Sustainability comes in many forms, and in the case of fashion this is applicable at all stages of the product lifestyle. From the initial design, right through to the afterlife of a product, we as consumers hold significant power when it comes to decision making and the ethical considerations of where we source our clothing.
The Ethical Fashion Forum shared 10 criteria for what delineates “ethical fashion”, and for me these were imperative when considering the long-term future of the fashion industry. They included:
Barbara I Gongini sum this up beautifully, stating that “sustainable fashion means to create clothes, shoes, accessories and other textiles without damaging the environment with all its components or affecting people’s lives” (2017). Fair trade is one area that is of particular importance when considering sustainability, and from the point of view of a consumer, is sometimes overlooked. When was the last time you considered the working conditions or wages of the person who made t-shirt you bought? I know in my case this is something I am guilty of too, and, admittedly, more often than not give little to no consideration to the matter. Perhaps it is easier to make consumer choices about the fabric quality and brand reputation as this is something more tangible that we as shoppers can grapple with. Or, perhaps there’s just so little awareness about where our clothing comes from that this very important consideration is unheeded. As Dissanayake, Perera & Wanniarachchi (2017) explain, “globally, the green movement and fair labour movement are steadily getting momentum. Consumers are increasingly demanding products that are ethically made and environmentally safe”. Not only this, but fair trade represents so much more than environmental sustainability. “Community improvement, women empowerment and mitigation of environmental impact of the production process are some of the key aspects of fair trade” as well as supporting “farmers and craftsmen who are socially and economically marginalized” (Dissanayake, Perera & Wanniarachchi, 2017). Often, shopping with fair trade brands involves a slightly more expensive initial outlay of money. But at the price of a little extra now, you can be guaranteed a product that will not only last years, but has been manufactured ethically, and has helped “create sustainable livelihoods, safer working conditions, and desperately-needed transparency in the fashion industry” Check out brands that and retailers that offer fair trade certified products here. It’s a worthwhile investment.
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It’s 2019 and we’re on the verge of a ~fashion-tech-revolution~. As a member of the millennial demographic, I’m highly aware we don’t always get the best wrap in the media. A simple google search this morning revealed some auto-generated search results which are dismal, but not alarming. Avo-on-toast enthusiasts and narcissistic iPhone addicts are just a couple of the stereotypes that, while they may hold some truth, are unfortunately often attached to us. But 2015 report released by Nielson revealed that 73 percent of millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable brands- an impressive increase of 50% from 2014. In fact if I’ve noticed anything from observing the people around me, it’s that as a generation we really do care about the future of our planet, and are willing to take measures in order to play our part in the journey to sustainability. You only have to look at the recent #banthebag movement or the sudden influx of keep cups in hand to realise there’s a movement happening which millennials appear to be at the forefront of. Either that or I’m living in an eco-friendly echo chamber.
