Our Sharer's Stories: Meet Ailish
Photography: Kolbra Sveinbjornsson
Ailish’s dream dinner party guests are Audrey Hepburn, Mary Queen of Scots and Victoria Beckham; this sharer’s story has sass and style written all over it
“I love fashion. It's a way of expressing myself as a person and I see my style evolving with me all the time. Dressing up makes me feel good; I enjoy keeping up with all the latest trends and am constantly looking for style inspiration,” says Ailish, an assistant psychologist living in Whitechapel. She’s obsessed with insta-star @RetroFlame and describes her own style as “feminine, sleek and classic. I'm into solid colours at the moment, especially black - it always looks chic and is easy to dress up or down.”
Photography: Kolbra Sveinbjornsson
Despite her love of fashion, Ailish considers the culture of thoughtless consumption within the fast fashion industry as unsustainable: “We can buy something with the click of a button without any thought as to where this item has been made or it's story, it's just delivered to our door the next day. Consumers have never had access to fashion this cheap.”
But Ailish senses attitudes towards the fashion industry are changing: “After the Rana Plaza catastrophe, where a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, it's very difficult not to think about where the clothes we are buying are coming from, the wages and conditions of the workers. I know it will be a question our grandchildren will ask when the full extent of the fast fashion industry is finally understood, and we are living with the environmental consequences.”
From a young age Ailish has been passionate about environmental issues. During her time at University she travelled to India with the charity Suas Educational Development. It was then Ailish realised “the devastating effects of fast fashion on people and the environment first hand.”
Photography: Kolbra Sveinbjornsson
Ailish has fallen in love with the East London lifestyle. “I love wandering around the vintage shops on brick lane and browsing all the pop-up shops during the weekends. I also love going to all the food markets especially Borough and Broadway markets.”
And it’s not just the food and shopping that she enjoys: “I'm inspired every day by the amazing street style. It makes me experiment a bit more with my own style and I'm constantly seeing pieces on the street that I would love to incorporate into my look - Nu will be the perfect way of doing this!”
At a recent Nu shoot Ailish brought along her graduation dress, a lilac crochet piece from a boutique in Galway, Ireland. “I am still completely obsessed with it. I just haven't had another chance to wear it,” she says. “I want someone to get enjoyment out of it rather than it just sitting there unworn and unloved at the back of my wardrobe.”
Ailish is excited to become part of the Nu movement, both from a social and style perspective. “I was really inspired by the founder Aisling and her passion for spreading the message about sustainable fashion and ethical clothing”, she says. “The Nu community is the space I've been looking for - it's a way of meeting like-minded individuals in London and of borrowing some incredible pieces. I can feel fab in my 'new' borrowed piece without sacrificing my style or costing the earth. I've already borrowed some pieces from some very stylish ladies at the photo shoot.” That’s what we love to hear!
Photography: Kolbra Sveinbjornsson
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