Reflections on how the Better Lives themes have influenced my project outcome and my personal development

For the Better Lives unit I have chosen to explore critical design approaches which are now currently being used by artists and activists to confront modern crisis. I was given a project allowing me to explore various contemporary ‘wicked problems’ and potential implications they might cause in the future.  Climate change is one of them. As stated in the Pulse of the Fashion Industry report fashion industry was accountable for throwing 1.7 billion tones of carbon dioxide into the air in 2015. (Petty, 2019) It is a second largest industry to be so impactful on the climate. As socially responsible community we have to make sure our footprint becomes less severe before it costs too much, as it was depicted in my dystopian picture of the planet. My project examines future scenario of the climate change that becomes impossible to live in: some places are destroyed by floods, or in contracts become deserts, air is too toxic to breathe, marine life becomes extinct. Humankind is forced to take an extreme action- to look for a brighter future and turn planet Mars into a new home. Meanwhile, nature is reclaiming its Earth. Buildings collapse and animal species thrive. While working on this project and conducting all necessary research I was devastated by seeing the impact we have made so far and even more doubtful about my life in the future. “Reaching zero net greenhouse gas emissions will require far-reaching changes in human activity, which in fashion terms includes changing both the way we produce clothes and how we consume them.” (Petty, 2019) Sustainability has to grow in our habit. During the Better Lives project I understood that the way I could best practice sustainability is becoming an active member of a second fashion market. I was excited to find out this market could be upgraded by adding Blockchain technology to it, which would allow people to track the supply chain and its origins. This would allow people to engage with sustainability even more. Another idea which gained popularity among fashion community is to buy less. By rethinking the disposable nature of fast fashion we could reduce the wastage sitting just in our closets untouched for months. To tackle climate change, we must practice new ways of thinking and create an ecosystem sensible to the crisis.  “ The truth is, that we live in a paradise that has been degraded and destroyed.” (L.D. Caprio, 2016) and it is our time to make right decisions.