International Women’s Day Spotlight on Samantha Russell: Challenging the norm of fast fashion with T E N S Studio
Art & Fashion Editor Tamera Heron speaks with Samantha Russell about how she challenges the status quo through her practice of slow fashion.
T E N S Studio was founded by Samantha Russell, a Black artist who returned to her creative roots after teaching for ten years. Within the three months between obtaining a space at Holdrons Arcade and opening to the public, Samantha and her business partner at the time learned how to bring their creations to life and run a business, something she admits she is still figuring out. This ‘you don’t know until you try’ attitude is what makes T E N S Studio such an innovative and exciting brand. The collections are crafted with intention, allowing the wearer to feel proud, comfortable and inspired in their clothing choice. Samantha actively practises slow fashion, taking care of the materials used and the messaging behind each piece. Where fast fashion is obsessed with the latest temporary trends and producing goods in the quickest way possible, it loses part of what makes fashion so significant — zeitgeists and individual expression captured as wearable art.
When Samantha and I speak, it’s almost a year since our first lockdown in the UK. Throughout the past 12 months, we’ve seen a lack of government aid for the cultural and creative sectors. Although from June onwards, there was a wave of support towards Black-owned brands, it shouldn't be ignored that Black designers' work continues to be stolen by fast fashion companies. The industry can be challenging, but Samantha challenges it right back by making creative choices that are conscious and constructive.
Samantha in her London based Studio
Did you have a creative block during lockdown or was it the opposite for you because everything slowed down?
Yeah, it was the opposite. I finally had time to learn natural dyeing and knitting stitches. I just felt that because I couldn’t work, there wasn’t any pressure to earn money, so I could just focus on creating. I loved it so much.
Did you feel there was an increased sense of peace and serenity because you were creating purely for art rather than profit?
Yeah, definitely! I had a point where I felt like my creativity was lost a bit because I was trying to run a business and make money to pay my bills. That first lockdown reminded me of what is important to me, to be able to express myself creatively and experiment. Before I'd have an idea and think, ‘right, I have to do it now and release it. It needs to be out.’ But now I think, ‘what’s the rush?’ I want to fully explore that idea and take it in. Recently, I’ve been sewing lace-bark. It’s a fabric that’s made from a tree that was popular in Africa and the Caribbean. You take a bit of the tree, wrap it up, and it replenishes, and then you stretch it. This material was made by enslaved women in Jamaica to create beautiful outfits, and they were practising natural dyeing too.
You’ve been natural dyeing also. What is it that you enjoy about this process?
I particularly love red onion skins, it can produce an olive green colour which is my favourite, plus the range is really vast because you can add different mordants before you dye. Afterwards, you can add iron that makes the colour darker and sadder, or cooper to make it warmer. It’s just fun. In my mind, I feel like a scientist. I started it during lockdown, so I would go to the park and find different things I can use from there, and I saved up my onion skins. It felt so good to be resourceful and use things in your surroundings. It makes me feel like; I don’t know, I want to say powerful, is that the right word? Creating colour from your surroundings, I suppose resourceful is the right term.
Yeah, but it’s more than resourceful. It’s almost magical! How long would you say the process takes?
To dye something, it’s about four days. You’re leaving something overnight, so you have to be patient. Well, I suppose that's why it’s called slow fashion. I think sometimes I feel like I’m failing because the process is not as quick. I think it’s natural to be hard and criticise yourself, but it feels great when it is done.
How do you practise slow fashion?
From the beginning, I made everything to order, so I didn’t produce more than what was needed. Then last year, the aim became to make the brand fully circular, so everything is biodegradable. I’m still hoping people won’t throw their clothes away, whether they donate to charity, give it to a friend or use the fabric to make something else. Something I’ve always had a problem with when running a business where things are handmade is the price because people are so used to buying cheap clothes. I feel uncomfortable selling something that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford. I always shop second hand. That's how I get around it.
Do you think we can break the habit of shopping fast fashion and making slow fashion more accessible?
I think when you’re shopping for something like a ten-pound pair of jeans, or a dress that is ridiculously cheap, remember that someone down the line is suffering, and it’s usually people of colour. I think consciously we need to put more thought into where our items have come from. On my way in [to the studio], there was a billboard changing between PLT and Boohoo, and it made me so angry. There are people who have to choose between their safety or going to work, and then they’re working and being paid hardly anything.
“I like the idea of creating something that’s had a lot of time and love hone into it, that it will become a special piece for someone, something they’ll value and treasure.”
There is a behaviour of senseless shopping, especially while we’ve all been stuck at home. In regards to being more conscious with our fashion choices, you’ve also explored that in relation to materials. Earlier, you mentioned lace-bark, a fabric created by techniques practised amongst African and Caribbean cultures. Are there any other particular eras and cultures that inspire you?
For different collections, I always go with different eras. The previous one 95’ was about Black British culture in the nineties, which I co-designed with Charlotte Kouadio. We both had the same love and nostalgia for the era, thinking about our aunties, uncles and parents we looked up to as kids. The book Black Style, edited by Carroll Tulloch, talks about Black British style, and that really influenced us. I was also looking at the ’70s, not so much for the fashion but what was happening politically and socially. I delved into movements and photographers within Britain. Then I jumped over to West Africa, looking at Malick Sidibé and Sanlé Sory’s photography within the ’70s.
When you’re inspired by something that’s not necessarily tangible, such as a movement, how do you create that physically?
Well, because it was Black British power, I used the themes of militancy, so I got second-hand military uniforms. I suppose the aesthetics followed from the ’70s and the British Black Panthers and the American Black Panthers, but that was a secondary thing. It was more about the movements and mood.
What was your favourite thing you discovered throughout your 70’s research?
I really got into researching the Mangrove Nine and Darcus Howe, Altheia Jones-LeCointe and Olive Morris. I looked back into that post-civil rights era and all the change and progress that was happening. So when I came across the Mangrove Nine, I was really inspired by the trial and the fact Darcus Howe and Altheia Jones-LeCointe represented themselves. Then, at the end, it was announced that, yes, the Metropolitan Police were racist, and it was a huge milestone. Even though today it doesn’t seem that much different, I was still grateful for that moment of progress.
What are your hopes for your brand in the future?
I would love a team; a fashion student has asked if she can do her placement with me in April. That would be nice if that could happen. For the next collection, I really want to go in on the quilting and embroidery. I like the idea of creating something that’s had a lot of time and love gone into it, that it will become a special piece for someone, something they’ll value and treasure.
Samantha is challenging the norm by simply taking her time. It’s clear she is aware that once her creations are out of her mind and into the world, she is no longer solely responsible for them. And still, with each piece of thread and fabric, she places such care into the items she designs before they arrive in the hands of another. To create in such a careful way takes time and research. From practising resourcefulness to deepening her understanding of the world around her and how she can apply this in the context of fashion. Samantha is a prime example of how challenging the status quo unlocks new possibilities and creation methods, resulting in gorgeous clothing, too — of course.
Check out T E N S Studio’s latest collection N I N E S, and stay posted on Samantha's Journey exploring sustainable materials and waste led design via Fiber Legacy and T E N S Studio.
This interview is part of Onyx Magazine’s series for International Women’s Day 2021, view other features here: