Jacket thumbnail 1
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Jacket

1990-1991 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sarah Ratty was an early pioneer of sustainable fashion in Britain in the 1990s and early 2000s. After studying Fashion Textiles at Bristol University, she worked as a fashion stylist at Options magazine before launching her label Conscious Earthwear in 1990. Ratty designed Conscious Earthwear collections with a focus on environmentally responsible production and materials such as organic cotton, recycled fibres and certified eco-conscious textiles. Her designs were regularly featured in notable titles including The Face, i-D, Vogue, Elle and Dazed and Confused. The label was stocked by Browns, Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and worn by celebrities of the period including Macy Gray, The Prodigy, Lamb and All Saints. In 1999 Ratty suffered a near fatal road accident and was in recovery for 5 years. In 2004 she returned full-time to fashion, launching a sustainable lifestyle brand Ciel. The brand was nominated for the Guardian Award for Sustainable Fashion in 2007. Ratty was a founding member of the Soil Association’s Textile Advisory Committee, and the Ethical Fashion Forum and runs a circular design consultancy advising on sustainable approaches in the fashion industry.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed cotton jersey
Brief description
White cotton jersey rave jacket with printed design, designed by Sarah Ratty, Great Britain, 1990-1991; part of a raver outfit UK, 1989-90.
Physical description
White cotton jersey rave jacket with printed design.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 0.62kg
Credit line
Given by the designer
Object history
Registered File number 1994/154.
Summary
Sarah Ratty was an early pioneer of sustainable fashion in Britain in the 1990s and early 2000s. After studying Fashion Textiles at Bristol University, she worked as a fashion stylist at Options magazine before launching her label Conscious Earthwear in 1990. Ratty designed Conscious Earthwear collections with a focus on environmentally responsible production and materials such as organic cotton, recycled fibres and certified eco-conscious textiles. Her designs were regularly featured in notable titles including The Face, i-D, Vogue, Elle and Dazed and Confused. The label was stocked by Browns, Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and worn by celebrities of the period including Macy Gray, The Prodigy, Lamb and All Saints. In 1999 Ratty suffered a near fatal road accident and was in recovery for 5 years. In 2004 she returned full-time to fashion, launching a sustainable lifestyle brand Ciel. The brand was nominated for the Guardian Award for Sustainable Fashion in 2007. Ratty was a founding member of the Soil Association’s Textile Advisory Committee, and the Ethical Fashion Forum and runs a circular design consultancy advising on sustainable approaches in the fashion industry.
Bibliographic reference
De La Haye, Amy and Cathie Dingwall, eds. Surfers Soulies Skinheads & Skaters: Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties. London: Victoria and Albert Publications, 1996.
Collection
Accession number
T.208-1994

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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