Nwannia’s conscious fashion

FOR Chaguanas-based designer Nwannia Sorzano, the belief that fashion is a tool for education and empower is deeply rooted in personal experiences.

Fashion was one means by which Sorzano was able to overcome the trauma of sexual abuse.

Now, her namesake fashion brand NWANNIA is focused on helping people reduce the world’s environmental woes through sustainable consumption practices and empowering sexual survivors to reclaim their confidence.

But Sorzano’s journey in TT’s fashion landscape began spontaneously.

While attending St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph, and being unable to afford clothing, a then 15-year-old Sorzano would take matters into her own hands and start designing her own clothes.

Catching the attention of her schoolmates and people around her, Sorzano started sewing clothes for those around her.

“For me, fashion came very organically,” said Sorzano, 31, in an interview with Newsday.

Sorzano’s earliest recollections of designing trace back to her childhood days in San Juan.

“My aunt and my mother used to sew, and from a very young age, I used to be at their feet doing my own thing while they were creating for their clients.

“When I first started (designing pieces for others at 15) it was simple skirts. I did a lot of Greco-Roman and draping styles.”

When Sorzano left secondary school in 2007, a definite path in life was not set in stone. She continued sewing but was still finding her true calling.

She did courses in theology and graphic design at the UWI, St Augustine, even considering to be a social worker at one point. But, Sorzano’s love for fashion would remain ever-present.

After working multiple jobs, to make ends meet, in 2013 Sorzano decided to invest all her life’s savings in creating a fashion a brand solely based on the fashion knowledge she has acquired informally, over the years.

Calling the brand NWANNIA, the brand’s focus was to help educate people on how they can be more conscious of the world around them by promoting sustainable consumer practices.

“Whatever your calling is, you can still serve people through it.

“You don’t necessarily have to go into fields that people typically associate with the concept of service.

“Your calling can be journalism, fashion design or teaching and you can still serve through that.”

Sorzano chose to focus her brand on sustainable consumer practices after she learnt about the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse in Bangladesh.

The collapse of the factory, which reports say was constructed with substandard materials and not built in line with building codes, killed more 1000 workers who worked in unsafe conditions.

“The (factory collapse) was a big incident in the fashion industry where the dark side of fashion was really shown.

“You have to see there are people working under harsh conditions, in what I would call modern day slavery, to create clothes for people that are unconscious to the conditions their cheap clothing are made under.

“The brand that I’ve built is very socially conscious.”

Sorzano wants people to be conscious the way they live and examine how the clothes they wear are made.

She is also challenging what she sees as the fashion industry’s promotion of excessive consumerism and a “one use and throw away” culture.

For people that interact with her brand’s messaging, she wants them to ask one question which is, “Do you really need all this clothes?”

“I know it sounds crazy for a fashion designer to be telling people don’t buy my clothes, but it is really to ask people to take a step back.

“I think we tend to buy impulsively and not all the time we need the number of things that we purchase.”

Sorzano’s brand is also focused on educating consumers about adopting zero-waste practices and ensures her brand follows its own messaging.

During the production of clothing for the brand, every piece of material is utilised fully, and it is ensured the least amount of waste possible is produced during the brand’s production process.

“We (at Nwannia) use eco-friendly and minimalist packaging so there isn’t too much excess waste created.

“For example, we use bamboo to package some of our items. In that case, out customers can use the bamboo as a flower pot for their garden later.”

While Sorzano says aspects of the global fashion industry are starting to embrace elements of sustainable living, she believes there is still a way to go.

With more more thought, Sorzano said the mainstreaming of sustainable consumption and production practices in the global fashion industry is possible.

And while making strides in TT’s fashion industry, the brand’s message is reaching international audiences.

Since its creation, pieces from the Nwannia brand has been sold in the UK, US, and Canada.

And while Sorzano’s is helping to heal the world through fashion, she is also using fashion as a tool for self-healing.

A survivor of sexual abuse, in recent years Sorzano has found the courage to share her experience through the brand’s platform to raise awareness for the issue and help empower other survivors.

“It was very difficult for me to put all of myself out there, but I am very happy that I did because I have gained and given so much love.

“Because of my platform, I am able to help others.

“It (sexual abuse) is something that isn’t spoke about enough. I think it is so necessary to bring awareness to the issue.”

In April, Sorzano and her brand’s creative team planned a virtual fireside chat where psychologists interacted with a group of sexual abuse survivors and allies.

“It was so beautiful to experience and witness the healing that took place in that space.”

The event was in held in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month which is recognised every April.

Topics discussed during the fireside chat included forgiveness which Sorzano says is a difficult topic for survivors of sexual abuse.

Sorzano plans to make the initiative an annual event.

With the covid19 pandemic and global Black Lives Matter protests, shifting recent conversations, Sorzano’s brand have been keeping attuned.

Representing the brand, Sorzano participated in the protest action held opposite the US embassy in TT, in early June.

The protest action was held to stand in solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement, which was protesting the death of George Floyd, at the hands of police, in the US on May 25.

“I think it was very important for the brand to be there (at the affirmative action).

“The brand’s tagline is “Standup, Standout” and that wasn’t created just to look good on clothing.

“The tagline means stand-up for something that you believe and what the Nwannia brands believes in is that everyone should have equal rights.”

With people encouraged to wear masks to help curb the spread of covid19, Sorzano’s brand have created masks and thus far, the brand has donated over 100 masks to frontline workers.

Despite the brands relatively small size Sorzano says she will ensure the brand continues to play its part in the national response to the pandemic.

To help people cope with the effects of local covid19 restrictions, in the early months of the pandemic, Sorzano used the brand’s social media accounts to host a virtual event every week.

The goal of the virtual events was to create a sense of community and support for people during the restrictions.

“Because the brand is very people centred, we enjoy connecting with people.

“We had a different number of guests who were able to help people in different ways. For example, psychologists came on and gave people good ways to cope with their anxiety.

“Yoga instructors and musicians, like the members from local music group Freetown Collective, also made appearances during the event.”

So, what is next for the Nwannia brand?

Sorzano is currently promoting the brands latest collection called Break-weh which was launched last month.

“For me, the Break-weh collection was inspired by a past Carnival experience I had where afterwards I opened up (about my sexual abuse).

“I told everyone about my trauma and my healing. Through Carnival as I was able to Break-weh and it was a surreal experience.

“I was able to regain myself, sexuality and just be free by participating in Carnival,” said Sorzano on the experience.

While Sorzano has not been thought fashion design at any formal institutions, she does have plans in the future.

Noting her experience in the field, thus far, is important, Sorzano it also important to gain further knowledge from different sources.

“I would like to do some formal training and hopefully get more mentors to assist me along my path.”

While Sorzano said the fashion industry can be very difficult to make headway into she encourages young designers to stay persistent.

People interested in purchasing pieces from the NWANNIA brand can reach out to the brand’s Instagram page @nwannia or call/WhatsApp Sorzano at 460-7777.