Better Lives Blog 1: Culture&Well-being
Through Better Lives lectures, I had a great opportunity to think about the sustainability of fashion. I did not care much about the fashion industry before attending the lectures. I have usually heard of sustainable fashion but have never thought about why it is an important role in our lives. I simply thought that the sustainability of the fashion industry has positive effects on our lives. However, after attending the lectures, I thought about the sustainability of fashion and the problem of the fashion industry through the lectures, among them, I focused on environmental pollution and sweatshop conditions caused by fashion.
In particular, I strongly agree with the comment that fast fashion is socially and ecologically irresponsible while attending the Fashion and Well-being lecture. Personally, this argument first reminded me of the speech of Greta Thunberg (17), the youngest environmental activist chosen by The Times last year. It is not necessarily the reason for the fashion industry, but it is also true that the nature-based fashion industry destroys our breathing environment. The reason is that clothing products are closely linked to pollution of the environment throughout the entire process of production, consumption, and disposal, as well as waste not only the environment but also the resources of labour. “Everything is connected”. We cannot deny that we have a very close connection with the environment. However, if the environment we belong to is being destroyed as our fashion consumption levels continue to increase, it could be a serious problem.
Fashion is made from nature, such as land, water, air, and animals. Also, when clothes are discarded, oil and water are wasted. This cycle of repeated mass production and mass consumption can adversely affect environmental pollution and ecosystem destruction. Moreover, the production system of the global fashion industry is seen as a serious problem of labour exploitation in developing and underdeveloped countries as a manufacturing country. It is thought that at the centre, there is the emergence of Fast Fashion and Brands. The problem is thought to be escalating further as it promotes mass production and mass consumption. Modern clothing has a variety of trends that coexist at one time, and with changes in lifestyles, the trend cycle is accelerating. The distribution cycle of fashion products is also shortening as a variety of clothing products are quickly selected, spread and discarded within a consumer group due to the rapid change in consumer patterns and the shorter cycle of fashion. This may be the reason why we should pursue ‘Slow Fashion’.
It is thought that the ethical solution of labour issues that protect human rights through slow fashion and the use of eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton and natural dyeing will positively change the working structure of our environment and fashion industry. Of course, this could start with small practices. I think we need a little effort from both consumers and fashion companies. The reason is that this practice is difficult to become a consumer individual or an enterprise-specific effort. I have learned once again that the fashion industry, environment, and social structure are all connected.