WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?
CLOTHES MATTER.
When you get dressed each day you are probably thinking about what you have to do, who you are going to meet, and what the weather is doing. Clothes are essential for functionality, but they are also a way we can present ourselves and our personalities to the world.
Our choice of clothing is impacted by so many varying factors and it helps inform our sense of our identity and belonging. Clothing gives us our own individual platform for making statements about our values, who our community is... It can signify what groups we feel we belong to, or that we subscribe to no groups at all.
Clothes matter to us, and it matters how clothing is produced as it has such a significant impact on both people and planet.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?
The word ‘sustainable’ is used, and misused, in many different ways. It can be unhelpful as it isn’t explicit and definitions can differ. Broadly, it means an activity that can be continued indefinitely. Fashion, as it is, cannot sustain itself. Below, we outline our vision of sustainability in fashion…
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN PRACTICALLY?
Ok so what we mean is reducing what we buy new as much as we can, especially from fast fashion brands. Joining together as communities, instead, to explore the many creative ways we can share skills and knowledge to keep clothing alive and out of landfill. Our four themes explore how we can practically take action to support our vision of a sustainable fashion future….
These beautiful illustrations were donated by the gifted Holly Maguire. You can purchase the full poster from us - get in touch!
WHAT IS ‘FAST FASHION’?
Fast fashion is used to describe how shops on the high street stock their rails. Historically, brands would stick loosely to two seasonal ranges each year: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. Brands now have new trends and ranges hitting the shop floor every few weeks. The industry has put its foot on the trend accelerator and we have high volumes of new styles available to us all the time – styles which all too often end up in landfill as we quickly move on to the next trend.
This speedy model of stocking the rails in the high street shops leads to big profits for the fashion brand but at either end of this supply chain someone is short changed. No one benefits in the long term apart from the brand – exploiting garment workers, the natural environment and customers in the process.
WHAT GETS IN THE WAY TO BECOMING MORE SUSTAINABLE?
We teamed up with research students from the University of the West of England to explore what stopped people from having a more sustainable relationship with fashion. Have a read of their findings…
