Why fossil fuels don't belong on us with Lucianne Tonti

~ On. WITH LUCIANNE TONTI ~

In our latest edition of On. I speak with Lucianne Tonti, journalist and author of Sundressed: Natural Fibres and the Future of Fashion. I first heard of this book through my doctor, who happens to be Lucianne’s mum (and unofficial PR agent). I was hugely impressed upon reading it by Lucianne’s rigorous research and eloquent positivity when it comes to what is, often a rather bleak subject. 

It’s a wonderful, wide-ranging book that proposes natural fibres as the solution to the clothing industry’s climate crisis. Tonti is also the fashion editor of The Saturday Paper and the sustainability editor for Elle Australia. Recently Lucianne stopped past our studio to get fitted out in Caves and then we sauntered over to Cam’s to chat over pasta and coffee, along with my husband and (favourite photographer) Peter Ryle to snap some shots

JH: Can you talk a little about your work and your background? 

LT:  I am an investigative fashion journalist and an expert in regenerative fashion systems. I come from a background of working in-house with brands, doing a mix of press and sales and helping them embed sustainability strategies into their work. 

I lived in Paris for a while and during the pandemic the agency I founded folded. I came back to Australia and kind of had a career change. I started doing more research and visiting farms and writing about regenerative fashion, and figuring out how this practice could help the industry to reduce its carbon footprint. JH: Did you study anything that was a pathway to getting into this kind of work? 

LT: So I have a Bachelor of Communication and a postgraduate degree in Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate of Law. But I always worked in fashion, I’ve worked in fashion since I was 17 and kept trying to get out of it. The law degree was a final attempt to do something different. I majored in intellectual property law, which was really boring. In hindsight, I should have done environmental law. 

JH: What are the main points that you wanted to convey in your book Sundressed?

LT: I wanted to paint a picture of the industry that wasn't all doom and gloom. I wanted to emphasise how sustainable fashion should be based in natural fibres. I wanted people to understand that synthetics are plastic. They make really terrible clothes, and we shouldn’t be wearing them against our skin. Natural fibres—when they're sourced regeneratively—can offer this positive solution to the planet, which also makes more beautiful clothes that you can wear for a much longer time. And so in a way, it's kind of like this win-win-win across the board.

JH: What are some of the reasons why synthetics don’t serve women’s wardrobes?

LT: The number one reason is that they're derived from fossil fuels. So obviously it's a non-renewable resource that doesn't belong in this biosphere. So when we're pulling something that's been forming and in the ground for millions of years and bringing it into this biosphere, it is toxic and doesn’t biodegrade and pollutes waterways. And then also, aside from specific types of performance wear—like swimwear, waterproof jackets or yoga gear—they don't offer anything good to our wardrobes because they don't breathe and they're not warm, they're not thermoregulating. They make you sweat and they hold onto stains and smells. So in terms of what we need from our wardrobes, they're not providing that, which means that you're less likely to keep them, wear them and enjoy wearing them—and you're more likely to discard them, which causes further problems. 

JH: If you could pick one solution to the fashion industry's impact on the environment, what would it be?

LT: One solution? I would ban polyester. If I had a magic wand, it would be gone.  And then obviously, I’d scale regenerative materials, like cotton, wool, silk, linen and cashmere. This is more than one solution, but I’d also make clothes more durable, where you can feel the value that's embedded into each garment.

JH: Where did the idea that clothes are superficial come from? Part of me is ashamed that I chose to spend my working life designing and selling clothes. It feels silly and superficial. However, most people tend not to leave the house without clothes and the truth is, it's an industry with an enormous impact. What are your thoughts on this?

LT: I mean, I wrestle with it too because for so long I was trying to get out of fashion. It felt frivolous. It didn't feel important enough. But I think that's a perception that the patriarchy has put onto it. Because as long as we're not paying attention to the fashion industry and to how much it underpins the economy, very wealthy men can exploit women. 80% of the fashion’s workforce is women. The industry does not treat the garment workers who make our clothes with respect. They work in horrendous conditions, on zero-hour contracts, not making a living wage while four of the ten richest men in the world make at least some of their money from fashion.  

Then on the other end—the consumer—the fashion industry exploits women's fears and insecurities to sell clothes. But when it's done well, it gives so much hope to people. Say an organization like, Thread Together, who provides new clothes for people in need - that work is so vital to their sense of dignity. The way we show up and present ourselves to the world is intrinsic to our sense of humanity. Fashion is not trivial.

JH: What do you think about Australia's wool industry in terms of what it has to offer the world?

LT: Well, I mean, we make 90% of the world’s fine apparel wool. Which is a lot. We have a monopoly on wool. And the wool is different from what they grow in Britain and other places, it’s ultra-fine. The microns are amazing. The fleece comes out of nature ready to be spun, which is very special and very, very different from synthetic materials. 

Sheep also have this amazing capacity to regenerate land when they're grazed holistically. They transfer moisture and nutrients around the farm, through urination and defecation, which means that farmers don't need to use so many synthetic fertilizers. This means they can help restore biodiversity and water cycles and sequester carbon. There are farmers I've spoken to who have restored 200-year-old grassy woodlands that hadn’t been seen since the arrival of settlers, using regenerative grazing. 

JH: What part do you think that classics play in the story of sustainability of the fashion industry?

LT: I mean, classics made from natural fibres are everything because of how long we keep them and keep wearing them. It starts and ends with your fabric choice. You can build in other little things, but if you're not working with natural fibres as a starting point, then you're already making things that are contributing to climate change. And the durability of the garment, which I think is under-discussed, all comes back to the fabric so, fabric is where you can reduce your impact the most. Something that someone keeps for 10 years means they are not replacing it and buying something new which is a huge piece of the sustainability puzzle.