top of page

Capitalism, Creativity and Sustainability: Interview with Hannah Crab Krivine

  • Writer: greenandbop@sheffield.ac.uk
    greenandbop@sheffield.ac.uk
  • Mar 22, 2021
  • 5 min read

Hannah Crabb-krivine, a student aged 21 studying English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, agreed to speak to us about her side hussle- Funky Tits (@funkytitz on depop).


Alongside her degree, Hannah makes boob tubes, necklaces, earrings and more! We wanted to speak to her to find out where she gets her inspiration, motivation and her views on sustainable fashion.


Tell us about yourself!


I’m Hannah, hello!! I like doing creative stuff, especially in lockdown! I have made boob tubes before, and I thought I’d go onto jewellery. To be fair it was only because I needed beads to make an earring for a friend that she'd lost. Then I realised it was cheaper to buy a whole box of beads, bought all of them and just started making necklaces and earrings. I like it because I did art A level and since then I haven't really had any creative to do, it’s nice to have a creative outlet separate from my degree.


Where do you get your inspiration from for your designs?


With a lot of the things I make it’s normally because I want to buy it but I don't want to pay for it. Depop has become such a representation of capitalism, have you seen those brandy melville vests over summer? They became such a demand and commodity so they were the most ridiculous prices, people were selling them for way more than the initial price. I didn't want to give into the hype or the over pricing so I tried to make it myself. With the boob tubes they were really simple and easy to make. It started off as me making a present for someone and I realised it could be something I could do well. I just pick fabrics that I like in terms of my own style, things that I know I would want to wear. A lot of the boob tubes I made were what I would want to wear to a festival, and if people liked it I would make it for them, same with the necklaces. It always feels a bit nicer because the items are unique and not mass produced.


Who are you making the items for and what response do you want from your products?


The people I am making it for are important to me. With the boob tubes, one of the main things was sizing. I wanted to be able to make them for people who wouldn't normally be able to wear them. I know a lot of people with big boobs who say they [boob tubes] won't stay up or they are uncomfortable. Just making a variety of sizes and custom sizes because small, medium and large is so problematic. I basically want to make stuff like that a bit more accessible, also in terms of price.


How have you found the experience of making your own products and selling it, any highlights?


I got asked on instagram to have a stall at Church in Leeds, and that was really good to be fair. It was a really nice experience to know that random strangers wanted to buy my stuff rather than my friends because I definitely felt like people were buying it out of sympathy for me! But the problem is when you're making something to sell, it does take some of the fun out of it, and maybe makes it less creative because you know you need to make something reproducible and not too expensive, appealing to everyone. Giving it a purpose like that takes away making art for the sake of art. I feel like I'm commodifying stuff and I don’t like it! That's why I want to go into second hand fabric so everything is one of a kind.



Have you got any advice for someone who wants to do a similar thing to you?


Just try and do it, don’t be afraid if it's not easy or if it's not perfect the first time. Don't worry about thinking about making a product to sell straight away, just do something you enjoy and get better and better at it. A lot of people say ‘Oh I’m not creative’ but they probably are just in a different way. At the moment I feel like so many people have found creative outlets. So give it a go :)


How important is sustainability to you and what changes to the fast fashion industry need to be made in your opinion?


I definitely want to source out materials that are second hand or more sustainable, maybe buying them off more local businesses. Even with packaging being recyclable. In terms of the general industry I think it is as an all time low to be honest, was it the Pretty Little Thing 2p sale? I am guilty of buying from SHEIN but it is interesting how companies like SHEIN and PLT are seen as really bad, but more upper class brands like Top shop etc aren't seen as bad even though they are all fast fashion. I think the fact that some shops are seen as worse than others is definitely a class thing. Because some shops are more expensive they are seen as more middle class and I think they are seen as better when they are no better than any other companies. They are all fast fashion and all just as bad as each other. I think Vinted is really good at the moment because it is cheap so it makes you want to buy second hand clothes.



Have you done anything to make Funky Tits sustainable?


I always feel a bit guilty because the materials I use are not always recycled. I try to use second hand fabric because that feels a lot more sustainable. But even when it is not second hand fabric it is definitely better buying from a small business so you aren't contributing to a larger chain. And you cut out the middle people that aren't getting paid enough.



Do you have any advice for people who are trying to be more sustainable?


Just think how many times you are going to wear that item. I know myself I have been guilty of buying tops from SHEIN and not really wearing them but it feels okay because it's cheap. We all need to stop doing this even though it's hard!! I know myself I have such a pet peeve about people who send things back because it just goes to landfill. Obviously we can’t do it right now but charity shops are really good. If the stuff in charity shops isn't your style maybe try and make the clothes you want to buy?


Thank you Hannah for taking the time to tell us about Funkytitz and her views on the sustainable fashion/jewellery industry! Peep her depop, @funkytitz to purchase anything shown above. Shop small!



 
 
 

Comments


Join our mailing list!

Thanks for joining us!

© 2023 by Salt & Pepper. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page