Sustainability Spotlight - Charlee Fraser
Part of our daily routine at SCRAP is researching and educating ourselves about sustainable fashion. We are interested in the changes, the innovations, and the seemingly unending list of contradictions of the industry. While we learn about ways in which fashion affects people and the planet, we can’t forget about the inspiring individuals, who are actively looking for solutions and finding ways to implement changes that would make the industry more ethical, responsible, and inclusive.
So, we’re starting a new series in our blog called “Sustainability Spotlight,” where we are going to introduce the brilliant people: activists, models, designers, and other fashion professionals, who dedicate themselves and their brands to driving positive change while using their reach and influence to educate.
The first SCRAP Sustainability Spotlight we are going to cast is on Charlee Fraser.
Charlee is an Indigenous Australian model who started her career in 2013, but her internationally recognized debut was in 2016 on Alexander Wang’s F/W 2016 runway. At the time, she was the first Indigenous Australian model, which made her one of the pioneers of ethnic diversity in the Australian fashion scene. Since then, she’s been incredibly visible, walking for all the top-tier brands on the planet, including Derek Lam, Rodarte, Brandon Maxwell, Prada, Marni, Dior, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Mulberry, Céline, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford, Prabal Gurung, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti, Chloé and many, many more.
Charlee Fraser for the #NotJustTrending campaign
In her first 4 years in fashion, Charlee garnered a good understanding of how the global fashion industry and modeling work. Then, in the following 4 years, she decided to dive deeper into the complexities of the industry and supply chains to understand how the production of clothes affects less glamorized fashion-related professions: farmers, tailors, seamstresses, craftspeople, and textile mill workers. Those people very often belong to local and Indigenous communities around the world, who make up a big group of people involved in fashion but remain marginalized. Adding to that, her personal love of nature and interest in culture pushed her to explore and learn more about circular economics and production models.
Being a proud Awabakal woman (Awabakal people are native to the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, in Australia), she decided to use her network and recognition to raise awareness, grow appreciation and finally introduce more inclusivity in the fashion industry by mentoring other Indigenous women taking their first steps as models.
“My success isn’t measured by my heritage. All I can hope is that I’m a role model to others and not only to represent my country and my heritage but to bring awareness to building that bridge between ethnicity and the fashion industry.”
~Charlee Fraser
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn even more attention to sustainability and Charlee herself has become even more active in the past year. In 2019, before the pandemic hit, she started her affiliation with First Nations Fashion and Design with whom she worked tirelessly to create and promote a Welcome to Country event at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) in May 2021. According to Fraser, the event, which started with a 60,000-year-old, traditional smoking ceremony, “displayed high-quality Indigenous fashion, models, dancers, musicians and creatives which left the audience in tears.”
She worked mainly off-stage during the event, representing her cause and promoting the event to the world, through word and action. Charlee pledged to attend only the fashion weekend shows that meet her ethical and environmental standards. She participated in panel discussions wearing only clothes that were Indigenously-made, vintage and/or made by sustainable high-end brands, and used only sustainable hair care products, make-up, nail polish and skin care products. She also commuted in an electric vehicle and visibly consumed reusable items throughout.
Charlee Fraser for the #NotJustTrending campaign
Later in the year, Charlee created the “NOT JUST TRENDING” (#notjusttrending) campaign, with which she aims to, “highlight ethical and sustainable brands, programs and practices within the fashion industry”. The product of the campaign, a NOT JUST TRENDING guideline on essential terminology, organizations, certifications, and fashion & beauty brands, is available by subscription to the mailing list (see the link below the article). It’s an easy and entertaining read. We highly recommend it!
We here at SCRAP are huge fans of Charlee’s work and follow her closely for inspiration and knowledge. We aspire to her consciousness, humbleness, humor, and unlimited eagerness to learn and be a visible proponent of the discourse on sustainable fashion. Keep up the good work, Charlee!
At SCRAP we are on a mission to help save the planet by collecting unwanted clothes. As we want to be as transparent as possible, we want to make sure that the clothes and accessories you are donating, end up in good hands, whether that be of recycling or redistribution partner. Click below to schedule a pick-up.
