成衣製作模式深入民心，彷彿只要有錢，就能買盡所有心頭好。近年連著名「可一不可再」的高級珠寶也開始接受訂單再造，或許世上的確沒有甚麼東西是不能用錢買的了。一名仍在聖馬丁學院求學的時裝設計學生Conner Ives，近日埋頭苦幹的一個系列以美國夢為題，利用可再生物料製作的晚禮服，在倉促年代給了我們一點啟示。

好的東西需要時間。真正好的事情需要更長的時間。

Conner Ives

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The sample I made at 18. The textile alone was the sum of 1 month of non-stop work. The finishing and assembly of the dress was further all sewn by hand, taking a further 2 weeks of labor before fitting. The embroidery comes from a sample I did when I was 18 and working at an Art Centre teaching fashion as a summer job before I moved to London. I did it as a lesson on embroidery with the kids; I kept it in a sketchbook all this time. I used floral craft sequins and seed beads to embroider what looked like a field of flowers onto a tulle base. I loved the textile so much and wanted to save it for a day that I could do it justice; make it properly. Final collection felt like the right opportunity. When we realized we would all have to leave CSM and make our collections at home, I realized the dress that was meant to take 5-10 people around the clock work would have to be made by me alone. Daunting, yes but I love embroidery. I was secretly thrilled that I would get to do it all myself. So, The textile was sewn sequin-by sequin by me alone over 1 month; onto about 5 meters of silk organza. The organza was donated to me by Wes Gordon of Carolina Herrera. In collaboration with Rachel Clowes of The Sustainable Sequin Company, we produced around 10,000 recycled plastic floral sequins, to emulate the textile I made when I was 18. The seed beads used at the end of the sequins were vintage; making the entire textile sustainable. A testament to my pursuit of developing sustainable couture practices. It was about 12 hours each day of non-stop embroidery to complete it in time. Good things take time. Really good things take even longer. Making this look was a testament to that. But, more than anything wanted this look to be a dedication to 18-year-old me. Being so full of ambition, so eager to enter this industry. I saw the textile itself as that; glittering with imperfection and honesty. Made from found materials; becoming something else. It was the full iteration of my world; all boiled down to 1 look. So this; is for 18-year-old Conner; to all his hope and naivety. I strive to be as delusional as you once were.

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「這布料是我在18歲時製作的樣本。」

「製作這個系列，單是紡織品，就需要用上一個月不間斷工作的時間。而衣服的製作和縫紉全由手工完成，再花兩週的時間試穿及改良。裙裝上的刺繡，來自我18歲時做的一塊樣品。在我還未移居至倫敦前，我在一間藝術中心工作，我的暑假工作就是教導時裝設計。這塊樣品是我和上學的孩子們一起刺繡的。我一直把它收藏在我的素描本內。」

「我用花卉形狀的珠片和像種子般的珠子，在薄紗上繡出了看起來像花田的花朵。我非常喜歡這種紡織品，並希望將它保存至一天可以再度重見天日。」

「當我們意識到我們所有人都必須離開學院（因疫情關係）並在家中製作我們的系列時，我意識到本來由5-10個人每天工作的系列，現僅由我自己一人製作，這真的令人生畏。是的，我喜歡刺繡，暗自為自己能做這件事而感到興奮。所以，我花了一個月獨自把衣服縫上珠片。裙子的透明硬紗是由Carolina Herrera的Wes Gordon捐贈給我的。除此之外，我與利用可持續物料生產珠片的供應商Rachel Clowes合作，我們生產了大約10,000個可回收的塑料花卉亮片，用作模仿我18歲時製作的樣品，令到整個系列的紡織品也符合可持續發展方針。這也證實了我對發展可持續時裝實踐的追求。每天大約需要12個小時不間斷的刺繡才能及時完成作品。」

「好的東西需要時間。真正好的事情需要更長的時間。這件作品就是一個證明。可是，最重要的是這件作品能夠獻給18歲的我，當時充滿野心，渴望進入這個行業的我。18歲的Conner；所有的希望和天真。我一直努力變得像你以前一樣『妄想』。」

Conner Ives的一席話贏得不少人的感動，其實身處在時裝產業，有幾多人起步的原因不是為了追隨夢想呢。看到Conner Ives一步步實現自己於時裝設計的願景，堅持使用可持續發展的物料，更是錦上添花。而且，這些款式全球只得一件，因可再生物料有限，故此未必能投入生產線。雖然有錢依然能使得鬼推磨，但是這個世界內，誠意及堅持是無價的。在利益行先的年代，Conner Ives大可以打着旗號賺些快錢，但是他選擇了一條沒正等回報的路。他的故事，就是倉促年代的一點希望。

Conner Ives

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Daniel Cheung

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photo courtesy of Conner Ives