Aidan Mohapatra and Ariel Hersham are launching Type Three Solutions and are challenging the sustainable fashion industry

By Lucy Roff

It’s no secret that many of the faces dominating the Australian sustainable fashion sector are those of a considerably privileged background. They are often middle-aged Caucasian males, or in some cases, they have a billionaire in the family.

Fashion student and designer Aidan Mohapatra – and business partner Ariel Hersham – want to set a new precedent. They ask, how can a brand extend itself beyond the concerns of growth and output? How can a brand represent more than one person or place?

Aidan Mohapatra, Founder and Creative Director of Type Three Solutions

The solution is Type Three.

Aidan has launched Type Three Solutions,  with a vision for change, saying, “I never saw myself in sustainability…and I know for a fact that the people who invented sustainability, tend to you know, some of them

Invasion Day. Survival Day. Australia Day. January 26th represents many different things to different people.

Growing up, I would hear different views and perspectives on this national holiday. Some people saw it as a day to celebrate being ‘Aussie’ by going to BBQs and parties and wearing clothing branded with Kangaroos and Union Jack’s. Some people were completely indifferent, and some believed that it was an inappropriate day for celebration.

For many First Nations people in Australia, the 26th of January is a day of mourning. On this day in 1788, the British Flag was raised in Warrane (Sydney Cove) – signifying the start of British Colonisation in Australia. Regrettably, the day chosen to celebrate being Australian represents the beginning of the genocide of First Nations people, massacres, dispossession, Frontier Wars and even slavery in Australia. However, Australia Day was not always celebrated on the 26th of January and was only made

By Andrea Shabrokh,

On Tuesday the 18th October, Baptist World Aid (BWA) and Tearfund New Zealand (TFNZ) released the 2021 Ethical Fashion Guide. The guide has been published every year since 2013, with a primary goal to help consumers support brands which treat their workers and the environment with respect and personally, as a consumer, I have been using the Guide every year since 2016. For years, I eagerly awaited the release of the new guide and felt secure in the fact that by purchasing only from brands who received an A, or a B, that I was supporting brands which did not exploit workers or the environment. 

I wouldn’t say I was addicted to it.  It’s kinda a habit like, chewing a straw or biting your nails, only my day simply cannot function without my beautifully prepared iced oat milk latte with no sugar. Maybe I am a little bit addicted but, this is an addiction that doesn’t hurt anyone, or so I thought…

By Maha Fier, Image by Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York Times

On October 5th 2021, last Tuesday, Paris Fashion Week was coming to a close with a runway show of Louis Vuitton staged at none other than the Louvre. Celebrities, designers, and socialites gathered from all over the world to nod their heads in approval, shake their heads in disapproval and indulge in what is the epitome of the designer fashion world. However, an unexpected guest also managed to make her way into the show among all those celebrities and designers. Climate activist from Extinction Rebellion, Marie Cohuet.

By Sufia Alam-Tomkins,

As the not-so productive university student that I am, I prefer to spend my free time on TikTok, the app of mindless watching and scrolling at the comfort of your fingertips. 

Like many social media apps, TikTok allows interconnection between people and ideas, which plays a big part in how we as people think and behave. TikTok for me is a platform where I can be both entertained, but also seek out and explore new parts of myself through different views, beliefs, interests, and hobbies. Tik Tok has enabled users to tap into their own exploration of self- identity- which I think is super interesting and neat. 

By Andrea Shabrokh,

One of my favourite things to do on the weekend is spend an entire day op-shopping, trying to find something unique that reflects my own sense of style and is also affordable on a student budget. A significant portion of my wardrobe was sourced from some sort of Op Shop or second-hand market and it is these items in my wardrobe which I love the most. They all have a story behind them and are all unique. However, I often wonder what happens to the clothes Op Shops can’t sell. 

By Maha Fier, Image by Jun Lu

It’s safe to say that that my political beliefs fall under progressive left-wing politics with an obsession for economic equality, an end to discrimination, youth to power, and a focus on our planets well-being.

This means that some of my favourite role models are women in politics likes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chlöe Swarbrick, Golriz Ghahraman and Ilhan Omar. All these women have had some form of focus on the things I care about as stated above, using their political status to address these topics, and urging change.

