DE2606 Cultural and Contextual Studies, Fashion
Students are to write a critical review which reflect the cultural, contextual, critical concerns in fashion. The essay enables the students to develop a range of research and writing skills related to design practice. Students are expected to articulate a clear and cogent review that conforms to academic conventions. You are also expected to demonstrate an understanding of fashion theory through analysis and evaluation. It is important to develop a degree of independence in selecting further texts which will corroborate your individual point of view.
Teo Jia En Name
FMT4A | 12565 Class | ID No.
Susan Olij Lecturer
2012 LASALLE College of the Arts Faculty of Design Singapore
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 1
Accepted by the Faculty of Design, LASALLE College of the Arts.
Susan Olij Lecturer
I certify that the work being submitted for examination is my own account of my own research, which has been conducted ethically. The data and results presented are the genuine data and results actually obtained by me during the conduct of the research. Where I have drawn on the work, ideas and results of others this has been appropriately acknowledged in the thesis. The greater portion of the work described in the thesis has been undertaken subsequent to my registration for the degree for which I am submitting this document.
Š2012 Teo Jia En In submitting this work to LASALLE College of the Arts, I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations and policies of the college. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made available and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. This work is also subject to the college policy on intellectual property.
________________________________ Teo Jia En
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 2
Sustainable fashion is a fairly new and developing aspect of fashion. Particularly inspired by the film “An Inconvenient Truth”, there in develops a strong desire to research more about the topic of sustainability in fashion. The main article in this review focuses on “Sustainable Fashion” by Intelligent Life, the online version of Intelligent Life, a lifestyle and culture magazine from The Economist. Written in Winter 2010, the article seeks to search “true sustainability” no matter its popularity and if it is a contradiction in terms. The article also covers a broad aspect of Sustainable Fashion, covering topics from definitions, various ways of sustainability efforts in plant fibers, animal fibres to up cycling. Despite some inherent minor contradictions of the concept of sustainability of leather especially crocodilian skin, the due research done for this review provides an overall positive assessment of the topics that arose in the chosen article.
The article first sets out that purchasing truly sustainable fashion poses a great difficulty. This is because of the seeming inherent contradiction of the two terms. The article defines sustainability as usage of resources positively, so as to preserve the planet for the future generation. This is very closely related to the Brundtland Commission (1989), which articulated what has now become a widely accepted definition of sustainability: “[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (EthicalFashionForum.com, 2011).
However I find that this definition is too simplistic. Ethical Fashion Forum, an industry body dedicated to the sustainable future of fashion, believes that a business or initiative is not sustainable unless the triple bottom line is integrated at the core of business practices and policy, from board level to studio, shop, or factory floor. The three areas are: Social, Environmental and Commerical. In brief, social aspect covers the wellbeing of the people and communities
behind
fashion.
Environmental
sees
to
minimizing
the
environmental impact of all business operations, throughout the supply chain.
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 3
While commercial sees to quality products or services that meet market needs and demands are fairly marketed. On the contrary, the article defines Fashion as married to “novelty and consumption”, neither of which blends naturally with the concept of sustainability. This perfectly corroborates with the general definition of fashion by Welters and Lillthun as shifting styles of dress and appearance that are adopted by a group of people at any given time and place. (Welters and Lillthun, 2011)
Carrying forward with the main article in review, fresh with the definitions in mind, the article claims that early attempts at eco-fashion were mostly superficial. Rather than focusing on the issue of materials, designers in the 1990s were more focused in designing fashion that were ”dingy, naturalfibre clothing that made wearers look as if they lived in a field.” Surprisingly, findings from the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York corroborates with the claims.
Figure 1: Left to right: Martin Margiela, jacket repurposed from vintage
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 4
scarves, Spring 1992; Martin Margiela, socks, partially constructed sweater, and completed sweater, early 1990s; Xuly Bët, recycled ensemble, Fall 1994 (FIT, NY)
Figure 2: Xuly Bët, dress and jacket ensemble, multicolor sweaters, brown wool plaid, red nylon, fall 1994, France, gift of Xuly Bët. (FIT, NY) Figure 3: Russian peasant photo (Cremedelacreme.com)
As seen in Figure 1, the designs from Margiela and Xuly Bët certainly resembles peasantry attire. This is evident in a cross reference with Figure 3, a stock image of Russian female peasants in terms of the layering of fabrics, high waist design, long sleeves and long hem line to protect the wearer from weatherʼs elements. The Xuly Bëtʼs quilted skirt further emphasizes the peasantryʼs need to maximize fabric use from the past while the brown collar and the assemblage of clashing colours and fabrics attempts to add a touch of fashion and design. Thus, Intelligent Magazineʼs critique of fashion in the 1990ʼs as superficial, only focusing on recycled looked rather than more pertinent questions such as fabric sources is accurate and relevant.
