Are “eco-friendly” tags really enough to keep the sustainable fashion movement going forward? Is a return-to-basics, “all natural” approach really the best option when trying to combat fast fashion? So many fashion consumers have been frustrated by this message, and unwilling to simply throw out all that they’ve become accustomed to. Sarah Scaturro explains that this “all natural” push in sustainable fashion is not the answer, although it may factor a bit into the larger solution. Instead of using technological advancements to create more and more cheap, non-degradable synthetic fibers for the sake of profit, we should use technology to create solutions for the fashion problems of tomorrow. She instead argues that we should work with recent technological advancements instead of against them, and to not exclusively look backwards for answers that no longer apply to the fashion world of today.
I was thouroughly interested in Scatturo’s analysis of technological advancements and how they’re contextualize in the modern world. She accurately points out that technology is closely intertwined with economic pursuits, and that this has greatly affected the reputation of technological advancements. For this reason, it is difficult for people and brands to separate the money and profit focused image from the value of technological advancements towards sustainability. If this cognitive dissonance is not corrected soon, the sustainable fashion movement will only have the “all natural” approach, which Scatturo has already identified is not enough. For there to be a positive future of sustainable fashion, we must learn to embrace technology as an ally, not a hindrance.