Fashion today moves faster than ever. Trends appear overnight, disappear just as quickly, and brands are constantly encouraged to produce more — faster, cheaper, and louder. There is an unspoken pressure in this industry to rush collections, heavily discount, and replicate whatever is currently trending in order to stay relevant.
But I didn’t start LOVE OF IVY to chase speed.
I started it to build something meaningful.
There are moments when the pull of the industry is strong. The question of whether to move faster. Whether to create more. Whether to follow what’s popular because it seems safer. But every time that pressure arises, I come back to the same foundation: Why did I begin this brand in the first place?
As a textiles teacher, I have always understood fashion beyond its surface. I understand the lifecycle of a garment — the resources required to grow fibres, the craftsmanship involved in construction, the environmental consequences of overproduction, and the human impact behind manufacturing. Once you see those layers, you can’t ignore them. You can’t participate in them mindlessly.
Fast fashion has a real cost. It contributes to environmental damage through excessive waste and pollution. It places pressure on garment workers through unrealistic production timelines and low wages. It encourages a cycle of constant consumption where clothing is treated as disposable rather than valuable.
I knew from the beginning that LOVE OF IVY could not contribute to that cycle.
Staying true to your vision in a trend-driven industry requires clarity and conviction. Trends are not inherently negative — they reflect culture, creativity, and change. It’s important to observe them, to understand them, and to stay aware of what is happening within the industry. But they cannot be the driving force if your intention is to create clothing that lasts.
If fashion is built on longevity, trends must remain a reference point — not a foundation.
Every piece I design begins with intention. I ask whether it will still feel relevant years from now. Whether it serves real women living real lives. Whether it has versatility, quality, and craftsmanship woven into it. Whether it will become something a woman reaches for again and again — not something worn once and forgotten.
We do not need more clothing. We need better clothing.
Mindful consumption is about choosing pieces thoughtfully. Garments that can move across seasons. Pieces that can be styled multiple ways. Fabrics that feel good against the skin and construction that holds its shape over time. Clothing that becomes part of your life, rather than something that clutters it.
There is a quiet confidence in building slowly. In releasing intentionally. In prioritising quality over quantity. It may not always be the loudest path, but it is the most aligned one.
LOVE OF IVY was created with a commitment to intention, craftsmanship, and care. To honour the people and processes behind each garment. To support slow fashion and ethical production. To design clothing that respects both the woman wearing it and the world it exists in.
Staying true to your vision is not always easy in an industry that rewards speed. But purpose lasts longer than popularity.
And if we want a healthier future for fashion — one that values longevity over excess, responsibility over urgency, and quality over quantity — we have to choose differently.
That is the choice I continue to make.
With love,
Ema
Founder, LOVE OF IVY 🤍