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Designer Jacquelyne Bailey, the creative force behind the women’s brand JClarke, is making her New York Fashion Week debut with a whimsical Alice in Wonderland-inspired collection. But behind the theatrics, Bailey’s message is serious: she wants people to rediscover the lost art of sewing as a way to build more sustainable closets.

“I like to express how I feel about what’s going on around me and what is going on with me through my clothes,” Bailey, 30, told MadameNoire. “I feel like the state of the world is unpredictable, just like in Alice in Wonderland. There are so many little nuances in the movie, and I feel like it relates to what’s going on now.”

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Her hand-sewn collection brings each character to life. Alice represents American greed, the Mad Hatter reflects mental health, and the Cheshire Cat appears alongside a reimagined King of Hearts — a spiritual nod to her faith.

For Bailey, the most crucial detail is that majority of her pieces are sewn by her. “I feel like if people would learn how to sew and understand the time and the process that goes into it, they would cherish their clothes more often,” she said.

Bailey points to fast fashion as one of the biggest threats to sustainability. “There’s such a ridiculous amount of fabric waste, and it just keeps going up as fast fashion becomes more popular,” she explained. Factories turn out endless clothing at a human and environmental cost.

 “They’re using miners, they’re working overnight, and it’s not ethical,” she added.

Instead of overconsumption, Bailey encourages everyone to pick up a needle and thread even for the basics.

The post The Lost Art of Sewing: Jacquelyne Bailey’s NYFW Debut Inspires Us To Pick Up A Needle [Exclusive] appeared first on MadameNoire.