When I first met Ella Douglas, a little over a year ago, she was just starting her first year at university, coming from a small town in Oxfordshire to England’s capital in the hopes of spreading her social messages through her fashion designs. In a matter of months, her fashion career has accelerated leaps and bounds, and, while she may still be in university, she has proven herself as a designer to watch. Her garments are in high demand, featured in editorials from publications like Grazia, Dazed and Gay Times and worn on stylish celebs like A’Whora, GreenTea Peng and Harris Reed - the requests for her pieces continue to come in - and from the unlikeliest places (Even A$AP Rocky!). 

Lily Davies catches up with up-and-coming student designer Ella Douglas about the next generation’s big environmental responsibility, using fashion for good, and what it its like entering an industry in need of dire change. 

Greeted by a hug and a welcoming smile, the first thing you can’t help but notice about Douglas is that she is as friendly as she is bold. Strikingly tall, dressed impeccably in buckled platform boots, a fitted trench coat, clashing prints and sporting some bold eyeliner - if she wasn’t so warm she would almost be intimidating. 

She brushed off my thanks for her time, explaining animatedly about how she'd managed to get most of her current project out of the way early.

Drag queen, A’whora pictured in Ella’s apron dress.

“Sounds like you’ve been busy! What was the project?”

“Something called the LVMH project,” she explained, “it’s my first ever group project, where we get left over fabrics from Louis Vuitton and have to make a collection out of it… the whole thing has opened my eyes in so many ways. Even in terms of financial costs it has saved me so much money… it makes you think… why don’t we use fabrics that are reused and donated? There’s no reason to keep buying new. It is definitely going to change how I look at my future projects.

Would you say this year has changed your awareness of your impact as an aspiring designer? 

I never really thought about it that much before but there’s no reason to not try to be better. I think its important as a young designer to be constantly reminded that the fashion industry is literally the second biggest polluter…it does make you think, especially because we do the more avant garde fashion rather than the ‘get it in a shop’, ‘wearable’ stuff, whether there is actually a need for it at all. You definitely have to justify what you’re making. 

Do you think you fill a gap in the fashion industry today? 

I hope so. I definitely think this generation has to change because the world isn’t in the best condition. We don’t really need any more clothes if you think about it, so actually were going into an industry where we are making things that are not technically necessary, so I think its important to consider what your designs are saying and their impact rather than just making things for the sake of it. 

How do you personally tackle this question of what is needed in this world today? How do you judge that?

I am always questioning… i’m not saving lives, i’m not being a nurse or a doctor.. i’m literally polluting the world, you know so its always on my mind. Im like… I really need to think about what i’m making and why I am making it - I guess it plays into the work I have done before, how it is all about being loud and unapologetic in my queerness - taking everything to the maximum and letting my self expression come out. At least then i have a reason, at least then I'm saying something and putting something positive out there that could really resonate with someone. 

As well as that, like I mentioned, I am going to make sure I get all my fabrics second hand and use my fabric waste and things like that, that way I can cut down costs and waste at the same time. But I do think that it is so hard in the fashion industry today to do things like reuse fabrics because even in fashion school, if you use the same fabric in different projects you get slated for it… from what i’ve seen its even worse in the industry. That is something that definitely has to change because you shouldn’t have to over consume to have success. 

Has your industry experience been a positive one? 

Its definitely exciting and stressful. there are obviously issues in the fashion industry… i’ve never been paid for anything and garments are often lost and stuff like that. You do learn something new every time. Like carrying tools with you in case a piece breaks or is damaged - being able to compromise is important.

GreenTea Peng in Ella’s blouse top.

Do you think the industry is on the path to positive change? 

Just in terms of young and independent designers, I would say that there have been so many more of my peers that are being requested for big publications, which I think is really positive. Social media has helped with that, its a great way to get your work seen while you’re studying. Its nice to see student designers be taken seriously because we are the future, and we are the ones putting the work in.