Megan Smith

The themes we have explored in this Better Lives unit – Sustainability, Diversity and Social Responsibility – are all continually relevant, even essential, to the evolving dynamics of the fashion industry. In the past decade we have seen a significant shift of priorities. Brands are being held accountable for their commitments to diverse representation, sustainable practices and ethical guidelines. But there is still work to be done, and that will be up to me and my peers through our current work, and our eventual careers.

As mentioned in my first blog post, sustainability is a theme I have explored a lot in my own work, and prioritise in my own life. I seek out sustainable options in my lifestyle, choosing to eat vegan, limit my shopping to necessary purchases from ethical suppliers where possible, and utilise public transport/local businesses. But aside from my personal choices – how can I try and communicate the urgency of sustainable practice through my future work? That is something I look forward to exploring, as there are lots of avenues through which the issue of sustainability can be investigated.

Diversity is also a major factor that I’m sure will play into my future work. As a white, middle class, heterosexual woman, I am in a position of privilege wherein one of the only barriers I may face is my gender. I already see myself represented in the fashion industry, to the point of oversaturation. The lack of diverse representation within fashion institutions is something that has been an issue for decades – for 25 years under Alexandra Shulman, the staff at Vogue were almost entirely white. She claimed that whenever a person of colour interviewed, they ‘almost always’ got the job, but “relatively few came up through the pipeline, for whatever reason, so that might account for why there weren’t more.” This lazy, tokenistic attitude towards having a diverse staff is unfortunately not surprising, and echoes throughout the industry. Maybe the reason ‘few’ people of colour end up in prestigious positions is because they are afforded less opportunities than their white peers, a result of conscious or unconscious racial bias. Supporting and endorsing genuine diversity and social responsibility for all is something I feel should and will be a major priority for me and my peers as we emerge as the next generation of practitioners.

I am reluctant to establish any sort of hierarchy of the Better Lives themes, as they are all important, but I do feel like sustainability is the most urgent issue society has to address, as it concerns the future of our planet. I predict sustainability in particular will become an increasingly motivating factor in my work, as we discover how to adapt to build a more sustainable future, alongside taking responsibility for ethical practice and fair opportunities for all individuals. We cannot allow malpractice, exploitation and discrimination to continue in the fashion industry, and I for one will be taking my responsibility to tackle these issues seriously.

Ref: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/nov/10/former-vogue-editor-alexandra-shulman-find-idea-that-there-was-a-posh-cabal-offensive

The Better Lives lectures have been a really thought provoking and stimulating introduction to the key themes that will be prevalent throughout our studies at UAL, covering Diversity, Sustainability and Social Responsibility. Much of my own work in my previous studies has been motivated by the issue of sustainability, a topic which I already have a real interest in studying and challenging. So whilst the lectures around sustainability were interesting, I felt I was more drawn to those that covered issues I had not previously explored in depth. One of these was Julia Crew’s lecture on power in fashion, which is something I had not really considered beyond surface level observations. There are so many examples of power dynamics to explore under the umbrella of the fashion industry – from worker’s rights to gender inequality, nearly every aspect can be broken down to who has the power, why they have it, and how they use it, as well as the other end of the spectrum, to those who are without power and agency.

This lecture made me reflect on my perception of power in the fashion industry, and I immediately thought of the infamous Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013. It was a shocking event that was a bit of a wakeup call for the industry, but in the 6 years that have passed since, it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci and Versace were clients of the factory – all billion dollar companies, who could and should pay all their employees a decent living wage, and ensure their safety at work. In the aftermath of the factory collapse, there was a real increase in awareness of where our clothes are made, and consumers were encouraged to make good choices as to where they shop and which companies they give their money to. But this raises another issue– who actually has the power and responsibility to make real change in the industry?

I feel like our power as consumers is limited – we can try and shop ethically where we’re able, but ultimately the average shopper doesn’t have the financial freedom to invest in better quality, ethical products, and will carry on purchasing from morally ambiguous companies out of necessity. Brands that have the monetary power and influence to change the way the supply chain is run should be doing so – I can’t understand why they’re not. I know it isn’t as simple as ‘enforcing’ decent wages, as people will find loopholes, there will always be another factory willing to do it for cheaper, and companies will prioritise profit. But what will it take for real change to happen? I myself make an effort to shop ethically where I can, but I’m not sure what will motivate companies to use their power for good – protests/boycotts? New laws? Redistribution of power/wealth?. I don’t know, but hope in the near future things we’ll find out, and there will be a significant change for the better.