By Amina Farah,

My Story 

Sustainable fashion has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was born in Somalia, raised in Kenya due to the civil war. We moved around a lot all over Africa throughout my whole childhood. 

However, one thing always remained stable in my life. It was the clothes we wore which we held onto dearly even when we migrated to Kenya illegally on a bus for seven days. Since we are Muslims, my mother has always practiced modesty in our lives down to how we behaved, what values we held, and what we wore. Sustainability has always been a practice of faith. 

However, tailoring is not unique to Somali culture only. It has been a lifestyle practice for many African cultures and communities to make our clothes. We often gather as a community in villages and do it together. It’s been one of those

By Bijou Johnson,

Are you looking for a way to spice up your wardrobe, not go over budget and purchase sustainably and ethically? Look no further. Capsule wardrobes are your new best friend. 

You always hear the saying ‘less is more’, right? A capsule wardrobe is the epitome of this motto. It is chic minimalism – timeless pieces with endless possibilities.

Choosing an outfit in the morning is a time-consuming activity that can set the tone for the rest of your day. Building a capsule wardrobe with items that go with anything makes this mission quicker and less stressful.

Let me tell you why it is life-changing and how to create it, which I promise you will want to do after reading this guide.

What is a capsule wardrobe? 

Basically, a capsule wardrobe is a few classic pieces that will never go out of style. So simple, yet so effective. With just a few options, there

By Maha Fier,

“Made in Pakistan,”

“Made in Bangladesh,”

“Made in India,”

There are many ways how fast fashion has impacted the globe. One of these has been its way to degrade the quality of meaning behind so many South Asian (and more Asian) countries.

I have this distinct memory from year 7 where I was in class with my long-time best friend. She was wearing this black jacket and it wasn’t branded in any way. There were these two older boys in year 8 who decided that day to pick on her and make fun of her jacket. The key tactic was taunting her on how terrible and poor quality her jacket was because it was made in India.

Fashion corporations of the Global North who have decided to implement cheap labour practices and materials within the Global South have not only maximised their profits in unethical ways, but have also managed to transform

By Isabella Suruthi,

Here I am, at a café on Vulcan Lane with my $7 iced coffee. And as I sit, I can’t help but wonder this one certain thing. Was the $196.12 worth the so-called ‘drip,’ or had I just unequivocally contributed to the crisis of mass consumption responsible for the collapse of the environment?

No matter how many times I tell myself to switch my ways of purchasing to a more sustainable approach, the same cycle repeats itself. I store a mental note to organise a thrift sesh with the pals, but my habits never change. I catch myself spending money at manufacturers whose labels carry no recollection of where it was sourced.

I ask myself, why am I so attached to this toxic relationship with my clothes and my wallet?

Guilt begins to cloud my head as I refresh the ASB banking app, dumbfounded as to how could I have done this

By Maha Fier,

The title of this piece states my question. It may be an odd one, but it’s honestly a valid one. 

Why does my boyfriend only wear NBA jerseys? 

I’m no huge follower of basketball and it’s never been the ‘thing’ for Kiwis or Australians. Somehow though, American basketball has made its way into the hearts of many men and women within our respective countries. Maybe it’s the fast pace of it, the love for the players, the love for the teams; I don’t know, I’m no expert. 

I went to a concert with my boyfriend the other night and he was wearing one of his many NBA jerseys (Raptors #1 ??). At least a good four times throughout that night, random guys would tap him on his shoulder in the mosh pit and tell him how great his fit looked. A good couple of them were even wearing their own NBA

By Maha Fier,

Plastic Free July has long been a favourite month of mine. In high school it was the time where my mum and I would take extra trips in our suburbs to Binn Inn and think of a new way on how we could become more plastic free within our household with the amenities that were available to us. It was so satisfying weighing our jars and filling them up with the most amazing mango strips and chocolate. I would walk out of there always feeling good about myself, like I had actually done something revolutionary.

Things are a bit different now. I live in the heart of Auckland CBD, studying at the University. I live by myself and do my own groceries. I don’t have a car, so I rely on public transport, and my two legs to get me places. Most importantly, I’m on a budget and usually