The fashion industry is one that plays a large role in our economy, allowing for creative expansion along with opportunities in the workforce for those struggling to find occupations elsewhere. Such a place has a practically infinite amount of space to grow, all through the imagination of fashion designers and businesses. What we often fail to realize in the fashion industry, however, are the many negative impacts in which fashion-—especially fast fashion—have on our society and our environment as a whole. The fast fashion industry alone was worth $35.8 billion dollars in 2019 because of the continuous day-to-day gain of support from its consumers, yet that income is not helping the workers; instead it is being recycled back into an industry supporting minimum wage in return for unfair, often dangerous working conditions. Employees in the fast fashion industry are faced with unhappy customers and managers on a regular basis, adding to the stress that is oftentimes already present in their personal lives. Additionally, the safety of the staff is compromised through the work of heavy machinery and little to no rest between shifts. All of this goes without even mentioning the overarching categorical group that is continuously seen among fast fashion. Studies have shown the pattern of the feminized and racialized workforce of fast fashion; such a production predominantly grouped by race, gender, and class is a growing issue that needs to be resolved. The industry must do a better job of protecting the labor force that works so hard to keep it going. With a little help from more sustainable and ethical business practices among the more general fashion industry, our society has the ability to better the lacking system we have created and replace it with one both beneficial for our population and also for our environment.
In my DIAC, I focused on the world of fast fashion, and more specifically the labor force that is affected by the “efficient” practices involved. To expand upon this, I think the practice of sustainability throughout the fashion industry would allow for a much stronger, more accepting environment for all that take part in it. Thus, for my genre remix project, I plan to move on with the topic of fashion and sustainable applications with the hopes of sharing ways for consumers to make an impact on changing the world of fashion for the better. The importance of quality over quantity is exceptionally important when making choices that not only effect ourselves, but also the lives of others. Because of the notion that fast fashion allows for consumers to purchase multiple (often low quality) goods for the same price as one high end good, a society desiring for quantity arises. We must not give in here; it is more important to care for the environment and care for those around us then to simply focus on ourselves.
With the help of more sustainable fashion practices, I truly believe that we can and will create a more inclusive society, while also bettering our environment that is crucial to the world in which we currently live. To accomplish this step in increasing the quality of our planet, we must advertise for better and make it known that fashion is more than just appearance; rather, it has the capability to save our earth and give back to those who need it. Reducing the label that fast fashion brings about is incredibly important in this much needed journey to sustainable fashion.
In order to share and spread the topic of sustainable fashion practices while steering away from fast fashion, my idea was to create a fashion lookbook with styles of clothing that are trendy, but that are from stores that use sustainable materials and apply moral practices into their business. My hope was to follow the genre of an aesthetic lookbook, with goals of reaching the target audience of consumers who are often more focused on looks than they are about the negative impact they may have on others in the process of purchasing such products. I can speak for myself—and I believe for many others—and say that visuals and aesthetic photographs often sway my decisions. Thus, by creating a trendy and organized lookbook, I wanted to show that it is indeed possible to achieve fashionable looks while also acting ethically acceptable.
Because an aesthetic lookbook requires a lot of planning and drafting, I was a little worried about the time constraints that we had on this project. Additionally, I was unfamiliar with specific technology that was necessary to create my lookbook, so it certainly took time to play around with different applications, but in the end, I was able to use a trial and error process to pull it off. The actual appearance of the lookbook was one of my main focuses, as my target audience is a fashionable group of people (with strong ties to aesthetic). From experience, I can confidently say that look is crucial in gaining attention, which is why this was such a priority for my lookbook. Overall, I am happy with the final product considering my minimal background in working with online applications such as Flipsnack, an interactive online flipbook creator that allowed me to create my final product.
In terms of the content of the lookbook, I was a little apprehensive about finding photographs of clothing pieces themself. My goal was to base the lookbook off of boutiques and other clothing stores located here in Charleston, so that I could visit the store fronts that I was hoping to include in my lookbook. In order to accomplish this, I needed to ensure that there were enough sustainable businesses on and around King Street to make this possible. I did some research and found a handful of helpful sources that led me to ethical boutiques, but unfortunately, most of the few that I had located were either closed due to the pandemic or were too far from campus.
Fortunately, I was able to visit a storefront just down the street from campus called Indigo and Cotton and talk with a helpful employee that provided much insight on its operation and mission. This business, located on 79 Cannon Street, opened in 2011 and has since been known for its “selection of fine and casual clothing, footwear and accessories.” Because Indigo and Cotton is a smaller business, the owner does all of the buying privately, allowing for him to visit each brand a minimum of two times per year, ensuring better than adequate labor treatment, which is a priority within the business. Additionally, they acquire their apparel from a variety of different small batch brands both regionally (Raleigh Denim from North Carolina) and globally (Capital from Japan and Alan from the UK). Due to the personal value that Indigo and Cotton prioritizes, the business is able to know exactly where their goods are coming from, how they are being made, and the treatment that the labor workers experience.
What especially stood out to me while talking with the knowledgeable employee from Indigo and Cotton was his insight on why consumers often skip over sustainable fashion practices. He mentioned the continuous concept that consumers are overly focused on being so quick to jump on trends for cheap prices instead of finding quality pieces of clothing that are made properly with sustainable materials and by workers who are being treated fair and just, despite the fact that these products may be a little more on the pricey side. I was extremely impressed by the amount of expertise this employee had on the business, and he told me that it was just him and the owner who worked at the storefront. Again, I was inspired by this company with such high standards and focuses, despite the growing market of fast fashion that exists around them.
Although my original plan was to visit multiple business in the Charleston area, I was only able to visit Indigo and Cotton, so this was the store that took the basis of my lookbook. I was able to include photographs directly from their website and describe each of them with the name that was featured along with the current price. While my first idea was to include a few different stores, I think focusing just on one allowed for much more attention to detail and quality of work. I am happy with how I was able to interview an employee from Indigo and Cotton, a business with such great operation practices and customer service. By including specific quotes from the employee, I felt that I was able to truly share what Indigo and Cotton strives to offer and represent through their company, one that provides such high quality apparel while following their mission.
Because a lot of fashion lookbooks from high end brands are focused solely on the looks of the products and how they flow together, my lookbook will create a drastic difference by also including the ethics behind the clothing pieces. Due to the idea I have to showcase a sustainable company, I think it will allow for a more interesting twist on the classic lookbook that fashion scholars are so intrigued with. Hopefully, my spin on a fashion lookbook will result in showcasing the beauty in morally and ethically correct fashion and allow for a change in the current world of fast fashion that seems to be taking over.
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