The usual images of sustainable fashion conjured in the minds of the fashion consumer are brown/rough fabrics, ill-fitting and bland pieces, and generally unfashionable fashion. This is wholly uninspiring to the average consumer, leading them to ignore the sustainable fashion movement altogether. However, in her piece “The Life-Cycle of the Fashion Garment and the Role of Australian Mass Market Designers,” Alice Payne offers several solutions to correct the above assumption about sustainable fashion. Payne is not speaking to the consumers; she is focusing on the possibilities in sustainable design rather than simply blaming the consumer. She uses Australia as a case study, but it is clear that she is optimistic about her results if amplified on a worldwide scale.
I found her ”Garment use” section the most interesting. I have often mentioned in class the importance of intent behind design in furthering the sustainable fashion movement. When intent is removed from the design process, fashion pieces become disposable. Payne elaborates that in Australia, clothing retailers are beginning to realize the potential of this intent behind design, from designing clothing that doesn’t need to be washed so often to involving “services” with the purchase of a fashion piece. I am also optimistic that this will work worldwide, but fashion companies will not adapt without the demand of a sustainability-conscious consumer.