Author: Ji Hwan Shin

Sophie Woodward talks about the accidental sustainability that people practice through the purchase, wear, and storage of clothing items. She says that the practice of sustainability and fashion are inherently embedded in cultures and an ethnographic study of many different spheres in life can allow us to come to design practices that are applicable in our society.

I thought that her piece was quite relevant to the growing discussion among the proponents of slow fashion. Young designers in the fashion industry are slowly trying to step away from prioritizing mass production and economic gains by introducing more innovative methods to create high quality and price sensible clothing. Also, there are cultural practices like the ‘salaula’ in Zambia where people make use of second hand clothing or off the rack items from department stores. Many trends like vintage shopping are taking over in many parts of the world, all going against the traditional fast fashion practices in the 20th century.

I believe that with the need to pave the way for a sustainable future and to satiate a more ethically conscious consumer base, fashion designers should focus more attention on ethnographic research like Woodward suggests to induce buyers to practice purposeful sustainability. This research will not only benefit the consumer base by making them more aware of pressing issues related to the environment, but also build up brand reputation and status.

It was interesting to watch Li Edelkoort’s “Anti-Fashion Manifesto” because she highlighted the backwards trends the fashion industry has been following and how these choices eventually led to fashion becoming “unfashionable.” True to what she stated, many fashion houses are promoting representation by including models of color and different sexualities. Also, several online campaigns like Calvin Klein’s #MYCALVINS social media movement are bringing a more interactive approach to advertising.

I feel like at this point in history, the negative effects of mass production on the environment and the exploitation of workers should be the focus of attention in the fashion industry. Just like Kate Fletcher mentioned in her piece about slow fashion, a vision of sustainability should challenge economic priority that has been prevalent in both industrial and high fashion. In order to satiate consumers’ increasing demands for off the runway and affordable apparels, companies churn out cheap and low quality garments that are achieved through heavy exploitation of labor. Edelkoort’s comment about how consumers’ purchasing decisions can actually be life threatening for others really highlights the need for a dialogue of ethics and sustainability to take place.

I also liked Edelkoort’s idea to revolutionize fashion studies by putting emphasis on textile education. Bringing the high tech aspects of Silicone Valley and the slow craft artisans of the Hudson Valley, she says that more and more young people are transforming traditional machines to create price conscious garments of higher quality. She proposes that larger fashion brands should foster these rising young brands while encouraging designers to form bonds. I believe that revolutionizing textile education while having more resources available for bright young minds will direct the fashion industry closer towards sustainability.