‘Kodama’ is an old Japanese word, translating to ‘tree spirit’. When you call out across the mountains you can hear your voice echoing back. Back in the ancient times, people used to say it was because there were spirits living in the trees. Japan-born, Melbourne-based fashion designer, Natsuko Kondo’s work emulates her vision of sustainable fashion. After working for many years as product developer for offshore productions in various apparel companies, she realised how wasteful the industry was. But she always dreamed of having her own label. “I was looking for cool streetwear that was also environmentally friendly but didn’t have much luck. So, I decided to create my own brand, Kodama Apparel.” Natsuko’s goal is to establish Kodama Apparel and continue to implement sustainable and ethical practices in the business, creating a zero-waste supply chain.