Response to Gullingsrud, Annie and Lewis Perkins-Xiaoyan Kong

Reading this chapter written by Gullingsrud, Annie and Lewis Perkins is very encouraging. It not only talks about almost all the ways one can think about to design for the circular economy in such a detail way, but also shows us examples of the ideas that are in real action. Here, they are not doing it for the goal of producing zero waste, it is unrealistic. They are searching a way that they can do ”more good” instead of “less bad”.

There is a new way of thinking and designing – it is possible to “design good products for the world and they are positive, beautiful-inside and outside” (296). One thing mentions in the chapter that especially interests me is the ”Everything equals Food”. They use the cherry blossom example McDonough and Braungart provides to explain how it can apply to the fashion industry.  I think the idea that the designer not design just for single use but for “a legacy of products with a storyline that has no end” (300).

This means the clothing is actually designed with a purpose of being safe for humans and the environment. This is a very good vision for the future clothing industry. It does sound simple, but doesn’t mean it is easy to achieve. It takes everyone to realize we are not only individuals living on this planet but also a connected community.

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