I say, yes! But I’m not the only one. Over at Devidoll’s blog, a discussion we had a few months ago feels very relevant as I made my way through New York’s fashion week.
Excerpted from The Devidoll blog:
“Given the reputation of fashion as a ‘dirty’ business, a ’shallow’ business and as creating false needs, ethical fashion is often written off as hypocritical/unrealistic/fashion piggybacking on wider awareness of eco-issues without adding any real value; a ‘rich people’ syndrome — from organic food to organic cotton tops simply for the sake of seeming ‘in’ — is derided as the symbol of what ethical fashion really is all about. And so the question is often asked: does ethical fashion really amount to any real good for anyone/the planet?
What are your thoughts on this kind of thinking and can you offer a counter-opinion about ethical fashion?”
And here’s who I asked (if you’re reading this because of even a modicum of interest in ethical fashion issues, you’ll know at least one of them) –
Margaret Teich: Associate Producer on The Lazy Environmentalist radio show and curator extraordinaire of the Directory of Eco-Fashion Retailers on the influential Lazy Environmentalist blog. Margaret’s job requires her to be somewhat of a knowledge bank and have her eye on lots and lots of different goings-on in the world of modern-day eco/sustainable/ethical living.
Starre Vartan: founder of must-read, in the know, particularly inspiring for (but by no means only) women, blog Eco-Chick. Starre writes for other publications too and she’s on our panel because there is very very little going on in the eco living world that she is not aware of. She is quite simply, in the know.
Jocelyn Whipple: Jocelyn’s agency, Element23, represents leading ethical fashion brands in the UK and Europe. She also separately designs and supplies sustainable textiles as well as being a personal stylist. This is a person who lives and breathes the commerce of ethical fashion — its creation, marketing and distribution.
Interestingly, all 3 of them had the same key arguments:
GET REAL!
Women will shop, fashion will be important-it always has been. To question the interest in/place of fashion is to be, at best, naive and at worst, part of the problem, not the solution. Starre puts it aptly “Human beings have been decorating themselves and their clothes for as long as there has been civilization, so assuming that we’re going to stop for any reason (even the poorest people in the world add color to fabrics they create themselves, or patch clothing in ways that show creativity and flair) is just ridiculous.” and Margaret is even more direct “So here is the reality: women love to shop. We love the idea that the interior can be expressed by what is worn on the exterior.”
BEING ETHICAL AND FASHIONABLE IS TO RETHINK OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHES.
Jocelyn goes straight to the heart of the matter “Buy better, less often”. We should understand where clothes come from and what happens before they arrive in front of us (just like you think about battery chickens and automatically buy free-range eggs). We should also revert to previous ways of thinking, according to Starre, so that clothes are not “…disposable items, but investments…”. Then, we’ll more naturally, make better choices whether these are to eschew disposable fashion, ask for accountability or, as Margaret emphasizes “…(support) designers and their artistic craft, green sourcing and ethical manufacturing processes…”.
AS CONSUMERS WE REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Forget all the cynical nay-saying about ethical fashion being the purview of only the select few blah blah blah; no, it affects and can be affected by everyone at some level. Starre sets it out simply “We can make a lot of positive change, as consumers, in all these areas.(…)These problems need to be solved, not ignored. This is not just an issue for “yummy mummys”. We all need to wear clothes.”. How? you ask – well, by building your awareness, looking behind the label and, as Jocelyn emphasizes “…be sure the brands and concepts you are buying into are upholding their part of the deal, by giving you real information and support around the complexities of the ‘eco /ethical’ fashion industry. Ask questions. Ask for accountability.”
Of course, these ladies had more to say and I’ll publish their full comments later. Here I wanted to just point out that there are substantial issues which everyone in the field, regardless of specific involvement, recognizes. And, even more crucially, these are issues which pertain to you and me….not just celebs or deep green vegans. As Margaret reminds us, there is ‘modern environmental revolution’ afoot (by they way, you’re ALREADY part of it with all your organic food choices, washing machine at 30c, switching off lights, buying white goods with optimal energy ratings….) and ‘touting green fashion’ is part of that revolution.’
Yes, these are extraordinary issues relevant to ordinary people.
I love the responses! They pretty much said what was on my mind. We need to eat, why not organic and local? We need clothes (most of the time), why not make it healthier for our bodies and the planet, ethical (no sweatshops) if possible? I love fashion and clothes. Why would that automatically make me a shallow person? To me eco fashion is not only buying that organic cotton tunic, but buying used as well. I buy more thrift/consignment than new at this point.
09/15/08 » 3:02 pm »
There’s three things that make the foundation of economies… Food, Clothes and Shelter. All three are changing… the common denominator is design. We design all three, how we design them leaves a foot print. There’s nothing more important. Blame Eve in the garden… otherwise we’d still be buck naked, covered with fur, like other mammals. Fashion is the expression of style. Designing green is style with substance. There’s nothing frivolous or shallow about it. It depends how deep you want to go. Design it like you mean it, and it will show. Taking into consideration every facet. Fashion sets trends, it sparks revolutions… the sixties didn’t follow through. In a sense, what’s happening in fashion today, is unfinished business. The materials catching up with the inspiration.
09/16/08 » 8:55 am »
This is a natural question that all of us in the eco fashion community seem to ask at some point.
I think bringing the topics of agriculture and pesticides, the energy it takes to manufacture and ship products, and sustainability into a typically vapid industry is a step in the right direction.
The intensity and duration of the organic cotton trend have transformed farming practices all over the world. Hopefully this will lead to lasting set standards.
Billboarding the green lifestyle right on our bodies and spreading the meme of organic, recycled and biodegradable materials through our daily conversations and media outlets also contributes to societal shifts in thinking.
The undercurrents of DIY fashion, clothing swaps, buying quality used goods, and valuing/caring properly for our collections are where we can dive deeper. Buying gently used couture, adding your own little details, and proudly keeping it forever is where it’s at!
This is a great conversation on this exact topic: http://thegreenloopblog.com/20.....ifference/
09/16/08 » 9:14 am »
I think this is very worthwhile topic as for far too long narrow sighted corporate agendas have been discounting a basic human desire to feel connected to the process and production of the products that we buy and use. The backlash from this is more than evident as we watch billions of dollars pour into new markets for organic food, cosmetics, alternative energy, and the like. Not to mention when we notice corporate giants like Wal Mart and others beginning to adopt this new awareness into part of their overall message. Of course there will be those that will use and abuse terms (eco,organic,etc) and labels as part of the same old games, but I believe we are at a turning point where a new paradigm is emerging. Awareness is like a virus and once it gets into the dialogue it will be impossible to stop it’s spread. People are increasingly making the important connection between the products they buy and the effects those products have on themselves and the larger community.
Knowing that a garment was ethically sourced, uses organic fibers or comes from a company that values accountability will begin to matter more and more as consumers become empowered with new choices that are equal to or better than the old ones.
Coming from a family of clothing designers who taught me the value of well made garments, I think issues like buying less and better quality is an important part of this discussion. My favorite suit, to this day originally belonged to my father and was handmade in Italy in the 50’s – not bad for sustainability!
David Blacker
People might be interested in checking out http://www.ibuyitgreen.com where you can find more information on eco friendly products as well as an eco friendly store
09/16/08 » 6:19 pm »