20 January 2026
Fashion is changing, and fast. As conversations around 'Why sustainable fashion is important?' and 'How sustainable is the fashion industry?' become impossible to ignore, a new generation of creatives is shaping what comes next.
By Olivia Lee
More than ever, people are asking why sustainable fashion is important to personal style and culture, not just the planet. It's clear that sustainable fashion is the future, and understanding what sustainable fashion means today helps define how we dress tomorrow.
Enter Ginika, a London-based stylist with a bold eye, a nostalgic soul, and an unapologetically personal approach to fashion. Her work reflects not just style, but storytelling, reuse, and community, values that sit at the heart of what sustainable fashion means in 2026. With sustainable fashion guiding how creatives shop, style and share, voices like Ginika's feel more relevant than ever. We caught up with her to talk celebrity culture, thrifting, textures, and the joy of swapping clothes.
Ginika is a London-based stylist with a love for shopping, tanning and all things celebrity style. Deeply influenced by 2000s fashion and indie sleaze, her personal style is bold, nostalgic and unapologetically her own. She has recently worked with fashion brand Khaos and assisted on a range of fashion shoots, including indie sleaze-themed projects. We caught up with Ginika to talk about her relationship with styling, why fashion feels so personal to her, where to find the best hidden gems in London, and her experience with swapping clothes.
Edgy, nostalgic, sleek.
Pop culture is a huge inspiration for me. I LOVE looking through magazines and images from the late 90s all through to the 2010s and finding iconic celeb and runway looks. In my mind, each piece and each look tells a story i.e., a paparazzi photo of a celeb leaving the club after an exciting night out or a designer's runway debut at a fashion house. For me, it's about capturing the essence of a look, not copying it: the way someone carries themselves, the energy of an outfit, and then reinterpreting that in a way that feels fresh and personal.
Mary-Kate Olsen. Her mix of edgy, feminine, and effortless pieces is timeless. I'd probably go for her Fendi Fortuny Spy bag in metallic bronze nappa leather - been on the hunt for it for ages! Can I be naughty and add a second person? I'd totally swap clothes with Victoria Beckham's late 90s, mid-2000s. Her style inspires me so much! I'd sooo borrow her ecru ruched Spring Summer 2003 D&G top!
Thrifting is my LIFE! I loveee Brick Lane and Shoreditch. I always find the cutest gems in the markets and boutiques! I particularly love shops like Shop Yotts, Bobotique (got my first City bag from them!) and Hackney120.
Absolutely! I love sharing pieces and discovering new ways to style them through friends! Swapping clothes with friends feels like a mini creative challenge-you get to see how someone else interprets a piece and it sparks fresh ideas like an 'aha' moment! Plus, it's sustainable and makes fashion feel even more communal and fun. Brings us together!
Honestly, all of it! But the storytelling is what excites me most. Fashion is such a powerful way to communicate mood, identity, and personality without words, and being able to help someone express themselves or their message through clothes feels like magic every single time. Plus - as a shopping addict, I always have the best time sourcing and playing around in the clothes, finding out what works best!
I recently did an Indie Sleaze themed shoot and it was incredibly personal to me. Back in the day, when Indie Sleaze was really popular, I was obsessed with the style and the culture - think Peaches Geldof, Alexa Chung, and the early 2000s indie music scene with bands like The Smiths, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, and Tame Impala. It was a lifestyle to me. I used to emulate their looks, so being able to relive that era through styling felt nostalgic and meaningful. The shoot captured not just the aesthetic, but also the feeling of that time in my life, and being able to bring that energy back into a modern context was so rewarding.
Thank you! The brand owner was looking for models for a shoot so I signed up. Initially, I was brought on to just model, however, when I sent over my portfolio she [the brand owner] noticed I also style. She loved the looks I'd created and from looking at my Instagram, really liked the pieces in my wardrobe so asked if I'd like to also style. Khaos provided the clothes, and I curated accessories from my wardrobe to match and elevate the looks. It was all about making sure every piece complemented the vibe and story - and she loved the results! Loved that shoot!
I love how textures can transform a look and create instant visual interest. Fur, whether real or faux, adds dimension, movement, and a touch of luxury to an outfit. I often like styling it in fun ways like layering fur on fur or wearing an oversized trapper hat with tight fitted clothes to create contrasts that feel tactile, dynamic, and playful. It's a tool for storytelling: texture sets the mood before words even do.
Yes! Right now I'm obsessed with a pair of vintage Christian Dior heels from John Galliano's 'Rasta' line, circa 2004. I recently thrifted them. They're a bit tricky to walk in because they're so high but I don't care -they're just too cool to pass up!
As the industry continues to question 'How sustainable is the fashion industry?', creatives like Ginika are quietly answering through action; thrifting, sharing, reworking, and storytelling through clothes. This is what sustainable fashion truly means: community, creativity, and clothes that live multiple lives. When we understand why sustainable fashion is important, it becomes less about restriction and more about endless possibility.
With platforms like CloSh championing sharing over excess, it's clear that sustainable fashion is the future, not as a trend, but as a mindset. And as we keep asking how sustainable is the fashion industry, stylists like Ginika remind us that the most exciting fashion stories are often the ones already hanging in someone else's wardrobe.
