How are young designers battling the fast fashion industry?
WRITTEN BY PELUMI KOLAWOLE
While the fashion industry is often a source of income for millions of people, the negative effects on the environment and the health of the workers and the communities producing the clothes are often overlooked. Despite the industry’s efforts to counter these issues, the negative environmental and human rights impact are both substantial and growing. What are De Montfort university fashion students doing when it comes to, sustainable fashion?''
“Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying.”
— LUCY SIEGLE
Here is Connor what makes him special is that his designs are from recycled wool. "I often don’t make sustainability the subject of my projects it should be natural to your process. "
The fast fashion is industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. With cheap clothes being in huge demand the environment and future planet continue to be at risk. Connor believes companies are overstocking and are ordering too many pieces. "If you do not see as much, you will not want to buy as much. " This cycle can have many, environmental and social impacts that are hard to predict and even harder to address. Connor explains that "We are at a point in fashion where people are realising that fast fashion is possibly not the best idea."
Like many designers who keep up with the times, Connor does face a tough challenge, particularly with the pressure of staying on top of fashion trends with limited time and resources. "Some sustainable things do not necessarily succeed. If they put sustainability as the marketing point. I think it becomes oh; look at how sustainable this thing is without actually being sustainable. You can make it feel right to you,"
To change the narrative young designers like Joeley Sutton are on a mission to create true authentic designs through fashion sustainability and zero waste. Zero Waste is the idea that designers and brands can find a purpose for everything from textile scraps, leftover fabric, to excess thread and paper waste, it is about reducing the volume of waste that is produced.
"You can make something sustainable and use sustainable products as well. If you cannot make it zero waste, then that kind of counteracts it a little bit." Joeley stresses that no materials go to waste. "I can go to charity shops, I can look online, I can pull things together and see what I can come up with from that first." Sustainable fashion has become incredibly popular in the last few years and with good reason. From reducing the environmental impact of our clothing to supporting working-class communities, there is a lot to love about buying clothing that was made to last and is better for the environment. The only issue is that many people believe that sustainable fashion is often incredibly expensive.
Sustainable, fashion: does not have to cost a fortune, though, if there is enough demand out there. Joeley believes that ‘‘there has to be a balance. ‘‘I think it is fair to a certain degree because we are so used to paying little for clothes I think when you are making something sustainable and zero waste you enjoy it more.’’' Echoing what Joey Suttonsaid When it comes to the environmental and social issues faced by the fashion industry, it is not a case of "if"—it is a case of "when." And the evidence is already there.
