The fashion industry known to be the third largest industry in the world, has steadily become an internationally and highly globalized industry. The industry is devoted to the business of making and selling apparels, bags and accessories which encompasses the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retailing and promotion. With rapid growth, retailers began to produce trendy-cheap priced clothes, poorly made on a weekly basis, intending to match the breakneck pace at which fashion trends move. Thus resulting in increasing mass production of clothing in standard sizes sold at non-negotiable prices and a quick turnover that mainly encourages repurchase. The fast fashion market is becoming popular and escalating which aggravates the throwaway culture phenomenon.
Amidst the bustling industry, a new commitment has emerged, stake holders, policy makers and brand consumers have gradually started aiming consciously to achieve a carbon neutral fashion sector based on equality, social justice, animal welfare and ecological integrity known as slow fashion which is a component of Sustainable fashion. It refers to fabrics derived from eco-friendly resources like sustainably grown fiber crops or even recycled materials which plays a vital role in developing ethical fashion and targets conservation and restoration for a greater environment and a better way of living. It promotes honesty and transparency in its practices. The working industry considers the impact on workers across the supply chain, and make sure that the brand addresses energy usage, offset of carbon dioxide emissions and also focuses importantly on natural textiles, usage of resources efficiently with an addition of eco-friendly practices such as low water usage, zero toxic waste and prioritization of minimal waste.
Sustainable shopping is no longer a choice but an inevitable change that will definitely shape the upcoming years in some kind of way. The fashion ecosystems are diverse, just as nature is. Understanding the ecosystem, one needs to know the underlying principles as well as the interactions between organisms and the environment. Most of our clothing’s fibers are produced by conventional agriculture and takes what it needs from the earth at any cost. Propelled by industrial logic, it prioritizes efficiency over diversity. Clothes express our identity, culture and values and fashion adds style to our identification. They connect us to our place in the biosphere. Our motive is to celebrate, build trust and respect everyone in the fashion ecosystem; to create an environment for diversity and plurality to the fashion ecosystems that all our cultures, voice and lands are represented in material, process and form so we are all an authentic part of the ecosystem.
Sustainable fashion has the potential to stay in the industry for a long period of time. It is a crucial step in addressing the severe impact of fast fashion environment. A person with high personal norms may be motivated by an inner desire to act pro-environmentally, where as those with low personal norms might hinder the behavior. A study revealed that moral obligation had a favorable and substantial effect on purchase intentions of organic, fair-trade and recycled clothing products. Sustainable fashion has decidedly become mainstream, despite having less disposable income, millennial are most likely willing to spend more on sustainable, environmentally conscious, up cycled clothing and ethical fashion brands. It is very important to understand the factors that influence sustainable fashion consumption and the clothing disposal pattern among the young consumers in developing countries
Embracing the slow fashion concept is a definite plus for the environment and a positive step in the battle against climate change. With more and more brands seeing the importance of an environmental focus, dressing sustainably no longer means compromising !
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By Subeksha
]]>Nobody’s going to change the world by themselves, but if each person starts to make small changes, it turns into a revolution. The situation is not that good! Fashion is currently the second largest polluter of the planet after oil. I think it's time for people to act in their own lives. And we could all make little changes; no one must be perfect; there’s no time that’s too late, so, start now!
Other slow fashion pioneers explain the movement as follows:
Slow fashion is the movement of designing, creating, and buying garments for quality and longevity. It encourages slower production schedules, fair wages, lower carbon footprints, and (ideally) zero waste. — Study NY
Slow fashion represents all things “eco,” “ethical," and “green” in one unified movement… the ‘slow approach’ intervenes as a revolutionary process in the contemporary world because it encourages taking time to ensure quality production, to give value to the product, and contemplate the connection with the environment. — Slow Factory
Slow fashion is about consuming and creating fashion consciously and with integrity. It connects social and environmental awareness and responsibility with the pleasure of wearing beautiful, well-made, and lasting clothing (as compared to the immediate gratification of fast Fashion). — Kat Collings, Editor in Chief at Who What Wear
If you were to Google slow fashion on the internet, a common definition you would find is that slow fashion is the reaction to fast fashion. You don't have to give up your glamour or style to be sustainable. There are things that have already been bought, that we can continue to enjoy in a healthy way; don’t buy less necessarily- buy smarter; you learn or collect it slowly and patiently, and perhaps indirectly. It’s thoughtful, intentional, and holistic. It’s also an argument for hitting the brakes on excessive production, overcomplicated supply chains, and mindless consumption.
The term was coined by Kate Fletcher, professor of Sustainability, Design, and Fashion at the University of the Arts London’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion. So, it means less but better, higher-quality pieces, and smaller closets, and consuming your clothes a lot slower. You might also read that slow fashion, focus on paying workers ethically and making products that will last whether it's from a construction perspective or the design perspective. In our opinion, slow fashion is a mindset. Slow fashion is changing your thought process in every step of how you dress, how you shop, and how you discard clothing; you're being more mindful and intentional. So for example, just the way that you interact with your closet daily, how creative you are with it, how versatile you are with your pieces, and then once you bring the product home and make a purchase -slow fashion still plays a role; it's about how do you care and maintain the product. And finally, when it comes to discarding the product or the garment; What do you do with it? How do you dispose of the pieces? What you do think?
