This article has originally been published by Nerida Lennon on her blog on September 13th 2011, and is republished with permission.
By: Nerida Lennon, Twitter: @NeridaLennon. Model, sustainable fashion researcher & journalist, Melbourne, Australia.
When I was younger and solving complex maths equations my mathematician father would lovingly say to me: “Remember to Keep It Simple, Stupid – use the KISS principle.” According to Wikipedia, “the KISS principle states that simplicity should be a key goal in design, and that unnecessary complexity should be avoided.” I read an article that attempts to unwrap and understand the term ‘sustainable fashion’, which prompted me to wonder: can the KISS principle also be applied to the term ‘sustainable fashion’?
In his article aptly titled ‘Honestly, what the heck is sustainable fashion?‘, Daniel Dykes gives an honest and engaging appraisal of his understanding of the term ‘sustainable fashion’, describing it as “grandiose, all encompassing, unclear. It’s the choose your own adventure of fashion terminology.” Dykes is definitely onto something. Just a few nights ago I was discussing how in my youth I loved the ‘choose your own adventure’ books, but I found it particularly challenging to choose only one of the mysterious options on offer. I like to think I’m informed when it comes to the principles of sustainable fashion, but I am simultaneously perplexed by the plethora of sustainable fashion approaches and how to effectively map this complex systemic issue.
Like Tullia Jack, lecturer in sustainable fashion at RMIT University, I broadly define sustainable fashion as ‘meeting our own fashion needs without affecting the future generations’ ability to meet their own‘. However, I often feel strained to further refine that definition into concrete, tangible concepts which do not conflict with each other. Perhaps that is why my vision is for a fashion industry that is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. I blame my indecisiveness on my overwhelming concern for the multitude of negative environmental and social impacts the fashion industry is responsible for, as I attempt to match them with effective sustainable solutions. While some environmental standards for the industry are being developed, both nationally and internationally, we are currently almost free to do what Dykes explains as framing the ideas of sustainable fashion around what it means to us and which of our values shout the loudest. This is something I realised early on in my journey to understand sustainable fashion and I do actually favor some issues that I deem most pertinent, but it is still incredibly hard to prioritise. Is this paradox of choice the biggest challenge that the sustainable fashion movement is facing?
The fashion industry is a complex system that needs re-imagining, but I am not sure I actually, agree as Dykes’ suggests, that “sustainable fashion is a broken term. A term that encompasses all too much.” I see ‘sustainable fashion’ as a broad umbrella term to describe the ultimate vision for a better fashion industry, not a tangible forumla to solve this wicked challenge. However, the term is often used very loosely and lazily, rather than taking the time to choose more practical and specific sustainable fashion descriptors. Dykes’ comment left me wondering whether the actual term ‘sustainable fashion’ needs to be simplified or whether it is sufficient as an umbrella term which encompasses the smaller problems and opportunities that make up this complex issue. From my studies in psychology I understand that on a very basic level us humans find comfort in compartmentalising issues so we can understand them better (see the Gestalt principle). But how beneficial is it to break down the term ‘sustainable fashion’ into simpler parts?
The sustainable fashion movement is struggling to agree on and articulate a clear and actionable approach to addressing the unsustainable nature of the fashion industry, and it is probably the largest issue we currently grapple with. In her article What is sustainable about fashion? Sheena Matheiken from the Uniform Project explains how designers and consumers justify sustainability into diverse categories such as using ‘heirloom sustainability’ to explain the sustainability benefits of high-end luxury fashion. Focus is our closest alley on this journey and Allan Barger’s comment to Dykes’ article rings truth: “if a slogan can’t be easily defined or explained (like ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’) it will never coalesce into a movement.” While I am thankful to Dykes for providing me with the opportunity to reflect, refine and re-focus on the specific issues I want to address through my work in supporting the fashion industry to become more sustainable, I’m not sure that “each of the issues [sustainable fashion] currently represents need to be separated, and we need to tackle each one at a time” or whether it is entirely possible or even beneficial to do so. Devising a simple and useful lexicon which we can confidently use will support our plight of spreading the word and building a positive movement in the wider community. However, it is also important to remember these issues are not usually linear, where the impacts and effects of the fashion industry are not in isolation but instead part of a fragmented, complex and linked system. Unfortunately it is not simply a cause and effect scenario, but a series of issues that are inter-related.
Animal rights is a current and fitting example. The PETA protesters that hijacked the catwalk during Melbourne Spring Fashion Week sparked my interest and I found myself in an online discussion with one of the PETA advocates involved. When I asked her about the claims that they were wearing leather boots, she replied: “Nerida – all the girls are vegan who were there last night and we all had pleather shoes on. Vegan style do great shoes and most of us shop at Kmart and Target!! Haha!! No leather last night baby!!” While I certainly admire her dedication and passion for animal rights, I was concerned that she opted for this cheap, fast fashion alternative. It seems her lack of understanding meant her views were insular and limited her ability to see the bigger, more connected and systemic picture. I must add that she was very friendly and open to learning about alternative places to find more sustainable clothing options. This is not the first time that this issue has left me wondering if we can actually address all issues involved in the fashion industry without them conflicting. I believe healthy debate is important to test our beliefs and assumptions, which is what this blog post by Hayley Hughes does through illuminating some further points on the PETA approach.
Another example is, organic cotton clothing. Switching from traditional cotton growing to organic methods eliminates toxic pesticides to preserve the environment, but it coincidentally improves the quality of life for the farmer. Through removing their exposure to the harmful pesticides, organic farming saves farmers money through not having to purchase toxic pesticides and therefore alleviating their poverty. Yes, this issue could be broken down and labelled as ‘environmental’ and ‘social’ but they are still intrinsically linked. Then there are other sustainable fashion issues that cannot be so clearly defined and sometimes we are forced to choose one over the other.
Of course, we are all still learning to navigate this territory and there is not one approach that will transition the fashion industry to become more sustainable. Like the renewable energy sector, I believe diversity of approach is key. This is a discussion that is taking place around the world, for which there is no simple answer. When I asked Tullia Jack to give her thoughts about this post, I was delighted by her response: “[sustainable fashion] does mean so many different things to so many different people, and yes, it has been hijacked by green washers here and there, but saying those two words communicates basically “good clothes". Maybe we don’t need to agree on what it means, but all keep working to our own agendas for good clothes. The multiplicity of interpretations builds up a holistic and beautifully complex picture of sustainable fashion. The world is a beautifully complex place.” Amen to that.
