Martin Sims creates alternative sustainable fashion in Sydney under the label SomeWhat Strange Clothing. I encountered some of the garments and accessories he had made at The Nest Creative Space's open day and was taken with the darker, moody vibes - a sort of underground London punk sensibility. Like a patched up jacket covered with nods to heavy metal icons; a corset-like belt dripping with chains; and a super substantial neck holster suited to the most utilitarian goth you know. I tried the neck holster on; it was seriously amazing.
SomeWhat Strange Clothing uses 100 per cent recycled fabric, which I appreciate very much. Having walked past a $2 rack of clothing in the CBD just today, the way the fast fashion industry vomits out garments makes me sad. I can only associate them with sweatshop labour, toxic chemicals and enormous amounts of waste. However, reused materials have a soul. As a dedicated scavenger, I agree with Martin: "All of our hand picked material has a story to tell..." These stories are more interesting than the $2 rack.
Martin Sims of SomeWhat Strange Clothing. Photo: supplied
Martin Sims is the 18th in my series of creatives to take five questions.
When my creative process is stuck, I reach for... my laptop. I love to look at the archives of museums like the Met and the fashion museum and V&A in the UK. The past is a constant source of inspiration in clothing design.
The weirdest thing about being a creative human is... waking up at 4am with a headful of ideas for no reason and then spending the next three hours trying to work out how to do them before realising it's 7am and I have to get up.
The most unusual object in my house, apart from my housemate, is a talisman that I brought from a witches market in Bolivia.
Martin Sims' talisman. Photo: supplied
I celebrate my achievements by... I don't celebrate my achievements, like too many creatives I suffer with terrible imposter syndrome, I've never achieved anything 🤨.
Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is... the sewing needle, such a great idea, so simple.