It is important to mention that slow fashion is often used in the same sphere and space as ethical fashion and minimalism and eco-friendly fashion. They belong together. For example. You could buy a pair of pants made ethically out of recycled materials in a Fair-trade factory, but slow fashion isn’t necessarily just about buying eco-friendly pants, it's about questioning yourself, do you need them? Do they suit you? Will they work for you? Those pants might be ethically made and eco-friendly, but later if you take them home only to sit in your closet and you realize that you don't need them and that you discard them within a year. That’s not necessarily a slow fashion. So, hopefully, those examples explain the term.
SLOW FASHION MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM.
1. OVERDOING IT WHEN THRIFTING
Thrifting is a good option to start engaging in slow fashion because you are continuing the cycle of a product; you're reducing your environmental impact; It’s wonderful. However, it's inexpensive. Everything is wonderful about it. It's easy to get kind of lost in all this awesomeness. But you come home with 12 new garments that you didn't actually need; they don't end up being used as much; you might find that it was actually more of a wasteful shopping trip than a productive one .Don’t buy less necessarily, buy smarter. It’s not about being perfect. It's about being better. Do less harm, do better. Shop with a list (if possible).
2. BLINDED BY “SUSTAINABILITY”
Being blinded by Eco-friendliness and sustainability is essential while shopping or buying a product. If it's eco-friendly or sustainable and you feel like you're doing good for the planet, it’s all awesome until you buy a pair of jeans which does not flatter your body type or doesn’t go with your personal style, therefore to avoid that as well maybe narrow down your outfit formula into:
When you support the sustainable fashion movement and want do it perfectly, which is indeed overwhelming, and you find the perfect dress on a second-hand clothing website, and remember that it will be shipped to you and you couldn’t make sure the packaging would be sustainable.
It is okay to choose your battles. Focus on the ways you can be sustainable. As Anne-Marie Bonneau said: “we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
3.YOU HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT YOUR PERSONAL STYLE YET.
Arguably one of the biggest personal benefits of adopting slow fashion. Doing it successfully requires having a detailed, well-rounded understanding of your personal style. This doesn’t mean you have to be a fashion icon – it’s as simple as knowing what you like and what you don’t like when it comes to clothing.
How to fix it: Pay attention to your favourite pieces of clothing and try to pinpoint exactly what it is you love about them. The colour? The cut and shape? The silhouette? The detailing? The way it makes you feel. Once you know what you love, you can make smarter decisions when buying any more clothes down the road.
Bonus Slow Fashion Tip: Take care of your clothes!
Even the highest quality clothes cannot last long if you’re not taking care of it. So, make sure you’re hanging up or folding your clothes instead of tossing them on the floor. Make sure you’re washing it according to the label’s instructions. If you know you’re going out for some messy food, maybe don’t wear that white top. Treat stains as soon as possible. They’re simple things that often require just an extra 2 seconds of consideration but make a huge difference in the long run.
By Minah
As the consumers around the world become more conscious of the choices they make in respect to whatever they buy, there is an ongoing conversation regarding what we are doing to the nature, environment, and Earth in our desire to fulfil all our needs. One such conversation is on sustainable fashion – a brand or fashion nay almost a revolution that demands a shift from fast fashion and fashion that harms the nature and the society. Sustainable fashion is a philosophy that supports eco-fashion and keeps in mind two essential things: the environment and social responsibility.
The concept of sustainable fashion is not new; in fact it has been talked about by various verticals over the years. But now, it is almost like a need of the hour. Big fashion production houses that go with fast fashion and produce clothes for mass consumption, don’t just harm the environment but also choose quantity over quality for gains. That, and reportedly no fair wages to the people making their clothes. Globally, there are a lot of brands that have adapted slow fashion as their mantra. Here’s why you should too.
By Sheetal Talreja
]]>There is a hustling around the world to find solutions to issues related environmental destruction, with growing awareness of carbon footprints, ozone depletion and imminent global warming problem, all of which emerged in the last two centuries due to the extensive use of synthetic molecules.
Emotional response towards planet is the
most important driver of the needs and preferences of consumers in the upcoming years.
Our relationship with the products we use and how they are made is being re – evaluated and accordingly needs are being fulfilled. It supports global over local and slow over fast post pandemic.
The demand for natural dyes in the apparel, food processing, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries has increased rapidly worldwide due to environment-affable nature and witnessing a revival in the early 21st century. Renewable clothing and eco-friendly textiles are part of emerging trends in design that strive to design and develop products that take environmental and social responsibility into account. Including sustaining and prolonging life on Earth, this movement is aimed at protecting human health. These are environment-friendly dyes as they are obtained from renewable resources compared to non-renewable petroleum-derived synthetic dyes. The utilisation of natural dyes can gain carbon credit by reducing the consumption of synthetic dyes based on fossil fuel (petroleum).
The only dyes accessible to mankind for the coloring of textiles were extracted from organic materials such as plant leaves, roots, bark, insect secretions, and minerals before the creation of the first synthetic dye in 1856 which was immediately adapted for its low-cost factor. Approximately 500 plant species are known to produce dyes in India, which are commonly cultivated on marginal fields and wastelands.
Some of the commonly used natural dyes are Indigo, myrobolan, pomegranate fruit rind, red sandalwood, henna, saffron and safflower, etc. However, even after a century, the use of natural dyes never vanished out entirely and they are preserved by artisans in traditional cultures around the world. In India, conventional methods of dyeing with natural dyes are still usually used, which has assured more economical and sustainable production of limited quantities of textiles. In Afterlife project, we work with 25 different natural dyes.
By Sheetal Talreja
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