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Dear Laura,

Hi! Hope your well. I'm Jess and I'm a fashion student studying at Ravensbourne. I have a really strong interest in completing a work placement with you and through Ben Steele I found your email, who said you have several internships - particularly interested in your jewellery and accessories designer internship.

In the past three years, I have embarked on several different fashion related briefs that have developed my skillset and allowed me to explore design work using photoshop, print-making, textile manufacturing, draping, experimental pattern cutting and sketching.

I have a strong interest in your brand and what you do; sustainability plays such a vital part in my practice and your brand morals and ethos to create one-of-a-kind items that are eco-friendly really resonates with me, Your message of building a business on your own evokes ambition and a hard working attitude that I possess and an opportunity to learn from you and build on this concept would be incredible. I'm really inspired by your collection of tyre belts and necklace as it has such a strong sustainability message, as well as every tyre having a previous story that is recycled to a new one. In my own work I focused on recyclables, creating a collection of weaves that were made solely plastic bags, old clothing such as t-shirts and rope. My focus was that every weave, every strand, had a previous story that was turning into a new one, giving the textile new life.

I have several skills as showcased in my portfolio of work that I could bring to your brand as well as a huge interest in creating prints through a set inspiration, exploring different techniques of how to print using different materials and discovering new recycled materials to delve into inspiring for new accessories. I'm very keen to gain knowledge of working within this industry but more particularly with yourself and I'm very interested interning with you and being a strong member within your team.

I hope to speak with you further about your work as well as the possibility of whether I can assist you.

Kind Regards,

Jessica Hooley

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- On the first day, the main focus was for me to find out more about Laura, herself, and Laura Zabo as a brand. Laura gave me insight information and access to: her website, Shopify account, Google My Business and blog/newsletter writing outlets. I spent the morning with Laura really understanding her business and understanding the brand identity, so I’m able to move with the brand with the ethos in my mind. I went over her Shopify ensuring her pictures, pricing and descriptions al aligned with the website and the Google My Business accounts. In the Afternoon, I began to craft! Laura showed me how she creates her leaves that she commonly uses during her products, and allowed me to make some, which we used for orders. Furthermore, we painted and explored different colour combinations, which I enjoyed as she allowed me to explore her techniques she uses when painting.

- On the second day, the morning was spent continuing on from the admin, where I updated Laura’s website: updating images, aligning prices to descriptions, editing old products to new products. I really enjoyed doing this admin as it shows me what goes on behind a small business and steps you can go through to encourage customers/sales by pushing your business out there. In the afternoon, the focus was planning photoshoots with Laura’s photography internship and furthermore, creating other pieces for her intern to photograph. We also began creating a harness for an order, which continued onto day three, the focus of the harness was to create something: fun, colourful and a statement.

- On the third day, I spent the morning creating a blog post/ newsletter focusing on World Earth Day 2022. I really enjoyed blog writing, as Laura allowed me creative freedom of the topic I could write freely about. I chose to focus my blog post on the damage fast fashion is having on a global scale and the waste pollution from it, mainly brands such as ‘Shein’. In the afternoon, I then cut, painted and put together a choker&belt for Laura, who was wearing it for promotion pictures. I really enjoyed doing this as Laura gave me a lot of creative freedom!

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Happy World Earth Day! Let's come together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution levels and begin to make more eco-friendly decisions!

The fast fashion industry has completely revolutionised the way we look, choose and buy our clothes. This industry has been popularised for creating cheaper items of clothing at a fast paced turnaround, feeding into the trend cycles of the modern world. However, how sustainable are these fast fashion brands and should we be consuming them? The fashion industry is responsible for producing 100 billion garments a year for over 7 billion people, as well as approximately sending 40 million tonnes back to landfill or to be incinerated annually. This statistic is frightening, and the fast fashion industry is a main culprit due to the overload of items daily that is being created. For example, Shein, a popular Chinese company focusing their target market on the Gen Z consumer, churns out a whopping 6,000 new items daily onto their website - 6 times more than the popular UK brand ASOS. Brands such as Shein and PrettyLittleThing are dominating the fashion industry and are becoming the new norm, despite fast fashion being one of the leading forces as to why the fashion industry is responsible for over 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

How can we break this cycle and improve the way we shop? Shop sustainable! Research and choose sustainable options that are ecologically and socially responsible. Research brands that are challenging fast fashion norms, and begin to choose quantity over quality! Choose clothing and accessories that have been manufactured ethically, as well as positive towards the environment we live in. Choosing fashion items that are made from sustainable materials, buying from local businesses and learning about different sustainable options are all small ways you can change the world we live in and do your bit for the environment!