Nevertheless, the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs are more tech savvy than any generation which has preceded them, and for that reason I do believe the power lies with us to make significant changes to the fashion industry as we know it. This is where we introduce artificial intelligence. With AI slowly infiltrating into what seems like all facets of our increasingly plugged in lives, there’s significant potential for it to be used positively in not only just the fashion industry, but playing a role specifically in contributing to sustainability. Already AI has made significant strides in streamlining the consumer experience and revolutionising the industry as a whole. One fascinating example is Levi’s online “virtual stylist”, a bot in Facebook Messenger which provides fashion advice and personal recommendations for shoppers. Coupled with the “See It Styled” function, customers also have access to a gallery of user generated photos which show relevant outfits in action. Marc Rosen, executive vice president and president of global ecommerce at LS&Co believes the technology will be highly beneficial for consumers. “We are on the leading edge of a challenge that all retail companies face today – how to create a seamless and personalized shopping experience for consumers, and new technologies like our Virtual Stylist are integral to that evolution at LS&Co,” he said. But where it gets interesting is when we look at how these technologies can be used for the purposes of sustainability. An article by Jo Fuertes introduced the Indonesian entrepreneur Lingga Madu, who uses AI to “predict what styles will sell well and what will fail” on her site Sale Stock. In addition, by using AI to track and manage inventory, there is the potential for a reduction in the amount of waste caused by excess stock. Which has got to be a better solution than what has been reported in the past, with high end brands burning surplus inventory in a bid to preserve the reputation of the brand and maintain the “allure of exclusivity”. The use of AI during the production stage may too assist in improving working conditions and increasing the ethical sustainability of manufacture. I can see this becoming somewhat problematic, however, as it will and already is resulting in job loss. We’re on the verge of something really exciting with AI in the fashion industry, and as the technologies continue to emerge I hope the magnates of the next generation get a little creative with it. The possibilities for its application and benefits to sustainability are profound, and will only continue to emerge as we delve further and further into this tech revolution. Op-shopping is somewhat of an addiction for me. There’s nothing quite comparable to the thrill of finding an absolute gem in a second hand store- especially when the price is only a fraction of what would be established in an ordinary retail environment. On any given morning, I’ll find myself dressed almost entirely in clothes bought from an op-shop. Take today: I’m wearing a $130 Tussah dress, a pair of leather Jane Debster boots which retail at $260, and a gorgeous vintage Woolmark woollen coat. In total, the outfit probably cost me about $50, yet I’m clad head to toe in high quality brands and fabrics which, as a financially contested university student, would ordinarily be entirely out of reach. My friends call it a secret talent of mine, but I put it down to patience, persistence, and a little dash of creativity. But it’s not only for the looks or the cost benefit that I find op-shopping so valuable. In a world driven so profoundly by fast fashion, poor quality fabrics and ethical considerations regarding the origins of our clothes, the sustainable benefits of buying second hand are profound. According to ABC’s War on Waste, 6000 kilos of clothing and textiles end up in landfill every 10 minutes, which is truly astounding and overwhelming. In a world facing substantial challenges surrounding a booming population and environmental degradation, the ability to cater for such trials will only be possible with significant attitude shifts. One blogger is making great strides when it comes to popularising thrifted fashion and showing just how easy it is to look great while looking after the planet. Or as Claire Press from the Sydney Morning Herald puts it, which I love, “second-hand, but definitely not second best”. Radio journalist Hannah Klose runs the site Never Ever Pay Retail, a diverse platform which covers multiple aspects of second hand fashion, as well as including some stylish snaps of inspiration from Klose’s personal findings. I love this too about op-shop fashion, in that you’ll never be able to identically replicate the look from someone’s photo. Instead, each outfit or piece is unique and has a story. My favourite part of the site is the op-shop locator- a tool which I know will only fuel my addiction, in the best way possible. After spending so much time in op-shops one thing is so clear to me: there are already so many clothes on this planet, and so often we give them away after only a few wears when the trends of the season change. Here’s a challenge for you this year: only shop for clothing at second hand stores and buy pieces which are high quality and classic- unlikely to be considered ‘out of fashion’ in the coming five or so years. I truly believe the future of fashion is sustainability- and buying second hand doesn’t get much more eco-friendly. Trust me, once you start you’ll be hooked! On a warm Sunday afternoon I sit down with my mum, tea in hand, to discuss the changes in the fashion industry across just one generation. We talk about the media's role in sustainability, the onset of fast fashion, and the challenges involved with growing up in a quiet country town in rural NSW. If I've taken one thing from this conversation it's that perhaps the lessons learned from a frugal upbringing before the time of the internet might just be essential to shaping a sustainable fashion future. Tell me a little bit about the clothing shops you had in Grenfell growing up.
