The Essence of Joy

“I'm just a designer, not a psychologists.”

Diane Wallinger is the new force within the fashion scene that aims to challenge existing perceptions of fashion design and sustainability through physical and emotional well-being.

Clothes can bring you joy - we all know that. The feeling of unravelling a brand new pair of boots from between the tissue paper; the smell of fresh leather in the air and the delicate touch of smooth finishings could bring a smile to just about anyone - but that’s just a temporary solution. An instant of gratification and feelings of amusement which are gone by the second or third wear. But what if the clothes were designed specifically to stimulate your feelings of joy, comfort, and empowerment? Ones that would last much longer than your average shopping-high?

Emotional and physical well-being have long often been associated with beauty and fashion industries, in ways to convince you that their product will make your life ‘better’ through ads and marketing - encouraging you to have the same lifestyle as the model of the advert by continuing to  buy the product over and over again to achieve it.  

But one designer has figured out a way to bring the principals of well-being into fashion, which do not involve propaganda and manipulation. Diane Wallinger, a traditional-turned-digital fashion designer, has embraced the latest technologies to pursue her exploration of fashion design for well-being, through sustainability, emotional and physical empowerment.

“A place that is more sustainable; is a happy place”

Considering that 80 per cent of garment impact is locked at the design stage, Diane felt propelled to take action to make sustainability more accessible and in-demand within the fashion industry. “That was an (optimistic and hopeful) lightbulb moment for me,” says Diane, determined to find a solution to our ecological crisis through bettering our own well-being and a change of perspective.

“A place that is more sustainable; is a happy place,” says Diane, “I don’t think we are happy consuming the way we do.” Through the feelings of ‘temporary fixes’ of shopping and buying unnecessary items, which (unsurprisingly) lead to results of dissatisfaction in the long term, Diane begun to think of alternative shopping behaviours that not only give a much longer feeling of fulfilment, but are also beneficial to the environment. 

“It was problematic to define the aspect of well-being,” says Diane, ”because I'm just a designer, not a psychologists.” By adapting the Earth Logic model (developed by Prof. Kate Fletcher), Diane was able to enhance a person’s well-being through garments by modifying "resilience and care of self,” she says. 

Why self-care? Because cultivating and building emotional resilience, Diane believes, is necessary to face the psychological challenges of the inevitable consequences of climate change. And what better way to hone in on those aspects than an object that embodies all these elements: the bed?

“I wanted to keep the energy field strong and empowered,” she says, “it’s not about laziness.” Despite the common misconception, beds are in fact our personal space of tranquility, health, empowerment, and comfort. Her latest digital collection, ‘Care of Self, Care of the World’, is imagined to generate positive emotions through the use of pastel colours, while comfortable shapes of ‘duvet-like’ garments invite the digital wearer to engage in ‘self-care practices’.

Diane invites the collection’s digital wearers to become their own “self-care heroes” and enjoy late mornings in cozy (and ethical) satin pyjamas, as taking care of the world starts with taking care of yourself.

The collection is accompanied by a series of self-care Fashion Meditation videos, lasting five minutes each, to transport you into a glamourised futuristic world of tranquility. Guided through gentle sounds of chimes and crystal singing bowls, it may feel unorthodox to watch a digital rendering of a catwalk show of the collection - but it certainly works.

“be your own self-care hero”

“Mixing the digital platform and physical reality; you don’t really know where the barrier is,” she says. Through designing a digital collection, Diane hopes to encourage wearers (particularly those of ‘influencer’ status) who would normally buy a garment to only wear once, to embrace digital alternatives. “A digital garment is way less impactful,” she says, “it’s incomparable!”

Fashion has been reluctant when it came to embracing new technologies, yet the current coronavirus pandemic has deeply exposed the shortsightedness of the industry. With designers already abandoning the Fashion Week calendar, “digital fashion came back in full-force during the pandemic because it was already pressing us as designers,” Diane explains, “it’s an obvious solution that’s been ignored for too long.”

The industry’s capitalistic roots have come to the surface, which forced many to reevaluate their values and business strategies. “It's astounding how much is wrong within the industry,” she says, “but I like how we can all make a change by working in it. There's so much space for change.” 

Within a short time-frame, designers threw themselves at the possibilities of digital catwalks and presentations to showcase new collections, whether it was through short films or Animal Crossing gaming. The fast-pace of the industry limited the potential for growth with technological advances to be recognised as a benefit. 

“It’s so rewarding to be a part of change as a young person,” she explains, “even though our generation already has enough on its shoulders.” Diane may not be a ‘hard-core’ protestor at climate strikes, but she is making a change through more suitable ways that align with her personality and ability, saying, “I know I’m not perfect, but at least I’m trying my best.”

Through using sustainability, Diane hopes to empower people and drive them forward with means of positive expressions - which she believes, would eventually lead to sustainable behaviours from her consumers, emphasising that “[sustainability] is a way of life.”

Fashion Meditation videos are available to view on the designer’s IGTV channel (@dnwllngr) and the collection ‘Care of Self, Care of the World’ is available to purchase at dress-x.com/collections/dnwllngr.