Check out Laura Zabo upcycled inner tube accessories for both men and women!

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Happy World Earth Day! Let's come together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution levels and begin to make more eco-friendly decisions! The fast fashion industry has completely revolutionised the way we look, choose and buy our clothes. This industry has been popularised for creating cheaper items of clot

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- This week, I started off by going through admin jobs, e.g. checking over Laura's website to see if her website is correct, and to see if her descriptions of her new products match up correctly. Furthermore, Laura and I began thinking of ideas of new products to create and textile ideas we could play around with. I showed Laura some of my textile samples I've previously made and she picked out ideas we could play around with. I created some samples of weaving rubber with different sizes, different grid materials, etc but wasn't very successful due to the material being quite tough/stiff to weave in a way where it stays when tied.
- After sketching with Laura for a dress that is being made for an important shoot for Laura's business, I then began toiling the next couple of days. The idea behind the dress was a one shouldered basic front/back dress, where there was only side seams. Laura wanted the dress to be basic, lightweight and asymmetric to be able to dye and put decorative leaves over,
the rubber being the main focus of the dress.

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- I started off this week by writing a blog for Laura's website and newsletter. Laura wanted the idea around the blog to be focused on 'fast fashion vs. sustainable options.' For example, using items from Laura's websites like her 'bicycle tyre belts' in comparison to belts from websites such as Zara and H&M. Also, the idea of supporting local communities and businesses,  as well as shopping second hand, e.g. Vinted, etc. This blog post was posted by me onto her website and also used when I created another newsletter for Laura's monthly subscribers.
- After seeing the first toile, me and Laura made some alterations and finalised dress ideas: changes to the width of the shoulder area and making the dress slightly longer. We spoke about fabric options, colours and embellishment ideas using the inner tube rubber.
- The rest of the week was spent focusing on finishing an inner tube tyre styled top. This included cutting out each individual square and attaching all corners together in a way that creates it's own pattern. When making this top, Laura and I spoke about the idea of turning this top idea into a dress, and using this garment for photoshoots, etc. We spoke about ideas of painting the rubber, and even using the top over dresses as design features.
- We also spoke about photoshoot ideas, and I suggested about creating a magazine for Laura's brand that she could send out including a range of photoshoot images, blog posts, interviews, etc. I believe this would be a fun and innovative way of getting Laura's message of the importance of upcycling/sustainability, as well as getting Laura's brand/work across.

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Do you buy fast fashion because it's cheap? Quick? Easy? If you are one of these people, look no further - this is the article for you! Here are some examples we have found, that show you that fast fashion is not always the best or wallet-friendly option.

With the rise of the fast fashion industry, the emergence of the need for 'slow fashion' rose and many people are turning to buying more locally, second hand and choosing more eco-conscience handmade items that are more reliable. The fast fashion industry over the last 10 years, has grown at an astonishing rate, being worth over £60 billion within the UK alone. Many people choose to shop fast fashion, on sites such as: Shein, H&M, Zara and Primark, to name a few, as a way to consume fashion and trends at a quick and easy rate. However, there are better, more sustainable options available, if you just look a little bit longer!

We love shopping handmade and local, as you are supporting not only a business, but a family, a community and someone's dream of creating what they enjoy and love. Furthermore, shopping circular on the app Vinted, giving new life to someone's clothes they don't want is the perfect way of shopping guilt-free that doesn't break the bank.

Here are some fast fashion items we found, that if you looked a little longer you could've found more sustainable options we like below:

These belts are from H&M and Mango, all high street stores. Do you find them special? Unique? Pretty? We don't think so! These belts are not even sustainable, long-lasting or the best option for your wallet.

But look what we have found for a similar investment, but much cooler.

Laura Zabo creates unique accessories from scrap tyre rubber, which means that they are durable and totally earth-friendly too. And if you think that tyres can't be beautiful, just check these images; actresses Gabby Bourne and Tal Anderson wearing belts made completely from bicycle tyres.

With longevity of the product, they will last longer than other options available on the high street:

Have you heard about the app Vinted ? If you still like high street brands why not to grab a bargain ?

Shopping second hand is a perfect way to find items at a cheaper price, whilst continuing to make eco-conscience decisions. You can buy anything second hand - that is even brand new! Below are some examples of designer belts that are being sold on the app Vinted, that are brand new with tags:

If you love brands, shop second hand! Find those hidden gems for what you've been looking for! The fast fashion industry is consuming us too much and we need to break the chain, before it's too late. Make eco-conscience choices, shop sustainable, shop handmade and shop second hand.

