Better Lives Blog Post 2
The Better Lives unit stresses on three themes, all equally important, however two are interrelated. The way I see it is that sustainability and social responsibility go hand in hand. Major issues such as social disparities, environmental degradation and pollution are ongoing conflicts that our world faces. Can the fashion world ever be sustainable and socially responsible?
That’s a complex question that cannot be answered simply, or at all. It is no secret that fashion accounts to a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Buying clothes and then throwing them away is not exactly the most sustainable approach. The fashion industry is harming the planet in multiple ways. From textile production to plastic pollution, the fashion industry’s carbon footprint isn’t changing. Other than synthetic fibers being found in the deep seas, some of the biggest fashion retailers are setting up productions in less economically developed countries. Thus resulting in employees being paid poverty wages as well as weak environmental protection. This example portrays just how the fashion industry can disregard the major issues the world faces regarding sustainability as well as social responsibility.
The Better Lives themes made me realize how much damage is happening and the need for change. As fashion students, we have the ability to creative this positive change starting now, as well as in the future. Because the fashion industry has a huge influence on people, we are in the position to direct them towards more sustainable and socially responsible brands, while boycotting others.
The pandemic we are facing right now has taken us by storm and has flipped our world upside down. We do not know to what extent this pandemic is going to end up changing the fashion industry, but as off now, people are purchasing more items online, fashion stores are closing and fashion events are being cancelled. The world is already seeing a change in its O-zone layer. Certain cities are shocked by the results of what’s happening. The silver lining in this all is that the pandemic is helping our world heal. After this drastic change, people are becoming more aware that things need to change in order to help maintain our world’s environment without damaging it further. Certain designers even stated that the fashion industry needs to slow down in terms of production and that things need to change.
As a fashion public relations and communications student, I strongly believe that we have the ability to show the world what matters and what should be focused on. I need to focus on using my voice positively, showing transparency all the time about brands and their impact on the environment. This topic will push me to work with influencers and brands that have the same ethical views on certain subjects, thus also choosing the right people to deliver the right messages to the world. This is such a complex subject in which I will use primary and secondary research in order to hopefully create change in the future.
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (2019) Fixing Fashion: Clothing Consumption and Sustainability. United Kingdom: Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/1952.pdf (Accessed: May 4 2020)