“We don’t often think about who wears something next—but that’s where the story continues.”
 

Kate Wallace, sustainability advocate brings over two decades of global fashion industry experience spanning London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York. With a background in knitwear design and creative direction, she now focuses on reimagining fashion systems through research, storytelling, and education. Through her ongoing project Redesigning Fashion, Kate explores how clothing connects people across time.

IG: @katerwallace

SHOW NOTES & TAKEAWAYS

• Kate shares her journey from global fashion designer to sustainability researcher, shaped by hands-on experience in factories and international design teams
• The concept of clothing as a “living record,” capturing memory, identity, and human connection across multiple owners
• How passing down children’s clothing inspired Kate’s research into tracing garments and documenting their stories over time
• How clothing gains meaning through wear, memory, and relationships between people.
• How thrift stores are community-driven spaces, rooted in connection and accessibility.
• The importance of asking “why” in fashion design, questioning purpose, value, and necessity.
• The role of fit and tailoring in extending the life of secondhand clothing and making pieces wearable again.
• The contrast between traditional charity shops, curated vintage stores, and modern online resale platforms.
• Ongoing tension between accessibility and reselling culture, including how rising prices impact who can participate in thrifting.