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Currie Lee: Fashion's green advocate

By Elsbeth van Paridon: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, March 24, 2012

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From minority villages to bustling metropolises; cultural diversity is key in D-SATA's designs.

Lee's D-SATA brand springs from her love for vintage as well as from her countless trips, carrying her from minority villages to bustling metropolises. It was during these travels that Lee became smitten with all things Asian. Cultural diversity plays a key role in her designs which bear a range of influences, from the color palettes and gemstone details of Jaipur in north India, to the Bulang embroidery patterns of southern China. The latter is just one example of the extensive influence Chinese minority dress has on her work, introducing her to, among other things, the concept of using skins from animals consumed as food sources. Like Eskimos, the Bulang leave nothing to waste. One craftsman presented Lee with a drum made of snake skin – otherwise known as his dinner the night before. However, many of the traditional woven or embroidered materials and methods are at risk of vanishing from all wardrobes among the 55 recognized minorities across China. Lee now hopes to help preserve some of that fashionable cultural heritage by creating multiple collectives of women in the cottage industries.

Like the Bulang tribe, D-SATA swears, right hand on The Fashion Bible (Vogue), by the phrase "Waste not, Want not". On a side note, I think this concept is completely in line with the CCP motto 绿色经济 (Green Economy), albeit maybe not quite how the CCP envisioned it. Perhaps Lee could start dressing them. In any case, all D-SATA collections adhere to this belief. The brand promotes sustainable and slow fashion as opposed to today's fast fashion of hastily and constantly changing catwalks. Lee takes the time to select materials that are not only timeless in tradition and trends, but also ethically and environmentally conscious. Moreover, as well as being made of natural or recycled materials, every single one of the pieces is handmade by cottage industry women in Southeast Asia, who receive an income which allows them to live their lives instead of merely being able to scrape by on a minimum wage. The brand is about more than just frilly accessories to be bought and thrown out after one season. Lee wants us to RE-use, not AB-use.