To shop sustainable now at Laura Zabo : https://laurazabo.com/

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Do you buy fast fashion because it's cheap? Quick? Easy? If you are one of these people, look no further - this is the article for you! Here are some examples we have found, that show you that fast fashion is not always the best or wallet-friendly option.

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- This week, we started off by fabric shopping and exploring different materials that Laura liked, and what fit with her brand ethos. For example, materials such as cotton and natural fabrics. Laura and I opted for a turquoise-blue coloured cotton material, which the plan was to hydro-dip in gold and metallic colours near the bottom of the dress. After buying the fabric, I spent the next couple of days toiling the dress in the fabric.
- Also, I explored different ways of putting the rubber pieces together to make the top from the previous week. The links that held the rubber squares together were strong, but not strong enough as when wearing it or moving too much, the square links would come undone or loose as the square rubber pieces were quite heavy when put altogether. I experimented using chains, and threading them through as if I was sewing a needle through the holes in the corners of the rubber. Furthermore, we experimented using rubber in thin strips threading through but this was not strong enough. This was really interesting exploring different techniques and options to see what worked best with what rubber.

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- After spending last week making the new toile in the fabric, me and Laura both agreed we wanted to make some slight changes to the dress, e.g. making the top not as loose under the arm and making the dress longer with a 'tulip' style finish at the bottom. Laura wanted the dress to be flowy and loose, but still be glamorous and dramatic as we were planning to dye and decorate the garment too with textiles.
- I spent the rest of the week toiling a couple of times again to try and get the ideal finish we were after. I experimented with how wide the bottom was to be and at what point the tulip shape was to start, for example. I am not the most confident with pattern cutting, but Laura made me feel very comfortable and let me really play around with the patterns, with no pressure of time limit. This made me feel really relaxed and the experience enjoyable, rather than stressful.

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- Started off this week by showing Laura the dress, she was happy with how it's going and we started to plan what we was going to do to further the dress on and the next stages. I was really happy and proud that Laura liked the toiles, as I had really tried to emulate what she wanted from what she told me she had in mind.
- Laura was very busy this week with orders and I started off by washing the inner tube rubber. I cut, washed and disinfected the inner tubes ready for us to use for orders. You have to wash the rubber with bleach and cleaner, as inside the inner tube, there is a white powder that needs to be washed out as it can stain clothes and can stop the paint from drying successfully.
- After cleaning the rubber, I then began to cut different sized/lengths of rubber for some of Laura's orders of accessories, such as the 'curly wurly necklace' - which is very popular on Laura's website. Once I had cut all of the pieces she needed and more, I cut some straight strips for earring orders, which is a similar method to the curly pieces.
- This week, I also really enjoyed experimenting with painting custom orders and creating earrings for Laura's website. I really enjoyed this, as it allowed me to be creative and Laura really gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted, and see what worked and what didn't.
- Laura wanted me to experiment with a new format of newsletter on a new website she's recently started using. I created a mock up newsletter, focusing on the new blog post I wrote, Laura's new workshops she's starting up showing people how to create her popular items, and showing offers on her bestsellers. This week was really enjoyable, as I got to see several different sides to Laura's business and be creative and experimental, but also seeing the business side too!

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- This week, Laura moved to a bigger a studio, so I started off the week sorting through her work and setting up the new space. Laura and I both realised, she had so much unfinished work that was being wasted in boxes, so my focus of the week was to finish the 'odd' pieces she had.
- I finished a range of earrings and painted them to make pairs, creating a range of finished accessories. Laura's orders really started to pick up at a quick rate, so finishing these pieces really helped Laura out, as she could sell these straight away on her website.
- I made my first 'curly wurly' necklace! This is one of Laura's bestsellers and is very popular, so she wanted to show me how to put this together. She recently changed how she pieces the necklace together, using a chain instead of just a thin rubber strip with a chain link. This allows customers to change how they wear it, and any sizes can wear the necklaces. This is my favourite piece of Laura zabo!

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- This week, Laura wanted me to write some blog posts for some magazines, write some interviews up and create her 'Zabo Club.' The 'Zabo Club' is Laura's idea of creating a membership of people that are like-minded to her and thatare eco-conscious and living sustainable. I created some of the early content to grab people's attention so they join, which will be posted properly at the end of the month for the launch.
- Very exciting this week, as Laura was featured on the main page of Etsy and advertised on their main Instagram page. This spiked her orders massively and the rest of the week was like a conveyor belt of making necklaces! I would clean the rubber and then cut the pieces, which took most of the week due to the amount of orders Laura was getting through. Laura would then make the orders, myself making some too. Moreover, once the orders were created, I would box them up and write inside the boxes, etc, ready for myself to post them.
- This week was very intense! However, I really enjoyed this week, gave me a true insight into how a busy week in this area of the industry is like. Furthermore, this week really showed me how much Laura loves what she does and is really inspiring with the dedication she puts into her work. This is why I enjoy working alongside for Laura, I really appreciate the opportunities she gives me.

