Annabel's London
Explain how your Caribbean roots and Toronto upbringing influence your design aesthetic today.
I was born in Jamaica and grew up in Toronto, but I cannot say that my style or design esthetic reflects that in anyway.
How do you view sustainability in fashion — especially given your focus on handmade and one-of-a-kind designs?
I think sustainability in fashion can be practiced in many ways. from thrifting, to only choosing natural fabrics etc. At SWABY we practice sustainable habits. We resize garments for customers to keep them fitting well. We replace linings and zippers so that customers don’t throw away SWABY pieces in the landfills. We replace stained garment panels. We re -design outdated pieces. SWABY maintains all garments that we create to keep customers wearing them longer for zero additional cost. And customers are encouraged to retire their completely worn out SWABY items with us so that we can make blankets for the homeless. SWABY is a unique way to shop but it works! For 26 years and counting!