A Q&A with Tamara from REMUSE Designs

My name is Tamara Leacock, originally from New York City but now Naarm-based here in Australia, where I have since started my label, R E M U S E. 

Tamara at Melbourne Fashion Week

R E M U S E is an Afro futurist ethical and sustainable fashion label based in Naarm inspired by biomimicry and the natural environment rooted in resilience and reimagining new futures for adornment for contemporary bodies.  

I started my brand because I felt a lack of diversity within the landscape of ethical fashion, beyond the conversations of fair trade and diversity on the runway. I felt and met others who also noticed a void in nuanced diversity in all aspects of the ethical fashion landscape.

I saw this from a design perspective, to a well-considered approach to the diversity of the bodies being designed for, through to the aesthetic references that explored diverse influences beyond the avenue of disconnected cultural appropriation.

I also felt a large gap between aesthetic fashion that sought to model and be inspired by nature and its actual impact on the natural environment. The industry is filled with many examples of stunning biomimic design created with the most unnatural materials. Our use of natural materials and natural aesthetics alongside nuanced diversity in design are paramount to the philosophy of our brand.  

I have always loved the ways in which fashion can be a powerful tool of socialisation – social cohesion, inspiring new thoughts and positive social change. I have always been an avid fan of aesthetics for as long as I can remember, and often experimented with various over the years. This led me to interning with designers and textile artists from a very young age.I studied fashion in Paris and New York, and produced fashion show fundraisers at Yale University as a student.  

Working within the industry as an assistant stylist and wardrobe assistant for larger design houses gave me the insight to truly see the beauty – and chaos – of the luxury fashion industry. And while the ethics appalled me, the excitement around it kept me intrigued, and still does to this day. As a compromise, I have dedicated myself to making a positive contribution towards the voices pushing for the fashion industry to be more sustainable. 

Manufacturing ethically is the only way forward. There is no excuse for unethical fashion. If fashion is being produced by slave or underpaid labor, it simply should not be made.  

For me, I do not see ethical production as a benefit – I see it as the only justifiable way to make clothing in a world that overconsumes unethically made clothes. 

Image provided by R E M U S E Designs

Ethical Clothing Australia is an incredible accrediting body that provides a space of community and recognition in this tough industry. It is a source of hope, connection – and accountability, ensuring that we continue to do our part each year.