Having travelled the world to volunteer on sustainability projects, Laura has seen first-hand why sustainable fashion is important and how deeply global communities are affected by the choices the fashion industry makes. Her experience highlights that creating a more sustainable future isn’t only about big industry shifts, but it’s also about the everyday decisions we make as individuals.

What sustainable fashion means can look different to everyone. In this interview, Laura shares what it means to her, from what she’s studied, to the small, intentional changes that she’s made in her closet, and how those choices have genuinely improved the way she dresses and consumes.

Can you tell us how your journey from studying History to modelling first changed the way you saw fashion?

Of course! I graduated last year with a degree in History, and during my time at university I was scouted by a modelling agency. This opened my eyes to the many sides of the fashion industry and sparked my curiosity for what happens behind the scenes.

My academic goal had always been to understand how the past can inform a better future, and after graduating I realised I wanted to merge that mindset with my growing interest in fashion. I now work in sustainable fashion - a space where I can shape consumer behaviour as well as drive industrial change.

It feels like the perfect intersection of what I studied, what I have experienced, and what I care about most.

You’ve worked in sustainability projects around the world. Was there a moment or experience that shifted how you think about clothing and consumption?

Whilst at university, I volunteered on sustainable projects around the world - from Thailand to Fiji - which deepened my passion for ethical and responsible practices. I learnt how countries in the Global South are often exploited at the very start of the fashion supply chain and are the most affected by the consequences.

Many garments are produced in sweatshops under harsh labour conditions, often involved with human trafficking, child labour and debt bondage. Constant demand for cheap, trendy clothes drives overproduction and leads to high Co2 emissions, water pollution, and microplastic release. Additionally, discarded clothing from Western countries often ends up as waste exports, adding environmental stress.

How would you describe your personal style right now, and has it changed as your values have changed?

My style has dramatically improved since implementing sustainable practices. I’m slowly growing a great capsule wardrobe full of good quality basics. I am a proud outfit repeater – this usually consists of some corduroy flares, a graphic tee, and a leather jacket. I’m slowly getting into mod fashion too – trying to source real vintage garments takes time!

Do you have a piece in your wardrobe that feels like a time capsule or memory? What’s the story behind it?

I’m quite the sentimentalist, so my clothes are like souvenirs from my life. It’s so important to wear your values! I always have on the necklace I got for my 21st. I’ve also built up quite a collection of band merch from gigs, and graphic tees from my favourite movies. I like to pin badges to my lapels and jean pockets as a statement of what I stand for. Wear your values!

Your studies now focus on sustainable fashion. In your view, why is sustainable fashion important today?

I’m currently studying Sustainable Fashion at Central Saint Martins. Sustainable fashion is more important than ever as the industry has significant environmental and social impacts.

Oxfam GB estimates that if all the unused clothing in UK wardrobes - around 1.6 billion items - were reused, it could cover the population of Manchester for approximately 450 years… that’s equivalent to 18 generations.

Despite having so many garments already in circulation, the industry continues to overproduce at an unsustainable rate. Shifting towards durability, reuse, and smarter consumption habits is essential- for both people and the planet.

Tell us about a time you swapped or borrowed clothing. Why did that exchange feel meaningful?

Over the summer, a friend let me borrow an outfit for a music festival. I don’t usually wear boho or sparkly pieces and didn’t want to buy something I’d only wear once. She put together a look for me - a tie-dye top, denim shorts, a sequin cardigan, and cowboy boots - and it ended up being perfect for the day.

What made the exchange meaningful was realising the environmental impact I avoided by borrowing instead of buying. Tie-dye tops are often made from polyester or elastane and dyed with synthetics, which can take around 200 years to decompose. Denim shorts, usually made from cotton and elastane, require around 3,800 litres of water to produce. Sequins are plastic and can take up to 1,000 years to break down, and leather cowboy boots generate roughly 22.5kg of CO₂ during production.

By borrowing the outfit, I didn’t just get to wear a fun festival look - I helped extend the life of garments that already existed and avoided adding another single-use item to the world.

What role do you think borrowing and rewearing clothes can play in changing consumer behaviour?

Currently, the fashion industry is an unsustainable model of supply and demand. The more we buy, the more brands produce.

But when consumers shift toward borrowing, sharing, and re-wearing what already exists, the pressure on the system changes. If consumers purchase less and make better use of garments already in circulation, brands are ultimately pushed to slow down production and prioritise longevity over volume.

If you could borrow one piece of clothing from any person (fictional or real), who would it be and why?

Honestly… when I was little, Cruella de Vil was my style icon (a bit of a red flag, I know). Setting aside her morally questionable taste in endangered furs, her wardrobe is basically a masterclass in bold, monochromatic tailoring.

And the piece I’d borrow? The dress she made from live moth cocoons. I’m a keen lepidopterist - I raise butterflies and moths in my spare time - so I’d love to borrow it. Minus the villainy, of course.

Our interview with Laura is such a powerful reminder of why sustainable fashion is important, and why young creatives are pushing the industry forward. As we rethink how sustainable the fashion industry is, conversations like this prove that meaningful change happens through everyday choices like rewearing, swapping, borrowing and thrifting.

Because sustainable fashion is the future and people like Laura are the ones reshaping it.