Fashion brands, from mass market to luxury, have implemented sustainability at the heart of their strategic plans. Tracy Jackson Blake, principal of Because It Is For You, a handmade upcycling accessory brand, is a local champion of sustainability. She's been at it for five years. "I make items that families can live with and find bags to be both useful and practical," she shares with Tuesday Style Fashion (TSF).

"I zeroed in on recycled fabric as I have an abundance of it with all the clothes that my children were outgrowing. It all happened very organically. I particularly loved the look of recycled denim and woven fabrics like burlap. I try to use what I have so that I can limit buying new. We have a myriad of great fabrics all around us and it's more valuable to me to make use of useful things. I have been having fun with upholstery, denim, burlap, cotton, and use sports fabrics like hang gliders," she says.

"I love humanity," she continues. "I love to look to the past for solutions. Before industrialisation, women had to be innovative. There was no room for waste. Back then, going green was a way of life. Respecting the Earth and the environment, I do my best to repurpose fabrics in my works where possible. Blending repurposed materials with new fabric, in interesting and creative ways, is important to me because we all share just one Earth. Let's keep it healthy and beautiful. Sustainability is critical in the fashion industry today because fast fashion has taken over. We need to look at slow fashion as a viable answer, and start producing products that were built to last instead of built to be replaced."

The entire collection from the handmade brand is locally made offering a variety of bags from mini backpacks to clutches with an emphasis on patchwork technique.

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