Author: Gabriel Chi

Project Title: sustained 

PDF LINK: https://drive.google.com/open?id=12KgmXU6nXvT63-dNm5GaSX1LZPybZt6-

VIDEO LINK: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_HPgs-iVclIup64uWwMM2_HTNKSAXErf

For our project, We documented our ethnographic research at Shanghai’s Embellishment Market and South Bund Market. For our roles, Jennifer focused on photography and the zine layout, while I focused on videography and graphic design for the zine. For our research focus, we chose the topic of customer-vendor interactions, and how there was a strong contrast between the two markets. 

When collecting information for our research, we conducted several interviews with store-vendors in order to gain insight on how they conducted business. However, the majority of the vendors turned us down, limiting us on the variety of information we could collect. This problem persisted throughout both markets and was one of the biggest challenges we faced in the field research. However, we were able to interview several willing vendors, which we included within our zine. 

Regarding the zine and video, we gathered all of the footage and photographs that we both captured and inserted them in both mediums. We chose the title of zine as “sustained”, relating to the ideas of sustainability and how it relates to the two fabric markets we observed. When creating the zine, we used Adobe InDesign, which allowed us to easily plan out the different pages and layouts. Although we ran into several issues with the software and printing, the overall process was smooth and easy to manage. 

For the video, we used i-Movie to edit and compile all of our footage and photography taken at the two markets. This was a relatively easy process as we just had to rearrange the files and voice record a narration discussing the different aspects of our research project. 

Here are some of our plans and early designs from our brainstorming stage:

In Hethorn’s “Design Thinking and Sustainability”, She advocates for the shifting of focus from the group to the individual. Specifically within the fashion industry, we are moving away from custom and bespoke tailored pieces, with mass produced goods constantly flooding the market. The lack of individuality in many of these mass produced goods is apparent, with brands such as H&M and Zara marketing a very specific seasonal uniform. This homogenous nature of fast-fashion removes the individual from the equation, effectively restricting a lot of creativity and expression for the average consumer. Therefore, Hethorn’s push towards an individual focused industry, using design thinking, is an especially effective and innovative move. If there was an increase in bespoke and custom goods, not only can we support more local businesses, we can more effectively promote the message of sustainability within the fashion industry. Additionally, by building a dialogue between the consumer and the producer, a more personalized experience can be created, where direct customer feedback can be implemented in real time, adjusted, and given back to the customer for continued use. 

However, the downside of custom made garments is time and price. Not every consumer looking for a shirt will be willing to wait and pay for a large amount in order to purchase something they can immediately buy at their local fast-fashion retailer. I personally believe that we must move away from the instant-gratification mindset, where each individual values quality over quantity, which would cut down on clothing and textile waste. 

In her paper, Sarah Scaturro explores the different ways technology and fashion interact with each other. However, Scaturro specifically argues that in order for the fashion industry to move towards sustainability, the implementation of technology is necessary. 

Additionally, Scaturro mentions the industry of second hand/ vintage clothing: “Many recycled clothing vendors operate small stores within the site, selling vintage or used wares sourced in their local area. This peer-to-peer system facilitates the global distribution of old clothing, eliminates waste, and contributes to the rise of a smaller economic market separate from the traditional fashion system.” I found this extremely interesting due to the recent increase in second-hand shopping and the rise of repurposing vintage garments.

This reminds me a lot of Tokyo, where a majority of the youth nowadays is quite fashion conscious, and also want to represent themselves in a unique way. I think the look of a vintage garment, whether it be from a military surplus store, or their grandmother’s closet, the trend of vintage clothing has certainly increased in the past 6 years.I remember seeing a large amount of thrift stores lined up in Harajuku, filled with young people, all of them looking to either purchase or re-purpose vintage garments. By re-instilling the clothing with a new life, we can eliminate waste and promote a trend of sustainability within the younger generations. 

Before reading the paper, I had very different views on what ethnographic research entailed. When thinking of ethnology, I thought of a very long research period, with a very monotonous  process of gathering data. However, after being introduced to the term of “Short-Term” Ethnographic research, my prior conceptions of the field were turned upside down. Although the name might have a connotation of a “lesser” version of regular ethnographic research, it is clearly not the case. I believe that the shorter period of research (spanning from weeks to months) allows for researchers to look at their subjects more in depth, as they will be more focused in a shorter span of time. Compared to long term ethnographic research, where having to look at your subjects everyday might result in monotony, and thus, not as specific and detailed results.

However, I believe there are many exceptions and benefits to long term research. For example, the large span of the allows for researchers to immerse themselves within the culture and the subject of their research. The immersion and experience gained from integrating yourself in a setting gives you a completely different dimension/ perspective, one which you might not easily gain within the span of a few months. 

After reading this article, I am very excited to apply some the ethnological practices into our research. I think there is a complexity and also a simplicity to the process, as we are watching our subjects objectively, but also looking for very minute details to support our research. I believe that the different fabric markets will provide an interesting dynamic for our research and the people that work there will surely provide good data for our research.