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 5
Coming back to the modern era, the article states that it is only in recent years that these pertinent questions as to methods of material production, cost and volume of energy exhausted for material care and the disposal of material begins to materialize. More than a handful of qualitative research materials corroborates with this fact. The history of eco-fashion, a BBC online article reveals that it is only in the 2000 that these issues are treated with severity. (BBC.com, 2008) The State of Pay, Labour Behind the Label Report, 2011 also reveals the British committeeʼs commitment to support humane wages and treatment of workers. The committee emphasizes that “Companies must do more to ensure respect for trade union rights in the quest to provide a living wage for garment workers.”
“Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom” a keynote report on the environmental impact of the fashion manufacturing by the University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing, 2006 also supports that much effort is put in to track and minimize the harmful impact of the manufacturing industry on the environment and also reveals the life cycle of the product from the beginning to the end.
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 6
Figure 4: Textile Flows in the United Kingdom, from beginning to end. (University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing, 2006)
In the report, the clothing and textiles mass balance for the sector was calculated for the UK. In line with figure 4 above, 3.25 million tonnes of clothing and textiles flow through the UK each year – approximately 55kg per person. Although the report and information gathered is UK centric, it still proves the accuracy of the article that in recent years people in the industry are digging deeper and finding out more about the status quo of fashion, what sustainable fashion truly means and how to achieve it.
Zooming into materials, starting with plant fibers, Intelligent Magazine critiques that it is “eco-hogwash” or utter rubbish to boast that something is superior because it is made from natural or renewable fibers. The example cited is cotton, it may be natural, but most cotton consumes huge amounts of pesticides, fertilizers and water during production.
In the article ʻFiber Sustainability: Green is not Black + Whiteʼ writer Martin
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 7
Bide highlights the controversies of fiber sustainability, the claims about and the marketing of organic fiber. Bide (2011) states, “It is fascinating to review the highly spun statistics (some doubtless very selective) that are used to argue the greenness of cotton. To grow enough cotton to make a T-shirt "only requires one gram of pesticide" (Cotton Today) or "150 grams of chemicals" (which presumably includes herbicides, and fertilizers).
Cross referencing this information with statistics from Organic Trade Association proves the claim right, that 25% of all pesticides used are for standard cotton production and Standard Cotton uses 1 pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every 3 pounds of cotton harvested. (OTA.com) In addition, Sue Thomas (2008) supports this argument about “eco-hogwash”. She notes the emergence of a new pun in fashion – “Greenwash”; she elaborates, “Paraphrased from whitewash, or the cover-up of unpleasant environmental facts or actions, greenwash refers to a marketing ploy. It is often voiced in a scathing manner by organizations and individuals allied to the environmental movement, especially when describing policy or outcome implemented to divert or to assuage environmentalistsʼ critique. “
Moving on to the other source of fiber, the animal kingdom, the article argues that all the issues that come with raising cattle for food—such as habitat loss, emissions of greenhouse gases and resource use, not to mention the overuse of antibiotics—also apply to leather. Indeed, Greenpeace Brazil has released a report (Greenpeace Amazon Cattle Footprint Mato, 2009) at the World Social Forum in Belém showing that up to 80 percent of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is due to an increase in raising cattle for human consumption.
In continuation, the article reports that another option is to find animal skins that do not damage the habitat and wildlife numbers. The example of
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 8
crocodilian skin, particularly wild alligator is one of the great success stories in sustainable wildlife trade. It is said that several species of crocodilian species are now thriving where they were once endangered, due to a strictly controlled, sustainable trade. The article argues that buying alligator from America makes a direct contribution to marshlands that are vital habitats for wildlife, millions of migratory birds and many endangered species. And most of Louisiana’s 4.5m acres of alligator habitat are privately owned, so trade is essential for supporting these areas and their rich biodiversity.
