Welcome Tabatha by Beautex, a Sustainable Fashion Collection made for the Comfort, Function, Ethos and Style of Hairdressers, and a Collaboration between an Eco-Conscious Fashion House and True Titan of Hairdressing, Writes Shannon Guss.

SALON STYLE

Introducing Tabatha by BeauTex, a salon specific collaboration between hairdressing phenomenon Tabatha Coffey and Brisbane-based clothing label beauTex Designs. The range of hairdressing focused fashion pieces ticks all the boxes for today’s hairdresser, being stylish, functional, comfortable and sustainable driven all at once.
The 2021 capsule collection is designed to be gender-neutral and inclusive of all body types. It is compromised of seven core styles, a waterfall jacket, a hoodie dress, leggings, round neck top, harem pants, a tunic blouse and a tie front shirt. The range can be mixed and matched and styled up or down, with the brand releasing six new styles a year.

The collection of workwear is sustainably sourced, bleach resistant, and ethically made, created from 100 per cent RPET (re-purposed plastic bottles) through a process whereby the RPET is flaked, pelletised and extruded into yarn and finally woven into a textile. BeauTex also ones uses OEKO-TEX approved dyes, which are third party tested to ensure no toxins are released into the environment and waterways during the drying process. BeauTex is Global Recycling Standards certified and a member of Sedex, an ethical trade membership organisation that helps businesses maintain responsible practices and sourcing.

“Because it is sustainable, ethical and good for the environment and it is good for people and gives back to charity, you’re doing really good by wearing this.” - Tabatha Coffey

The quality and durability of the products is also imperative to the brands. It uses four-way stretch technically woven polyester with moisture-wicking technology and each pieces of the collection has been tested for the highest grade of anti-pilling standards whilst maintaining its bleach and hair resistant feature.

The range is constructed in sleek black fabric in fashion forwards, gender-neutral designs durable enough to withstand harsh chemicals. It’s also crease free, quick drying and made with a colling fabric, becoming an ideal every day outfit for hairdressers in all environments.

Tabatha met BeauTex founder, Brooke Jones, while both were volunteering overseas for the charity Hair Aid, which helps those in poverty by teaching them critical hairdressing skills. This started a long term working relationship that fused Tabatha’s hair industry expertise with Brooke’s fashion skills and passion for conscious manufacturing.

“Once I started in textile design and manufacturing, I became aware of the serious environmental impact that clothing manufacturing has on the planet, and that drove my passion for setting about changing the process behind it,” Brooke shared. “Learning about the unbelievable amount of plastic waste combined with the end-of-life textile waste from workwear opened my eyes to what was going on, so I decided to offer a solution  to the industry that tackled both.”

“I wanted to have the greatest impact possible, and workwear was the way to do that by targeting an industry that mass produces textiles that are often overlooked, such as capes, aprons and promotional t-shirts.”

This manifests in the collection in a variety of ways. The release of this capsule collection uses over 180,000 recycled bottles diverted to textiles for the first release. This saves over 3700 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent energy of charging over 470,000 smartphones. As an example, the hero hoodie dress was developed over three years, with fabric that can take up to 190 days to make out of plastic bottles and fishing net.
Suffice to say, this is not fast fashion, and is a collection anchored by the consciousness and care delivered into every piece.

Tabatha’s immense expertise was used in all the details, informing style, relevance, comfort and efficiency for hairdressers across the industry, The pieces can be worn in salon set, backstage, while traveling and to meet all the necessities of the hair industry.

Another hero piece, the multi-purpose Eco Stylist Bag, also keeps the hairdresser front of mind, with features such as an insulated bottom for hot tools, a built in scissor pouch and components that can be separated, making it six bags in one. This level of industry specific detail was devoted to every design.

“I am a born consumer and I love fashion,” Tabatha said. “Being in the hair industry and doing my fair share of Fashion Weeks and editorial work, and just consuming fashion and designers for our industry and well, I know what I like and I also know what’s comfortable to work in, especially if you’re standing behind a chair.”

“You may be cold in the salon, but you don't want a big jacket because it’s too uncomfortable or difficult when you have to work. I like to make sure I am covered but also can still move around, “ she added.

“That was something I was mindful of, to make sure that it reflected that hairdressers work, we don’t just stand there and look nice in clothes, we actually work, and the clothes have to work with us to make sure that we don’t feel restricted or constricted in any way.”

The sustainable and eco-conscious focus of the range is imperative, and proceeds of every sale will go towards Hair Aid, honouring both the collection’s starting point as well as its philanthropic spirit.
It’s an angle that Tabatha says hairdressers can revel in and also share with clients, as they literally wear that important layer of their business as something of a uniform, starting important conversations and championing their salon ethos.

“So many hairdressers  I meet are already doing and amazing job and working hard and to get into this industry we want to change things, we want to help and transform and transport people, it’s the natural inclination that most hairdressers have,” Tabatha said. “I think a lot of people feel they want to do more but we don't know what to do because there’s only so many hours in the day and so many resources available and so many causes, and this is a way to feel really good when you’re wearing this and know you are giving back and making a difference by choosing these pieces.”

“Because it is sustainable, ethical and good for the environment and it is good for people and gives back to charity, you’re doing really good by wearing this.”

Tabatha by BeauTex is a comprehensive fashion game changer, using true innovation to prioritise the planet and working with one of the biggest names in the hair industry to create and collection particularly made for salon professionals.

With comfort, sustainability, function and style all accounted for, Tabatha by BeauTex is every thoughtful. Described as a collection of long-lasting and easy-care staples, these new pieces are a wardrobe essential.