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- The plan for week 9, is to carry on making orders from the spike of purchases to help Laura. I will be cutting more pieces of different sizes and lengths.
- Furthermore, I think Laura wants to focus on her workshops. Therefore, I think I will be going over her content and writing it all up, posting the content and Laura will be practicing her workshops on myself. Very exciting!
- Also, I believe after the orders have been sent off, the attention to the photoshoot, which is happening at the end of the month/early July, will go into planning. Laura and I have came up with an idea of an 'urban jungle' idea, of the models being photographed in locations outside around London, however wearing pieces that are from Laura Zabo. Inspired by colour, organic shapes and jungle-esque pieces.

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- I have really enjoyed my work placement and internship so far! Laura has taught me so many amazing techniques and opened the world for me, of exploring so many different unusual materials - like rubber. The techniques she's showed me, that allow you to make her accessories is really interesting and definitely something I'm interested in exploring in my own projects, and including them in collections alongside Laura. Furthermore, I've enjoyed exploring sustainable and eco-conscious options, and has really opened my eyes to there is so many avenues of making something sustainable.
- Laura has also showed me the business side of what she does, which was really eye-opening seeing what goes on behind the scenes. For example, sending out orders, writing blog and newsletters, as well as promotion/advertisement of the business.
- Laura has been very supportive of myself, letting me explore pattern cutting, even though I don't feel as confident in that area than I do in others. She allowed me to take my time, with no pressure, and made me feel confident in what I was doing.
- I've really enjoyed working alongside Laura, and feel really happy with what I have done over the past term. Myself and Laura, have spoken to each other and she is happy for me to carry on in the summer through to year 3, which I'm super excited about! we have so many exciting things planned, such as: photoshoots, events and new products Laura wants to introduce. As well as, developing the dress further on, now Laura has more time and can move her focus onto newer products.
- This work placement, has taught me so much, and has allowed me to gain knowledge of industry, as well as highlighting to me that textiles is what I would like to focus on in my future career.

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The moment has finally arrived! As my upcycling mission is expanding, I have decided to start up my own Laura Zabo Club. I'm so excited to share my story and begin to help others start their upcycling journey. Upcycling can be fun and enjoyable, mentally and financially rewarding.

This club is aimed for people who are interested in knowing more about my story, a glimpse into my personal life and my daily routine inside and outside of the workshop. This inside into my life and my work will help club members build a new skill that will open doors for anybody to create jewellers and accessories for any occasion, for anyone. There is a small monthly fee of £5.99/month for this membership, which will give you access into the community I'm building in tyre upcycling. This monthly fee will help me to move forward and bring this new industry into the mainstream.

Within this membership community, I have so many stories I would love to share. Since childhood, I have always been active and have come across so many exciting adventures and experiences. However, I have also experienced anxiety, sadness and many struggles with who I am as a person. I want to share who I am as a person and share what is going on in my life physically and mentally, which I don't believe compliment my sustainable fashion social media profiles. This new community I am building is a perfect way of expanding through a separate medium.

As I grow, so does my business at an exponential rate, I am more inclined to share my journey - both the highs and lows. I want to share my philosophies, my favourite books, private life, sex life, my experiences with psychedelics and how they have changed my life. Most importantly, I will be sharing the true me; Laura.

Alongside this, I will implement techniques and ideas to help grow your business, specifically surrounding upcycling and aiding with other sustainable businesses.
How do I join?
The private membership club costs £5.99 a month with no contract, so you are free to cancel at any time. You can buy a subscription through this link and in the comment section please add your Instagram profile name.

Once you have paid I will accept you on Instagram and we can start this journey together!

It is important to note that not everyone will be accepted to this group. If I do not know you or I don't agree with your Instagram you won't be able to join the club and your money will be immediately refunded.

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Join the Zabo Tribe and Create Your Own Pieces

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The moment has finally arrived! As my upcycling mission is expanding, I have decided to start up my own Laura Zabo Club. I'm so excited to share my story and begin to help others start their upcycling journey. Upcycling can be fun and enjoyable, mentally and financially rewarding.