INTERVIEW #46 STINA LÖVING

“Clothes is a very powerful tool to communicate.”

What’s your relationship with clothes?

My interest in clothes is kind of new. Though I have always my whole life liked to dress up, it is not that many years ago as I discovered my own style. My grandmother had a big coffin with super colourful clothes, gloves, shoes and hat and so on, which I loved to play with when I was young. As a grownup I used to like clothes on others, but I didn’t know my own style. I’m also tall so it was a bit difficult to find the right fit. Now I can design and sew my own clothes and it has become my creative expression. Clothes is a very powerful tool to communicate. 

My relationship with clothes and fashion is connected to sustainability and consciousness. I have broken up with fast fashion, because it makes me sick. Every time I walk in to a store of fast fashion I can’t stop wondering where the clothes comes from, who made it, from what, and how it is possible to make such a huge number of garments and where they go if they’re not sold?

“ Every time I walk in to a store of fast fashion I can’t stop wondering where the clothes comes from, who made it, from what, and how it is possible to make such a huge number of garments and where they go if they’re not sold?”

How would you describe your style?

I made a T-shirt once that said, “I’m not stylish, I’m fun”! That’s kind of my concept, so if I’m going to buy something and I’m uncertain I ask myself: is this fun? If yes, then I know I’m going to use it. My style is playful and colorful. I mix patterns with a clash rather than a match. 

I found my style a few years ago during a meeting with a client (I was working with advertising at the time). She was wearing colourful clothes that was not matching, big earrings and lots of other jewellerys. Her style was totally crazy and I just loved it! It made me happy. After the meeting my colleague said: She looked like a Tivoli! 

“I’m not stylish, I’m fun!”

It was not meant as a compliment but for me it was a door opener, and from that moment on I knew my style was Tivoli. Since then I have always been bolder in my choice of colours and clothes. 

How would you describe your closet?

I’m good at letting items go. If I don’t use something, I pass it on. And quite often I regret it! My closet has not that many items. But the once I have, I use very often. It’s colourful, mainly pink, purple and green. Hardly any newly produced clothes, it’s clothes I bought a long time ago and second hand. It’s almost nothing of polyester because I don’t like that. I love wearing both pants and skirts. I used to have only skirt and dresses for a while, but now I have both. And my closet is rather casual and not so formal, I don’t even own a suit or a white shirt. 

What is a sustainable closet for you?

I believe a sustainable closet is circular, second hand and borrowed. The most sustainable closet is probably a closet where you use all of your clothes. To me it’s about buying second hand clothes. It’s about good quality and taking care of your clothes. Treat them with respect. It’s also about fixing your clothes if they are broken or if a button is missing. When I buy clothes, I look at the quality and I am really picky about fit and comfort. I never buy anything that is not comfy. I also consider if I can sell the garment again if I get tired of it. 

What do you think about the fashion industry? 

I think the problem is the way we consume clothes. It’s just too much and too fast. We buy things we don’t even have time to use. When I think of fast fashion it amazes me how we could have gone this far, how did we make this overconsumption happen? Without the warnings of the climate crisis, would we just go on to do this? That’s typically human. We just look at the money and keep going without taking responsibility. 

The fashion industry has to make a huge change. A lot of industries have to do that. For real, it’s not about just using recycled materials or sustainability in production. They really have to reinvent the system. Actually, I think it should be illegal to produce fast fashion. It hurts a lot of people and the environment, it doesn’t do any good. How can we all agree upon doing harmful things just to look beautiful? Isn’t that weird when you think about it? Key to success is working together, because the fashion system is so phycological. Everyone is anxious about making something new all the time, to make money, increase profits, and the competition is huge which results in more stress. All companies must make the change together, beyond borders.

“For real, it’s not about just using recycled materials or sustainability in production. They really have to reinvent the system.”

What do you believe needs to change?

Everything? It’s easy to come up with solutions, but it’s hard to change how things work and how people behave. Speed is very important in all this. The industry has to slow down. And not putting all the responsibility on the consumers. That really annoys me actually. The power of change always seems to be in the hands of the consumer, it’s up to me to buy good stuff, or not buy it at all or make good choices. All of us has a responsibility, sure, but why is it ok for companies to go on with their unsustainable business and just add new sustainable products at the same time? And why is it so easy to make a bad choice? Why are bad options even available? The industry is built on a lot of bad stuff. We need to think and behave circular. It’s about speed, quantity and quality. 

“Actually, I think it should be illegal to produce fast fashion.”

What can one do that seeks to create a more sustainable closet?

• Buy second hand, and make sure you only buy stuff you like, borrow or change clothes with friends and take care of your clothes! 

• Identify you style! What do you like and what’s in your closet? Take inspiration in your own closet. Why do you like the stuff you like and use? Is there maybe stuff in your closet that looks good in your imagination, and never when you wear it? Sort those things out, and pass it on to someone else. 

“I knew my style was Tivoli!”

• If you want something new (second handed), you can look for inspiration at Instagram before you go shopping and figure out what you’re seeking. 

• Look for quality when buying new. And learn more about the materials, because a more expensive brand is never a guarantee of good quality. 

• Buy second hand in first hand! 

• Swap with your friends, borrow for a while and then give it back! 

• Join style challenges on Instagram, it’s an amazing way to discover you own closet!