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.