Conscious fashion versus fashion conscious
April 24th is observed as “Fashion Revolution Day”,
while “Fashion Revolution Week” takes place during the week of
24th April every year. Fashion Revolution is a global
movement calling for greater ethics, sustainability and transparency
in the fashion industry. Fashion Revolution Day commemorates the
anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh,
when nearly 1133 people died and over 2500 were injured. These were
the victims of an industry dominated by large global corporate groups
and their sponsored media who encourage a dream lifestyle of
selfishness, apathy, superficiality and greed to a growing worldwide
audience of billions.
Fast
fashion is an industry which provides the latest fashion at low
prices. It is an industry that thrives on planned obsolescence,
ignorance and waste. It promotes the increase in consumer’s demand
for buying more and more by creating a culture of fast changing
trends. To keep up with the insatiable need for buying more and more,
the consumer chooses to buy cheaper products, thus compromising on
the quality, with a view that he or she doesn’t need it to last as
the trend will change soon. This creates a cycle in which one buys
more, discards more, either because the trend has changed, or the
piece of clothing bought is so poorly made that it falls apart in no
time.
The
Fashion industry as a whole is one of the largest industries in the
world, employing one sixth of the world’s population. But it is
also the second most polluting industry in the world. It uses more
water than any other industry apart from agriculture. Statistics have
suggested that up to 20,000 litres of water can be consumed to
produce a single pair of jeans. It discharges chemicals into the
environment, uses huge amounts of energy and is a major contributor
to global warming.
Fashion
is indeed a massive human, social and environmental disgrace in need
of a paradigm shift. The need of the hour is to create a holistic way
to minimize waste and make people embrace sustainability in their
regular lifestyle.
Conscious
fashion doesn’t only mean that the fabric has to be organic, but
also the techniques applied in creating the garment. If you want to
make a difference in your clothing, adopt a few small changes.
Choose
natural fibres like cotton, linen, silk, wool and jute. They
decompose faster. One way of reducing the price of a fast fashion
item is by increasing the percentage of cheaper artificial fibres in
the fabric. These fibres are not only uncomfortable for the wearer,
but are harmful to the earth when they end up in landfills at the end
of their lifecycle.
Choose
natural dyes as opposed to chemical dyes that pollute the earth
and cause harm to human and animal health. The textile industry
generates toxic waste, including bleach and sulphuric dyes which is
directly dumped into nearby rivers.
Choose
organic cotton. It keeps the soil fertile and the absence of
chemical pesticides means that it doesn’t harm human health. You
may even prevent a farmer suicide as the cost of GMO seeds is 4 to 10
times higher than native cotton seeds; they’re sterile and require
the use of pesticides which are also expensive.
Choose
handloom fabrics, handcrafts and hand embroidery. You would be
contributing to the income of an artisan and his family and
supporting a craft. Many textiles and crafts are on the brink of
extinction in India. The onus is on the consumer to support these
crafts and sustain traditions.
Choose
to up-cycle and recycle clothing. Not only will you be giving
your clothes a second life, you will also be minimizing wastage.
Find
out who made your clothes. The fast fashion industry has
sustained due to the lack of information to the consumer about how
and where his garments have been made. If the consumer really saw who
made his garment and how it was made, this demand for cheap clothing
wouldn’t be there. The fast fashion industry is based on
unacceptable labour laws of the underdeveloped countries. In these
areas, to be able to compete and quote lesser prices than the
neighbouring countries, they are forced to compromise on the working
conditions and wages of the workers. They are further burdened with
late delivery charges, in which the buyer can deduct a minimum of 5
per cent for each week delay. Research the brand you wear, follow
them on social media and learn about their company policies.
Yves
Saint Laurent said, “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” Rather
than focusing on changing trends and fashions, it is more important
to adopt sustainability and stay stylish.
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