Interview with Ella Noah Bancroft
, an Australian born artist, storyteller, director, mentor and founder of “The Returning” and Yhi Creations.
Ella is a poetic feminist, passionate about re-wilding the world and the feminine force from the multifaceted lens of culture, heritage, gender, politics, identity and sexuality. Ella’s work discusses themes of identity, intersectionality, culture, the feminine force and living a life of integrity, connection and creativity.
How has your story influenced your brand?
I was born in Balmain, Sydney, NSW. I grew up with my mum’s electric Indigenous artwork around me. Our family home was her studio, our dining room table her work desk. My siblings and I grew up in a world full of colour, landscapes and spiritual imagery. It imprinted in my mind from a young age. The sacredness of the planet, the power of our culture and the impact art can have on others. When I was five, we left the city and returned to Bundjalung land, outside of Grafton and lived in the bush. It was a returning to the simple life, no electricity, no shops and a very small school up the road. I spent my days climbing trees and playing in the river. This way of living impacted the work I do now immensely. I lived in the beauty of nature and so as I grew older, I always wanted to protect her. Yhi Collective is an Indigenous run social enterprise that looks to challenge the ways in which businesses can make a difference, and I am currently working on reducing landfill by remaking t-shirts made from up-cycled waste and giving them new life. There is no new clothing made in the production of the T-shirts. Fast fashion has destroyed the environment and made for a mentality of more more more, Yhi challenges main stream fashion brands as an activist brand that is more about spreading a message than being a "brand".
In the process of being a designer what has been the most valuable lesson that you have learnt?
I wouldn't even call myself a designer. I feel like more of an activist. I have however learnt that you can make a business structure that doesn't have to exploit humans and the land and in my own building of my brand and business I have realised that it takes more time, and maybe the initial profit isn't incredibly high, but its a brand that is in integrity with the message. My culture holds the land as sacred, my clothing pays homage to the land by not being drenched in child labour, fast fashion, exploitation of workers, or production of materials that are harmful to the planet.
Can you talk to me about the message that your fashion brand is carrying? What do you thing about fashion being political?
Fun fact, we are consuming around 85 billion items of clothing per year. Yhi's clothing incorporates powerful messages inviting change while combining my love of the earth with 100% upcycled clothing.
Every t-shirt that is sold is up-cycled, hand-picked and or organic (able to be composted). I have always shopped thrift, mostly because I never had a lot of money but as I grew up, I began to understand how to be a conscious consumer and also develop a unique style of self-expression with one off pieces. Each T-shirt I create is unique in its own way, because it’s not uniformed. The messages on my shirts are related to Indigenous and environmental rights.
So, What is Decolonisation? Freeing yourself from the oppressor. Turn your dependency into independence with a non-violent revolution of your mind and fashion style. Yhi is revolting mainstream fashion and mainstream thinking. As an Indigenous woman, I have felt the effects of colonial power and have decided that is it my responsibility to take back the power, to protect mother earth and Indigenous People. I want to spark ideas and conversations and allow our clothes to be the protest alongside with the way we live day to day.
Each day we wake and make decisions that really fucking make a difference, that’s why I wanted a brand that could give people a choice to consume consciously and make a statement
What are you doing to priorities sustainable and ethical pursuits within your brand?
The entire brand was created to see if I could do it. I never really wanted to have a clothing label, I actually just started by wanted to up-cycle clothing and then it kind of just grew from there. The intention was always to show people the power of recycling and up-cycling. I do the screen printing here in Byron Bay and all the shirts are hand-picked from charity stores and or clothing that will go to landfill. Each shirt is partnered with event, organisation or place in order to help that event, organisation or place restore balance in the environment.
At the moment I have started to experiment with natural dying. I am bringing out a range of avocado seed, brown onion and turmeric dyed shirts. I am always looking for ways to create from what is around me, rather than having to outsource a new production. There is so much already made in this world. I just want to use what we already have.
What people can do to help your cause?
People can get in contact and send me t-shirts, alternatively head to the website and buy a T-shirt. Be the change you want to see in the world.