However, this information is debatable and dubious to a large extent. On the first count, PETA would certainly not agree to the raising of farmed alligator because it sustains the wildlife. PETA argues that animals have feelings and it is animal cruelty that their skin is being robbed for human pride, vanity and consumption. In addition, these animals were never meant to exist within confined cages and farms, but to enjoy their original life in the wildlife. (PETA.org )
On the second count, it is highly dubious as to how the “Lousianaʼs 4.5 acres of alligator habitat” is divided between the bigger privately owned proportion versus the wild life. There is no guarantee that reality exists as claimed on paper.
Besides, modern leather tanneries and the leather they make are frighteningly toxic. So toxic, that 95% of U.S. tanneries have moved their operations overseas to avoid environmental oversight penalties and many old tannery sites canʼt be used for agriculture or built on or even sold. This is because Chromium (VI) is the most persistent toxin used by the leather industry. It is a known carcinogen with the following documented human health effects which includes, amongst others: skin rashes, respiratory problems, weakened immune systems, alteration of genetic material, lung cancer and even death. (Richards, Gabrielle & Wickham, 2008)
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 9
Intelligent Magazine also argues that the search and the purchase of these animal products is tricky. Still on the example of crocodilian skin, it tends to be used by the highest of high-end houses, citing Hermès as an example. One would “need a second mortage to afford… an exquisite pair of narrow-cut Mississippian alligator trousers.” Although information for the exact pair of trousers is not located within this review, a quick check with online sales gallery such as Malleries.com reveals that Hermès crocodilian skin bags costs in the upwards of almost $70,000 and upwards. This is because of the wild-life crocodile poaching is illegal in most of the world. In order to meet demand, Hermes has bought over their own source, in the form of an alligator farm in Australia to meet the demand for their bags. (Reuters.com, 2009)
Figures 5 & 6: Stomach area of the crocodile skin, with a 1m ruler. Close up.
Secondly, the stomach area, where it is the softest- of the crocodile skin is used for Hermes bags, and 2 to 3 scar less, flawless pieces are required to make one bag. That is why it makes the crocodilian skin so prestigious, coveted and astronomically priced.
Upcycling is another aspect of sustainable fashion that is touched on. Defined as the process where waste products are converted into products of higher value, is indeed “taking off”. Citing the example of the supermarket chain Tesco collaborating with upcycling designers From Somewhere, the collection has seen unwanted fabric from roll-ends turned into a collection of
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 10
dresses in trendy colour blocks.
Figure 7: Designs from (Guardian, UK, 2010)
Figure 8: Trendy Items (Refinery29, 2010) Guardian UK similarly reports this upcycling trend by Tesco. In the figure 7 (Guardian, UK, 2010) above, the designs are pleasant and do indeed carry the colour blocking trend as reported by Refinery29 in April 2010, titled “A New Take On The Colorblock Trend” by Sara Idacavage.
Nearing the end, the article presents a case where “there’s often confusion on the shop floor about what’s what.” Where it would have been more appropriate to mention this at the beginning, after the definitions of terms. The confusion of sustainable fashion case is brought about well by
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 11
Vanessa Friedman in an article published by Financial Times. Titled “Sustainable fashion: what does green mean?” She describes the situation of sustainable fashion as ʻLexicographical fuzzinessʼ. This is reinforced by Suleman Anaya, in her article published on The Business of Fashion website where she summarizes the varying definitions and opinions of what sustainable fashion is in the former article as “Some emphasized a commitment to traditional techniques, others pointed to locally sourced materials, while still others mentioned the importance of reducing carbon footpoint.”
Additionally, another notable theory of sustainable fashion, that of “Cradle to Cradle” design is neglected in the article. Written by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, the “Cradle to Cradle” principles are guided by the notion that in the natural world, waste equals food and that there is no reason for human activity to be inherently wasteful and destructive. McDonough and Braungart suggest that we are in need of an industrial re-evolution in which we will eliminate the concept of waste and instead design products and systems that can provide nourishment for something new at the end of their useful lives. (2002, cited in Sherin, 2008, p. 22.)
