"Adaptation to our new set of circumstances is vital": the slow-fashion activist Meg Pirie on how the pandemic has affected her wor
By Meg Pirie – Slow-fashion Activist
Like many other fashion freelancers in the UK, this has been a nail-biting couple of weeks for me – not solely because of the pandemic that has seen so many people lose their loved ones, but because the creative industries have been very overlooked.
I’m a solo-mum and work as a slow-fashion advocate – with a focus on supporting a circular fashion economy. In my working week, my role encompasses anything from styling, creative direction, research and writing, to talks and workshops. Since Covid-19 hit the UK, all of my talks and workshops have been postponed or cancelled, and because payment is usually taken on the day, all of my work has come to halt. I also work for a London-based company (who shall remain nameless) and, as if timing wasn’t bad enough, all freelance hours have been cut, leaving me with very little income until normality commences. And of course, there is still huge uncertainty about when this return to normality will be.
For me, the only hope during this time has stemmed from watching Fashion Roundtable’s relentless determination lobbying for our rights and also the weekly webinar on Zoom. Quite frankly, this has really helped cement a sense of community in these unprecedented times. Earlier this week, Sunak announced that 80% of our average monthly income would be covered – up to £2,500, but not until June. And although it was promised that the minimum income floor under Universal Credit would be dropped, this hasn’t yet been the case. I know I’m not alone in this and I suppose collectively we have no choice but to wait and see how this pans out.
Prior to the pandemic, an editorial I had produced promoting a circular fashion economy was about to be released as part of Plas Bodfa’s multidisciplinary exhibition with over 111 creatives involved. Instead of cancelling their event, they are now exploring the possibilities of an exhibition as a virtual yet connected entity, spread over the course of the entire year. Pragmatically speaking, this could be the future for so many businesses— adaptation to our new set of circumstances is vital, and I suppose this industry is built on creative thinking.
I’m now using the time wisely – adapting to the new rhythm of things and taking each day as it comes. For me the need to add benefit to the community in some way has now become paramount, and I will be focused on setting up projects that will disrupt the current linear fashion system in favour of circularity. There has never been a better time to reflect on where we’ve come from and to focus on how we’ll add value moving forward. In these times, fluidity is essential.