Well we only had one and it was called Roberta’s Salon. Roberta's had clothing more suited to the age bracket of 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Back then, it was really hard to find clothes for the young kids, you know, young and trendy. At the time, no one knew what the fashion was in Sydney, because nothing was online. We would just follow the trend of the dress patterns which were for sale in the material shop next door. And so, you'd go in there and you'd have a choice of Style, Simplicity, Butterick, and Vogue, and those patterns came out of America. That was the closest to “fashion” that we got, really. You’d buy the fabric, go home, and make it. Were all your clothes homemade? Pretty much. Very few were bought. We all just learnt to sew as a matter of course, because it was necessary. Back in those days it was much cheaper make your own clothes than to buy them. Unlike now, everything was made in Australia and it was expensive to manufacture. But it was good quality stuff. Bearing in mind too, in the little town of Grenfell, you actually had to travel somewhere to buy clothes off the rack. Growing up, you could tell the kids who'd been lucky enough to go to Canberra or Sydney because they came back with these beautiful clothes that we had never seen before, because you couldn't see them online. It was a bit of a mystery when people would come back to the country with fashion items. We’d say: “Oh my God, is that what's happening in Sydney?” When it came time to grow out of your clothes, very few of them went to the Salvo’s like we do now. Instead, they just went to the next child and it was expected that you'd either alter it slightly it to fit that child or, if not, it would go to a cousin. But the idea of sending a bag of used clothes the op shop just didn't ever exist. Unlike now, by the time a lot of clothes got there they were very recycled. Now whenever I go into an Op Shop, there’s so much which is still brand new, they’ve still got the labels on. Which types of fabrics were most commonly used? Wool was important for winter because of its properties. It was such a good fabric as it was beautifully manufactured but still quite expensive. There were also lots of cottons, which were really important out there. Because they were more expensive, you knew that once you had it, that was it, you had it for a long time. Now, it's actually cheaper to buy something in a shop than to go and buy the pattern and make it yourself. Today you’d be looking at sometimes $40 for the just the pattern. By the time you bought the cotton or the fabric, just to make a shirt, it might cost you $100. Or instead you could go to Cotton On and get one for under $10. It’s crazy. So do you think growing with a frugal lifestyle has influenced your clothing and shopping choices now? Well, I guess despite everything I am still a victim of bargains. You know what it’s like, no matter how much I don’t need something, the sale price tag always gets me. But in general, I tend to buy more high quality items, more expensive, and have them for longer. Some of the clothes I wear to work, I've been wearing for 15 years. Every now and then I’ll wear something I haven’t worn for a couple of years and someone will compliment me and think it’s beautiful. Ask me where it’s from. But I’m definitely still a victim of fast fashion and landfill, which I should be more aware of. Although I must admit, listening to you talk about it more often has made me so much more aware, and I think as a result I’m noticing the media attention around it a lot more too. That’s interesting though, it’s almost as though the media is both encouraging us to buy fast fashion but also making us feel guilty about the consequences of that. Yeah, that's right. I’ve noticed it so much more lately, especially since The War on Waste. But the media have also become quite influential too. For example, Vogue magazine now has their own editor that is paid purely to oversee sustainable clothing. And whatever that really means I’m not sure, but in general there seems to be far greater attention paid. With all that in mind, what do you see as the biggest issue facing the fashion industry today? I think one of the greatest issues now is with online shopping, and the fact that media has given us that opportunity. There's so much to choose from and it's so cheap, while people’s disposable incomes are so huge. Now you can just go on, see some shoes you like and get three different coloured pairs just in case you’re not sure which ones you’ll want. After that you can just throw the others out or put them back on eBay for five bucks. People just don't care anymore, it’s incredible. And then there’s the added issue of the chemicals which come with cheap quality fabric. Not only is it more uncomfortable to wear, but they’re leaching straight out into the water of your washing machine and ultimately ending up back in the land. It’s becoming a very debatable topic. It’s an ironic thing the media; they’re used so widely to advertise and sell an excessive amount of products, but at the same time used as a tool to show the damage that’s incurred as a result. |
AuthorFourth year Communications and Media student with a passion for sustainability and an addiction to op-shopping. ArchivesCategories |