Since
starting to think about writing my dissertation I've thought about a
variety of topics and one that I have passion and interest for is
sustainability in fashion. I've started my research - this has involved lots
of library books and making notes on my phone whilst reading sed library books.
Many
of these books have gone way off topic and I would be honest by saying
I've lost interest. But one that really had an impact was 'To Die For - Is fashion wearing out the world' by Lucy Siegel.
This book covered so
many interesting and thought provoking topics - child labour and cotton
picking in Kazakhstan, the hidden cost of cashmere and the impact faux
fur is having on the globe. Some of these topics I'd touched on in the
past but others were surprising and others rather upsetting. This got me
thinking - if I didn't know about these issues (someone working and
studying in the industry) then the consumer is even less aware. I began
to research more by watching the powerful documentary film 'The True
Cost' this and the book brought to my attention - can we as consumers
realistically shop sustainably? Are there brands out there that offer
ethical and stylish clothing at a good price?
My
Research found that even in 2016 there's still only a very small selection
of ethical brands selling clothing both on line and on the high street (the high street offering even less options.)
Yes
a small selection of high street brands offer some organic cotton
pieces, Zara for instance (I own three t-shirts in various colours) and H&M offer the Conscious collection - but what do
we really know about the methods of production these brands use. Yes I'm
sure these brands work very hard to ensure code of conduct procedures
are in place throughout the supply chain and encourage transparency, but
could more be done?
Such little
Ethical Clothing on the high street means it's very difficult to
actually source sustainable clothing, especially at a reasonable price -
price is a definite factor when purchasing clothing along side style
and fit.
The
why of the buy (2015) states 'In a buyers market, a market place situation in
which there are more sellers than buyers, an excess of supply over
demand results in lower prices for consumers. This means that buyers can
be more selective of their purchases because there are many choices
available to them'.
Since watching 'The True cost'
I have become aware of an ethical/fair trade brand that previously I
had little or no knowledge of and that's People Tree. The documentary
film followed their founder Safia Minney around many of their factories in the Far East.
People tree (2016) state 'The people we work with have some of the smallest environmental footprints in the world'.
Products
are mostly made by hand and they promote organic cotton farming and
avoid using harmful chemicals during production. This overall has less
impact on the globe and also offers those working in the garment
manufacturing industry less chance of developing unhealthy side effects
caused by poisonous dyes. The People Tree website states which factories and individuals they work
with which gives the consumer the opportunity to find out who is making
the clothes they are wearing.
This does have some side effects, not necessarily negative. For instance production is slower so less goods
are made but the goods are better quality which does increases price points - Safia Minney calls this the slow
fashion movement something People Tree support.
The
customer is always looking for good quality at a good price so can
sustainable fashion ever have a huge impact on the fashion
industry? Is creating clothing in a sustainable way doable for the rest
of the industry? Or is slow fashion the way forward?
Lucy
Siegel author of To die For teaches us to purchase less clothing at a
higher cost. This clothing will be of better quality and therefore last
much longer. This would mean buying classic pieces that we will love
forever instead of fashion fad pieces we may discard next season. I do
love this idea of buying less as it would have less impact on the
environment - but Fast fashion is loved by many and changing shopping
habits could be difficult. I also worry about the consequences it could have on the economy.
The
fashion industry currently has a domestic market value of 66 billion
and according to fashion United (2016) '555,000 people are employed in the
fashion, textile and fashion retail industry in the United Kingdom'.
This doesn't include fashion production workers in countries all around
the world.
I
do however feel that things can and will change, but very slowly. This
will hopefully impact those working in garment factories
and have a positive lasting impact on the globe. Studying in the industry
has given me an insight into what retailers want and that's requiring more information on
where their products are being made, which I think can only be a
positive. This will hopefully lead to more ethical fashion on the high
street, therefore making it easier for us as customers to purchase sustainably.
Photo source - studiokalumi.com via pinterest
