Blog Post Two by Sofia Whitaker Tabet
The themes of diversity, sustainability and social responsibility in the fashion world, should be a basic essential prerequisite that in reality have just recently, began to be taken into consideration and be the subject of discussions and change. The fashion world has always been extremely exclusive, with no or very little diversity and extremely unsustainable. With the culture of hyper-consumption, led by social media and the cult of influencers and celebrities, the fashion world demands an exorbitant amount of new products at a pace never seen and lived before. And the more consumption, the greater the demand, the cheaper and more polluting and humanly-degradable the production is because it is fast and its quality is low. This system, and several others, needed a shock, a visceral change. And it is here, right before our eyes. The beginning of the change has come, and we are the future of it.
Today the world is going through a situation that was never experienced before and although we are sheltered in our homes, away from our friends, places of public coexistence, schools and jobs, technology unites us, more than ever. People are more caring and more sensible to others, but is this just a momentary thing, or a real change of habits? The world is going through a moment of extreme change and observation and it is literally in our hands, the power of change.
It is in college where we strongly create our identity and principles as human beings and I believe that I am fortunate to be living the experience of Better Lives at this crucial time. The diverse, intense and analytical lecturers around these three so important themes opened my eyes with so much information, feeding me with numerous possibilities for greater change, urgently needed by the fashion system as a whole. Whichever way I go, I believe that from now on I already carry these three pillars heavily in my DNA as a fashion practitioner.
During our classes at Emerging Technologies for Fashion, we discussed possible innovations that encompass all three pillars of Better Lives, from machines that re-create fabric threads from recycled materials, adjustable e-mannequins that vary from weight to color and race of the consumer and through blockchain system, tracking the supply chains of all fast-fashion brands, giving the consumer the right to know the truth behind each piece of clothing. These and other ideas are being discussed because we are a group of students who have received the correct and true information and education. Fashion does not mean hyper-consumption, it does not mean fast and cheap production, it does not mean exploitation of human beings. Fashion can mean awareness, responsibility and conscious production and we are here to make it happen.
My conclusion throughout the Better Lives Project is that if the system becomes circular, all three pillars discussed intensively will be embraced for good. Therefore, the key is to build a system / fashion industry whereby the inputs (materials) are safe, non-toxic and renewable, making high-quality, reparable garments with a design apparel that at the end of the system, can be turned into new clothing. This is the key for consistent change.
resource:
Almond, N. (2020) ‘Emerging Technologies in Fashion’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 11th February.
Thomas, D. (2019). Fashionopolis : The Price of Fast Fashion–And the Future of Clothes. Penguin Publishing Group.
20th April 2020 @ 12:09 pm
After reviewing Sofia Whitaker Tabet’s second Blog Post, I think it is well written and she has made clear connections between the three main themes of the Better Lives Unit and with her creative practice. Tabet has also set out her intentions to make the Fashion Industry more sustainable by ultimately creating high-quality clothing that can be recycled.
I think a major similarity between my work and that of Tabet, is that we both recognise the need for change within our Industries. Both the Fashion and Makeup Industry are closely aligned and have both contributed greatly to the Climate Crisis. It is interesting to see the crisis from the perspective of a different Industry, and I found that, naturally the different perspectives allow for different solutions to tackle the same issue. For example, throughout this unit, I have been investigating the issue of Microplastics polluting our oceans, from the perspective of how the Fashion Industry is contributing to this issue. Tabet has discussed this in her blog and has identified that the production of clothes is fast but the quality is low; moreover, it is relating to this fact that she has gone on to say that she wants to create clothes of a higher quality, in order to tackle this issue. This differs slightly from my practice, as the makeup industry needs to focus on creating materials for Prosthetics that are biodegradable (or materials that can be recycled).
For my Better Lives project, I focused on this issue by looking at the impact the Fashion Industry is having on the oceans. I found that the cheaply made clothes of the Fast Fashion Industry shed fibres in the wash, these fibres then go to a sewage facility and then get discarded in the ocean. I found this issue to be particularly concerning as these Microplastics are being consumed by the marine wildlife and have already entered our food chain. It is not yet known what impact the consumption of these tiny plastics is having on our health but as plastic acts as a sponge for toxins, it is safe to assume that the plastic will eventually have a negative impact on our health. Therefore, I am glad that future people within the Fashion Industry, such as Tabet, are focused on making a change for the better.
