Theme Reflection Task
The Better Lives project revolved around three major subjects: Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Diversity. Three issues that I think are crucial in the development in fashion for the present and the new coming decades, as it has been throughly proven the negative impact the industry has both for the planet and individuals in social and economic disadvantage.
I believe for years we have been extremely ignorant to the way the works of the fashion industry is both elitist and oppressing to some many in the chain of production, and I’m glad it is a significant part of out education to understand how this chain of production and distribution is building a world that destroys an array of opportunities for our planet and people living in it.
I study Fashion Media Practice and Criticism, which is centred in reflecting on practices within the Fashion Industry and a critical communication with this practices. Thanks to the Better Lives unit, we have been giving an insight on the amount of product waste that is caused by fashion manufacture, plus the contamination by dyeing and toxic emission in factories around the world.
This is no issue we should be sleeping on for any longer. Fast fashion companies are creating infamous amount of waste product and are a significant contribution to the rapid decay of our planet. We as fashion students are (hopefully) going to shape the fashion industry one day, and it is our responsibility to make sure our craft is empathic to the world we live in and the way we are on the breach of colossal disaster. As it is understood, we are more informed than the average person, and we are the ones in need to respond to this issues, promoting locally and ethically sourced materials, as well as re-using and elongating the life of garments and fashion pieces.
One artist I was recently inspired by was Judi Werthein, an Argentine multidisciplinary artist who created a shoe called Brinco in 2005. Brinco was a high top trainer, that was manufactured in a sweatshop in China for 17$ (as a way to bring light to the poor conditions in this manufacturing processes). The Brinco shoe was distributed in limited quantities in shops in the USA for 200$, while simultaneously been given for free to people trying to cross the border between Mexico and the USA. The shoe was equipped with flashlight, a compass and a map with the most common routes from Tijuana to San Diego, plus pockets with money and pain killers in case people got hurt in the way. This shoe, that helped people do the ‘’brinco’’ or jump in English showed from many different perspectives the hypocrisy of neo-liberal consumerism while helping people for a difficult task.
I think fashion having a more utilitarian approach while being conscious of the sourcing and manufacturing process is the only way to be respectful to a planet that is sooner than later not going to be able to provide for mass amount of consumption, while being mindful of the vast amount of livelihood’s depending on this industry and its fair work.