Fashioning a New World

I must be sick. Every time I try throwing a disposable plastic water bottle in the rubbish bin, I get a foreboding vision of a plastic island twice the size of Texas floating out in the North Pacific gyre. I break a sweat and then my affliction escalates. I see rainforests being bulldozed, towers of smoke chugging out into the atmosphere and small children being made to work in inhospitable factories for a few cents a day. A range of emotions stir up within me, first guilt, then sadness, anger and fear, which all boil down into a firm resolve to make better purchases in future.

Of course, I’ve never really seen these things first hand, but I’ve seen them, inadvertently. We all have. The awareness is there, magnified exponentially by the community building and link-sharing that the Internet allows. It seems that the Web is helping to promote Mother Nature’s cause. Some part of me seems to resonate with this collective consciousness that is very concerned with the future of our planet. It has gripped a hold of my mind, and I can’t seem to shake it.

The fashion industry has been broadly criticised for its part in the excessive production of increasingly disposable garments. In many places like North America and the UK, where extreme poverty is not a reality, items of clothing are tossed out after they have reached their life expectancy – usually around one or two seasons later. This textile waste adds to the sprawling landfills that are accumulating around the world. With a bit of foresight, it is obvious that ‘fast fashion’ cannot continue, or pretty soon we are going to be wading through our own refuse. Not a pretty picture. Not if you like wearing heels.

It has become apparent that we need to rethink the way we consume fashion, so that the industry can re-engineer itself and go back to the drawing board, guided by ecological directives, and at the same time remain profitable as a business model.

First of all, you have to ask yourself: What is fashion?

For me, fashion is an idea, a vision: the selective adjectives of society’s mood that draw from the stories of past and write those of the future.

In communist Berlin during the 1980s, a collective of fashion designers and models were part of an edgy and thrilling underground movement that operated on the fringes of state-sanctioned society. The focus was on self-expression and exploration, and had little to do with consumerism since the haute-couture pieces were all custom made by the creative individuals from found objects such as discarded shower curtains, black plastic bags and strawberry foil. Fashion, in that case, existed free from the shackles of profitability and expansion that are characteristic of a capitalistic system. Fashion in communist Berlin expressed a mood, a feeling; and captured the zeitgeist of an era. Items, otherwise seen as waste, were recycled and re-invented, and given a whole new life in the form of haute-couture garments.

The movement, documented in Marco Wilms’ “Comrade Couture”, made do with very little, and the group was at one point almost arrested for advertising fashion pieces that could not be bought. They maintained that their garments could be made by anyone and they began throwing patterns straight off the ramp during their daring and dynamic shows in seedy, underground venues.

This was a radical departure from the common view of the fashion industry, an industry that cunningly tempts us with the latest “it” bag or stunning pair of Manolo Blahniks, and lures us in to spend our money and buy into a system that seeks ever-faster production of ever-more worthless and wasted turnover.

Fashion does not have to be about buying, consuming, and needlessly depleting the earth’s precious resources on a seasonal whim. The pace of fashion consumption has fast outstripped the rate at which natural resources can be replaced, and time has come to ask some fundamentally important, and, at times difficult questions like “How can we be smarter about this?” and “What steps can we take to reduce our wastefulness?”

Its important to realise that there is an alternative to the exhaustive model of mass-production. Creative people are redesigning their businesses to foster a more sustainable, long-term approach. A host of clever little startups are popping up to fill a widening niche that offers organic and recycled products, and global corporate companies are re-evaluating and redefining their practices in terms of sustainability. An entire school of thought has been born that questions the current model of consumption, scrutinizing each and every step, and suggests more streamlined and conservative approaches to consumption.

Self-proclaimed “fashion activist” Kate Pears recently completed her PhD through the School of Management at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. In her research, she proposed that young people were willing to adopt lifestyles based on the idea of sustainable consumption. Pears facilitated clothing swaps, where people are “paid out” for their contributions in buttons, which they then use to “pay for” their new items. People see their old clothes getting a second lease on life, and leave with a bag full of new goodies. One man’s floor is another man’s ceiling, or so it goes.

In San Francisco, designer Shannon South has started the company ‘remade USA’ which uses second-hand leather goods to create original once-off designer handbags, clutches and purses. In a process similar to recycling, termed “upcycling”, a previously used item of clothing is recycled into a more stylish, more valuable object. These products also question our traditional ideas of value, giving more credence to handcraft and bespoke items, as opposed to ubiquitous mass-luxury items such as the Louis Vuitton handbag (80% of Japanese women under the age of 25 own a Louis Vuitton handbag).

Whilst some companies look at upcycling old products, others are conceptualising entirely new and ingenious products that educate the consumer about the importance of being environmentally friendly. Take, for instance, the “Spud Raincoat”. The waterproof bio-plastic is derived from potato starch and other all-natural products, therefore is 100% biodegradable and compostable. Furthermore, seeds are embedded into the plastic, so once the raincoat has reached the end of its life, it can be buried and will grow into a delicious herb garden. This is an excellent example of closed-system design, where no part of the product goes to waste at the end of the cycle.

Global fashion houses are also getting in on the trend. Yves Saint-Laurent recently launched an eco-friendly capsule collection that will be sold exclusively at Barney’s in New York. The “New Vintage” range uses leftover fabrics from previous seasons, employing the house’s classic cuts and silhouettes in the way of embroidered trench coats and bustier dresses: the appeal lies in the uniqueness of each limited edition piece: the one-of-a-kind nature holding more value than just the logo.

A trend exacerbated by the global recession, is a tendency towards “trading up” in terms of quality. People are favouring better-made products that will last longer. In terms of design, we are seeing a classic revival, with people opting for timeless designs that resonate enduringly with them as individuals. Consumers, surprisingly, are willing to spend more money on well-made, beautifully designed products that last, and gain value over time.