I created my trailer to raise awareness regarding the issue of Fast Fashion polluting our oceans as I felt like it was an issue that not enough people were aware of. However, it is revitalising to see someone else talk about this issue and who also wants to make a change.
I am proud of the work that I have produced for the Better Lives Unit and I hope that my work, combined with the work of others can highlight this issue further, and hopefully we can be part of the solution.
21st April 2020 @ 10:54 am
I really like this post and I believe that what I just read is true. Being locked in my room in London, far away from my family and friends made me think a lot. Has been almost one month that I’m not going out and buying clothes as I used to do. Now, I’m buying only essential products and this made me realise that probably I don’t need a full wardrobe to be happy; this situation pushed my self to be more creative and reuse what I have at home and this definitely made me feel more joyous. So, I started to reconsider my needs. Thinking about all the waste of garments that fashion industry is going to have, now even more because of COVID-19, it makes me really sad and concerned. This is happening because the production of clothes has grown over the years and now the economy is crushing down and many people are now struggling for money and loosing their jobs. I’m scared of my future right now like many other people. We don’t know what Is gonna happen. I totally agree with you, the system need a change, we need to find new solutions to prevent the negative impact on the environment. I need to remind more often to myself about the issues that we are facing everyday, not only in fashion industries, and make right decisions in my daily life. Using our voices we can do much more. We have to promote brands that sustain our environment, avoiding the purchase of any fast fashion product. Being more sustainable and reduce the waste in order to live in a better and new environment. Yes, our future is in our hands. In your classes, you discussed about possible innovation in order to recreate a new fashion system were even the consumer is aware of the truth behind each piece of clothing. You made me feel really lucky, because as a student I’m being educated and aware of the truth and I can only try to share the message and like you said: “we are here to make it happen”.
24th April 2020 @ 9:57 am
I really enjoyed reading Sofia Whitaker Tabet’s Second blog, It was captivating and very well written. Her passion and strong voice can be heard through her arguments. She is very skilled in the way she expresses her opinions, I say this because I was convinced by her every word. In the first paragraph she talks about the fashion industry still being very exclusive with little diversity, This was interesting to read because In my blog I had mentioned the fashion industry today improving massively by becoming more inclusive now than ever. Therefore It made me re-evaluate the extent of inclusivity in the fashion industry today.
Later on, Sofia mentioned the current pandemic and the importance of technology uniting us today. She also mentioned observing people’s behaviour as being more positive now than ever and questioned whether this would be a momentary thing. In my opinion people always seem to come together during emergencies, then fall apart when things are back to normal. It’s sad that we need to experience catastrophes in order to understand one another and I wish this would change. I wish that like this pandemic, people would come together to influence and create change for other aspects of the world that also need help. As a collective we have the power to heal the planet, but we must act fast before it’s too late.
Sofia also spoke about her ‘Emerging technologies for fashion’ classes and possible solutions which were discussed. One of the solutions that I find really interesting is the concept of enabling consumers to track the supply chains of all fast-fashion brands. Doing this will allow consumers to see how and where the products were made, allowing them to make a conscious choice of whether to support a brand. Ultimately, this will push brands to become more sustainable by treating workers fairly.
In her blog she quoted “Fashion does not mean hyper-consumption, it does not mean fast and cheap production, it does not mean exploitation of human beings. Fashion can mean awareness, responsibility and conscious production and we are here to make it happen.” This was phrased and quoted so well as it gave me hope for the future of the fashion industry. We need more people who are willing to listen and partake in creating change. Like Sofia mentioned, fashion does not need to be a negative industry, it can still be a very successful and enriching industry when sustainable. To conclude on this peer reflection, I feel that Sofia has addressed the key concepts very successfully while also suggesting solutions for the future. Her work is well written out and makes me look forward to reading her next blog post.