.
Rebecca Wilson, Millie Ralph.
To Joshua Tree in California
Photograph by Barbara De La Peña.
Photograph by Barbara De La Peña.
Photograph by Barbara De La Peña.