Economic thinkers and writers have speculated that longer the recession lasts, the more entrenched this new behaviour will become. If the figures are anything to go by, people will be a lot more discerning in their purchases, and more aware of the environmental impact of those purchases. I suspect that we are nearing the end of the cycle of ‘fast fashion’ and moving into a more thoughtful and expressive era of ‘slow fashion’ and responsible consumerism.

We are seeing is a large-scale paradigm shift that will influence every decision we make in the future. It is no longer a case of “make-it-and they-will-buy it”. Companies have to tune in to the changes happening on an individual level if they want to remain relevant to an increasingly conscious market guided by ethics and a changing sense of values. A new generation of active consumers is coming of age, bringing with them an altruistic sense of ecological awareness, responsible consumption and sustainability.

And Mother Earth breathes a sigh of relief…

The photography of Richard Avedon

Watch this beautiful retrospective of the photography of Richard Avedon.

A little visual treat.

Fashion Masquerade

I just came across this really interesting observation on The Times blog.

Do check out the visuals on this one...

Basically, the theory questions if designers somehow predicted the onset of swine flu in their latest Fall fashions, utilising masks in abundance. I mean, there are several reported cases of fashion answering society's needs or expressing society's concerns, acting almost as a mirror in which we can see our reflection.

Designers, by their creative nature are quite receptive to external influences, but did they really see it coming? Did their creative extra-sensory faculties possibly pick up the fact that the world is spiraling out of control and there is an urgent need to protect ourselves in all seriousness? Interesting theory. But I'm not entirely convinced.

I have another theory.

In Asia, especially in Japan, people wear masks when they are sick to protect others from getting sick. It shows a sense of common interest for the greater good that the Western world often lacks. Where designers possibly looking to the East, where people are just nicer to each other - drawing on this noble quality in a time where we should probably start giving a damn about each other. Yes? No?

It's just a theory at this stage...

Don't designers know that the customer is always right?!

So...I was invited to a wedding with a country garden theme. Since country garden is not exactly my preferred style set, this meant a spot of shopping. Now, funnily enough, I don't really like shopping all that much, so I like to keep it as simple and painless as possible.

Walking out of my office, which happens to be at 44 Stanley Ave (a very hip little bustling Joburg hub of coolness) I noticed the perfect skirt in the window of Just, a local stockist of SA designer garb. It was perfectly on theme and it simply had to be mine, and I didn't even have to go that far out of my way. Great.

The next day, I went back to take a closer look. The skirt was made in a sombre wintry floral fabric, ruched up to create fullness ending just below the knee. "Well, this'll look great with my moss green wellies" I thought. Pulling it off the rack, I noticed, to my utter dismay, that this thick, heavy, upholstery fabric was held together by a fuchsia bodice in viscose lycra (for those of you unfamiliar with this "viscose lycra" - it's basically T-shirting fabric, thin and stretchy).

Nooo!

Why? It makes no sense!

Maybe there is something that can be done to rectify this grievous error, I thought, always trying to see a silver lining, so, chatting with the shop owner, we tried to figure a way past this problem. Simple. A tailored bask, made in the very same upholstery fabric. So, my measurements were taken and off I went, happily planning my accessories in my head.

The following week, I went back to collect my skirt, and to my utter dismay (again), the bask had been made in a viscose lycra. Isn't this exactly what I was trying to avoid, I enquired, puzzled. Surely I was not going to be charged an extra R200 for this, bringing the total price to over R750. And, remind me, why had we taken the measurements again?

Well, according to the designer, it would not be possible to fit a zip into a bask as it would break.

Now, just hold on a second. I studied fashion design, and sewing was a three year mandatory course. I know that's a lie. Last time I checked, zips were used to hold boxing bags together. I have a feeling it comes down to pure laziness.

I really hate being treated like I'm stupid.

Don't designers know that the customer is always right? And in this case, I really am.

Now, out of principal, I will not buy the skirt, and furthermore, out of principal I will avoid this designer's label indefinitely.

Note to all South African designers out there: You can't afford to lose customers over bad business. It's unacceptable. People need to feel like you'll go the extra mile, that's what will keep them loyal to your brand.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go shopping...

Pop'Africana magazine

Yet another online magazine has popped up (watch out Elle!) but this time with a particularly African feel.

There are some great images of hip, young Tanzanian street scenes. This is why I JUST LOVE AFRICA!!!

Check it out at Pop'Africana

Healthy chocolate brownies

Talking about cookies...

These are gluten-free brownies are super-yummy, fun to make...and healthy(ish)

Ingredients

250 ml potato flour
250 ml brown rice flour
500 ml sugar (you can use about 400 ml if you're not a big fan of the sweet)
125 ml cocoa powder
5 ml gluten-free baking powder
2 ripe b.a.n.a.n.a.s.
150ml avocado oil (you can substitute vegetable oil)

Methodical...

Pre-heat the oven to 160 C. Grease and line a 20cmx30cm baking pan.

See, easy peasy.

In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mas the bananas and add the oil. Add the dry ingredients bit by bit, until they are well-blended.

Spoon the mixture into the baking pan.

Bake for 35-40 min, or until they appear dry at the top.

Cool and cut into squares.

Fashion cookies

I found these gorgeous little treats on Vogue today.



Stylish and yummy! Designer cookies...Mmmmm.

The article goes onto say:

From an Alexander McQueen fromage blanc chiffon dress balanced with raspberry meringue and a Christian Dior duo of apple and hot pink cassis mousse and elegant fondant hat, to a Valentino signature red chocolate coat biscuit accessorised with gold buttons, indulge all of your fashion and food fantasies at once.