This work emerged as a continuation of my previous projects, including Lusi Pakan Sumbi: Failure de Couture (2020), In Good We Trash (2021) within the Open Lab Teater Garasi programs, and bodies that make, bodies that consume (2022), a collaboration with Siviwe, Santiago, and Riad at State of Fashion Bienalle 2022 curated by Marina Sasseron, not _enought collective . All of these works focused on voices that are often overlooked—especially the emotions and experiences of textile workers who have long been marginalized.

However, after completing these projects, my questions did not stop. My thoughts and feelings continued to evolve, particularly as I began to reflect on my own position as a creative worker within the complex world of fashion. I realized that, for a long time, I had focused on the injustices happening outside of my own body, to other bodies, while neglecting the fact that my own body was also experiencing many dynamics within this industry cycle.

From this realization, The Secrets of Pocket was born. This work is a personal space of reflection, where I reexamine the challenges faced by creative workers like myself—especially when the independence of a creator collides with the capitalist system that operates within the guise of sustainability.

In the fashion world, we often hear narratives of sustainability championed by the industry. However, in reality, many of these narratives are merely tools to enhance the image of companies and serve as new marketing strategies. Many sustainability narratives are employed by the industry, but in practice, not all of them are truly inclusive of creative workers. Ultimately, these narratives serve the interests of a capitalist system. As a creator, I feel it’s essential to ask: sustainability, whose sustainability is it really? How does the system treat the creative workers who contribute to it? Does the industry genuinely care about the welfare of creative workers, or is it merely exploiting them under the label of “sustainability”?

I want to highlight the story of the challenges that arise when a creator’s independence meets a system with a much larger capital structure.

Through this work, I do not intend to criticize aimlessly, but rather to encourage us all, including myself, to be more cautious and reflective. I hope this experience will not only be my personal voice but also a space for other creative workers to feel connected, learn from each other, and strengthen our position within an increasingly complex and challenging creative world.

This work serves as a reminder that true sustainability is not only about the visible outcomes but also about how we treat every individual involved in the process, especially amidst the ongoing inequalities that persist in the fashion industry.