Thus looking forward, the future of sustainable fashion would ideally be educating the public and masses on the various aspects of “sustainable fashion”. In line with this, that the ideal consumer as described by Bide (2011) “The realist will buy fewer clothes, avoid polyester / cotton blends, wash them in cold water in a front loading washer, use a clothes line to dry them, and at the end of their life, send them to a composting facility or a recycling center.” one who is aware, makes informed choices, decisions and actions - would also prevail.
In addition, that technology would also be integrated seamlessly to fabric production, and channels of distribution. An example is given in Perada Magazine (2008), a magazine on pervasive adaptation seen in technology.
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 12
New fashion and sport brands incorporate health, social, environmental, economic and technological information in their clothing and accessories, combining design information communications and cognitive technologies as requisite for a brand始s unique selling point and its commitment to corporate social responsibility. Opportunities for sustainability are emerging, adding value to products that incorporate smart textiles into everyday clothing. Improved track-and-trace technology will reveal the global and local supply, consumption and disposal chain for the consumer, applying the benefits of smarter technology to aid materials and nutrient recovery. Ultimately, the demise of the 驶unknowns始 and of the built-in obsolescence of fashion, the inclusion of garment miles and carbon footprint information in labelling, and a demand for high specification up-cycled products under sustainable production
In conclusion, based on research findings, it can be safely said that the article by Intelligent Life Magazine is largely accurate and has effectively explored various aspects of sustainable fashion. Perhaps the article can be improved with a more detailed definition of sustainable fashion. Although the definition of sustainable fashion is simplistic, it is not inaccurate and for an article that is considerably concise, it is my opinion that the article has introduced and supported topics with ample examples.
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 13
References Welters, Linda & Lillethun, A. (eds.) 2011. The Fashion Reader, Second Edition. Berg. London & New York. Sue Thomas, 2008. From “Green Blur” to Ecofashion: Fashioning an Ecolexicon. Fashion Theory, Volume 12, Issue 4, pp. 525 – 540 Berg. London & New York. Matt Richards, Rowan Gabrielle & Stacie Wickham, edited by Leslie Hoffman. 2008. Leather for Life. Future Fashion White Papers. By Earth Pledge Foundation, Online References: Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC. Gone Green Long Ago. [Online] Available at: http://www.fashionprojects.org/?p=883 http://fitnyc.edu/7885.asp [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Julian M Allwood, Søren Ellebæk Laursen, Cecilia Malvido de Rodríguez, Nancy M P Bocken. Well Dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom. [Online] Available at: http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/!file/Well+dressed.pdf/ [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Ethical Fashion Forum. The Issues, Made in Britain [Online] Available at: hhttp://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/made-in-britain [Assessed 2 March 2012]. OTA.com. Cotton Environment. [Online] Available at: http://www.ota.com/organic/environment/cotton_environment.html [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Image References: Figure 1: Left to right: Martin Margiela, jacket repurposed from vintage scarves, Spring 1992; Martin Margiela, socks, partially constructed sweater, and completed sweater, early 1990s; XULY.Bët, recycled ensemble, Fall 1994 [Online] Available at: http://www.fashionprojects.org/?p=883 http://fitnyc.edu/7885.asp [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Figure 2: Xuly-Bët, dress and jacket ensemble, multicolor sweaters, brown wool plaid, red nylon, fall 1994, France, gift of Xuly-Bët. [Online] Available at: http://www.fashionprojects.org/?p=883 http://fitnyc.edu/7885.asp [Assessed 2 March 2012].
CCS Essay | Teo Jia En FMT4A | 14
Figure 3: Figure 3: Russian peasant photo [Online] Available at: http://www.trenddelacreme.com/2008/02/london-fashion-week-d-russianpeasants.html [Assessed 1 April 2012]. Figure 4: Textile Flows in the United Kingdom, from beginning to end. (University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing, 2006) [Online] http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/!file/Well+dressed.pdf/ [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Figures 5 & 6: Stomach area of the crocodile skin, with a 1m ruler. Close up. [Online] http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/!file/Well+dressed.pdf/ [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Figure 7: Designs from (Guardian, UK, 2010)[Online] http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/green-living-blog/2010/mar/02/tescoethical-fashion-range [Assessed 2 March 2012]. Figure 8: Trendy Items (Refinery29, 2010)[Online] http://www.refinery29.com/the-colorblock-trend-in-living-color[Assessed 2 March 2012].