Josie says she is particularly proud of her Honours project, which explored behaviour around slow fashion – the practice of consuming less.
“My research was the first in that field in New Zealand, as there is very little research into what drives people to choose slow fashion and what types of people will respond to different messages. Fashion is the second highest water consumer industry, and is detrimental to the planet, so I think it is an important piece of research. I really enjoyed postgraduate study as it was a lot more specialised and gave me a glimpse of what I could do in the future.”
Josie has always been interested in upcycling clothing, establishing doozydudz five years ago, an initiative that allows her to both sell and promote buying second-hand clothes. She also hosts clothing swaps and is setting up a permanent clothing exchange at the new Climate Action Campus, with an ethos of giving something to get something back.
She also works part-time as an engagement coordinator at Christchurch Envirohub, a charitable organisation that connects and supports environmental and sustainability organisations – a job she secured following a UC PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) internship last summer.
In October, Josie will embark on a new adventure, heading to Europe in the hopes of securing employment in the environmental fashion industry. With dual citizenship, she is also exploring the idea of completing her Masters in slow fashion in the United Kingdom.
“I would love any opportunity to carry on my research. The field I am in is only just starting to blossom, but I would love to be part of changing as many people’s behaviours towards fast fashion as possible. I want to be able to do something on a larger, more impactful scale.”
