Discover: Bodies As Clothing

We caught up with LCF graduate and entrepreneur Allen Litton on her vision of the fashion system when it comes to setting up your own business and making sustainable choices.

Introduce yourself.

I was born in San Francisco, California to Eurasian parents by way of Dublin, London, Singapore, and Manila, and I am currently based in Bali, Indonesia. My great grandfather, George Litton, started one of the first textile mills in South East Asia in the 1940’s.

What course did you study at UAL and what have you been doing since then?

I studied the MA Fashion Futures course at London College of Fashion (LCF), graduating in 2017. Since then, I have worked for different companies such as Industry of All Nations in Los Angeles, Cotton Sheep Boutique in San Francisco, a co-living company, and I have completed a few consultations with Donna Karan. In 2019, I have finally fulfilled my dream of moving to Bali and starting my own production of plant-dyed natural fiber clothing brand: "Bodies As Clothing". Today I work full time for a contemporary art gallery as a project manager whilst continuing to grow my clothing brand.

Tell us a funny episode/fact that you cherish about your life as a UAL student.

One of my favourite and often recurring episodes as a UAL student is how our dear sewing technician Flora would shoo us out of the sewing room to take a break. She used to say: ’time to eat’ or ’time for tea, let’s get out of here!’.

You started your own, sustainable brand, producing clothing entirely made from plant-dyed natural fibers, stitched with organic cotton thread and plastic-free finishing. How did it all start?

I started "Bodies As Clothing" when I was a third-year student at Cornell University, cooped up in the library, reading books about Ancient Greek philosophies of the soul and the body.

The name "Bodies As Clothing" was inspired by a book entitled "The Sex Appeal of the Inorganic", written by the Italian Mario Perniola. Diving into this world of cosmologies of the body is said to be the instrument of the soul. I was getting a bit lost in my wild mind trying to figure out a way to make clothes as a tool to help train the body and soul. To reconnect with our interconnected universal energy (l’élan vital), and live in balance with the Earth and the universe. Quite a lofty goal for a fashion brand. But fashion makes lofty goals fun.

All materials and production practices were inspired by the animistic textile cultures of Indonesia. I’ve spent 14 days in the field conducting research for my MA thesis, living with generations of hand-woven textile makers on the Indonesian island of Flores.

Why Bodies As Clothing?

"Bodies As Clothing" is a functional, wearable, scientific art project that can be a wearable tool to help people feel connected to their élan vital (universal life force energy), and be reminded of our interconnected nature, through fashion. My dear friend Bandana Tewari wrote a wonderful article about "Bodies As Clothing", further explaining it for me. You can read her article here.

What challenges have you faced in setting up a business?

My dear MA tutor Alex McIntosh used to tell me that the majority of the independent fashion brands (especially those interested in having a sustainable edge) would fail within the first year but this shouldn’t be discouraging. In fact, each small brand contributes to slowing down the fast, corporate, unwholesome fashion system. I think the biggest challenges I’ve faced, and am still facing, are marketing and funding. I'm trying my best to manage it all until I’ll be able to hire someone to help me.

What made you want to create Sustainable clothes?

Feeling and knowing firsthand about the destruction and imbalance caused by the fashion industry.

What do you hope to change/achieve in the clothing/fashion system?

I hope to align the fashion system with the Earth and people’s system. Imagine a fashion system that adopts the same principles as permaculture farming. That is my goal.

What’s next for Bodies As Clothing?

I currently balance "Bodies As Clothing" alongside a full-time job as a project manager for an upcoming contemporary gallery. The brand is two and half years old and is in a "slow growth phase"; my plan is to continue reaching new clients, and making new designs to be released at least once a year.