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“The clothes We Wear are a Direct Expression of our Personalities, Beliefs and Lifestyles” – José Hendo On Her Unwavering Quest for a Sustainable Fashion Industry

By satisfashionug | January 19, 2023

“The clothes we wear are a direct expression of our personalities, beliefs and lifestyles. Therefore the history of a garment is just as important as its future,” says José Hendo, recipient of Satisfasion UG’s ‘Fashion Innovator of the Year’ award. The Ugandan-born British eco-sustainable designer takes pride in her approach to design which challenges wasteful culture. The award, which was announced last December, was a nod to her steadfastness and forward thinking approach to design. “José Hendo started the conversation on sustainability before it became a buzz word,” says Isaac Kayondo, Satisfashion UG’s Head of Content.

“Through my research, I learnt what happens through the life-cycle of a garment: From farming to production to the consumer then to landfill. Designing clothes now requires an awareness of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. That’s why I chose to combine good design with sustainability,” she says.

José Hendo (Photo by **Melvinmc Photography**)

Last September, she presented the Past Present Future (PPF) design series during London Fashion Week. Inspired by the River Nile, the PPF design series sought to highlight the management, use and disposal of fashion and technology in a way that minimises environmental damage and encourages sustainable environmental practices by responsible production.

As part of the presentation, Ange Mahoro modelled the finale look from the series; a stunning creation called ‘Mother Earth Weeps’ which married the past, present and future together into one. The gown featured an array of fabrics all representing different eras, with barkcloth, a fixture in all of José Hendo’s work, taking center stage. The back detail of the gown featured a four-metre-long train of barkcloth going from the shoulders all the way to the ground. If you still haven’t taken notice of the symbolism in these details, your eyes won’t miss the accessorising done using compact discs, which by the way, are on their way to complete extinction. Seeing the beauty these CDs gave the gown begs the question – what has become of all the CDs and DVDs we used so religiously a few years ago?

Fashion and technology are large contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but can be the catalyst for businesses to change how they manage the resources which go into their products or services. Technology can lead to rapid developments, but then items become obsolete and resources not reused, every business needs to act responsibly.

The design of this finale gown, MOTHER EARTH WEEPS, represents the longest river in Africa: the Nile. The river that in the PAST, and now the PRESENT, does what technology does – connects people for leisure and economic purposes. This river has supported life for generations, including one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, and is a symbol of resilience and certainty. The rippling waters of the Nile glistening under the African sun are represented by the CDs on the train of the gown. This train is four metres long referring to the length of the Nile of over 4,000 miles.

Unfortunately the amount of plastic that litters the Nile flowing toward the Mediterranean Sea is immense. The CD embellishment also represents this, as CDs are made from plastic that is non-recyclable and not easy to cut, so are left as they are to make a statement on the need for responsible production. CDs are a form of technology now being superseded by newer technologies, but are included in this design as part of REUSE and RECYCLE. The smoky white water rapids of the White Nile flowing northwards are reflected in the tulle, with the ivory part of the gown, an upcycled wedding gown, being the REUSE aspect.

The futuristic new state of the art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London was the location of the photo shoot. It formed an integral part of the symbolism. According to Hendo, the location is just a few metres away from her design studio, which significally whittled down her transportation costs to zero. Reflections of the sky in the glass walls of the stadium juxtaposed against the rich brownish terracotta of the barkcloth made for a sight to behold.

PPF is a tran-seasonal design series, promoting sustainability and circularity as the way to address our impact on the environment. This design series demonstrates how we can extend the life of garments by upcycling traditional menswear, jackets, coats, shirts, trousers, and wedding gowns in combination with Ugandan barkcloth. The rustic barkcloth and upcycled fabrics complement each other beautifully, as barkcloth is one of the best ambassadors for sustainability. It is one of the oldest cloths made by man (Past) together with the used garments (also Past). As part of José Hendo’s ethos ‘Sustainable by design’, upcycling is one way of prolonging the life of a garment and reducing waste, thereby connecting the Past and Present to the Future. Wooden and bamboo pegs are used as fasteners for practical and aesthetic detail. The patch detail is a symbolic nod to the methods used to repair and protect garments in the past, with the zigzag running stitch also standing for the running waters of the Nile.

Ugandan barkcloth is made from the bark of the mutuba tree (ficus natalensis), native to Uganda. In 2014, José Hendo founded Bark To The Roots (B2TR), an initiative to promote barkcloth and help to preserve the heritage and knowledge surrounding the material’s use and production. The harvesting of the bark does not harm the tree, and so trees can be harvested every year for around sixty years. Ugandan barkcloth is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

R³ – Reduce Reuse Recycle, the overarching motto of José Hendo’s work means upcycling is a key element in the making of these garments. Using clever-cutting and a zero-waste approach where nothing goes to waste, José Hendo achieves a look of timelessness.

Using barkcloth for the design of the finale gown illustrates the element of REDUCE, using this cloth that is sustainably produced, thus reducing our impact on natural resources. Maybe makers of technology can be inspired by this to consider reducing the amount of components that cannot be repurposed?

As an advocate for sustainability and circularity and founder of the R3 campaign, José Hendo encourages everyone to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE; these words are the cornerstone of her work.
José hendo

Bark To The Roots (B2TR)

In 2014 José Hendo launched an initiative called BARK TO THE ROOTS (B2TR) which is anchored in the ethos of the Sustainable Development Goals, reminding us to preserve both our heritage and the environment. Through the one-million Mutuba tree-planting campaign, B2TR addresses the climate change crisis. The Mutuba tree is crucial to the balancing of the eco system where it grows, thus saving a heritage and helping the environment in one effort. The José Hendo label is connected to and works closely with the Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association (BOTFA) in Uganda who have preserved this heritage of making barkcloth.