The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters to our planet, contributing to five percent of all global gas emissions, according to the Nature Climate Change. In past years the fashion industry has rocketed into the limelight with various news organisations covering stories on fast-fashion, and just how damaging it is to our planet. But with all the negative press about fast fashion, and the need to use sustainable methods instead, are there many people using sustainable fashion?
Fast fashion is a term that means inexpensive, quick made clothing that is often not of the best quality. It is something that is promoted every day by the likes of celebrities and influencers; the people in our lives that set an image for the public. In November 2018, Hailey Bieber made her own collection of clothes for Pretty Little Thing, similar to many other celebrities such Ashley Graham, and also a new campaign with Jennifer Lopez.
A recent survey was conducted on Survey Monkey to look at the awareness of sustainable fashion. The results found that 48.65% of people who took it, knew what sustainable fashion was, but 51.35% either did not know what it was, or had only just heard of the term. To see the whole survey, click the link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FWPZVDX
“It is important that everyone has an understanding of fast fashion and sustainable fashion,” says Imperial College Biology student, Brooke Knott. “They can then at least start to make small changes.”
The vibrant colours, cool patterns, and appealing features that go on our clothing pollute our waters with toxic chemicals. The most popular fabric used is polyester which contributes to the rising levels of plastic in our oceans. There is also the problem with people throwing clothes out after not having them for long, or bulk buying and returning clothes they do not want.
“Clothes aren’t always recycled, and a lot go to waste because the shops think the clothes are selling out fast, so they make more and more to keep up with demand,” says Knott. “The shops then end up producing too much along with all the other clothes being returned, so a lot of these go to waste.”
However, the recent survey found that 51.35% of people rarely buy from fast fashion places, but the majority of the people who took the survey said they rarely bought clothes second hand from charity shops and Depop.
One student, Kazia Hodder, is wanting to change this, and revamps clothes, and then sells them. “I love to add tassels and pompoms to clothes,” says Hodder. “I then share them on Etsy which is a site for independent makers to sell vintage and remade things.”
Hodder frequently buys clothes from charity shops, and is encouraging others to buy second-hand pieces too.
As an independent seller, Hodder says that she would one day love to make this into a bigger business, but right now does not have the time “Because I’m at university I don’t have time to fully dedicate myself to this. But at the moment I’m making about £50 a week.” Says Hodder. The clothes that she puts on Etsy are usually priced at about £10 which helps her make profit.
Kazia is not the only adolescent who is starting to make a change. Over the past year, the younger generation have taken part in a number of climate change strikes, hoping for their voices to be heard as the generation who want to make a difference. But is there anyone teaching these children?
Little Hands Design is a charity that is teaching the next generation of designers and consumers what sustainable fashion is and how to do it.
“We found out people do know they need to be more sustainable, but hardly anyone has the skills,” the charity says. “The other main thing we want to teach is for them to form an independent view on what sustainability actually is because there are so many conceptions.”
Little Hands Charity teach on average 250 children a week for a whole term, and they also run holiday classes with 30 children in each class. Having grown up in Germany, they were taught from a young age to make do and mend, as it was not such of a consumerism country, and want to pass their skills on. “We started out in 2001, and since then have grown and expanded,” says the charity. “When we first started it was such a niche, especially to kids and teenagers.”
Little Hands charity are an example of how awareness of sustainable fashion is actually growing, and by also teaching the younger generation; these children will grow up with the right mindset when it comes to clothes and the environment. “Sustainability is good because it has become cool, it will become mainstream,” says the charity. “it’s cool to hire, it’s cool to revamp, it’s cool to run around in the same clothes.”
People nowadays tend to buy new clothes rather than mending them, and many go straight to mainstream shops rather than second-hand places. From the survey conducted, 67.56% say they never or rarely buy clothes from charity shops.
However, with charities like Little Hands Design, and young people like Kazia, quite a lot of people are actually making changes, which will help influence others to join. Like Little Hands Designs say, because it is becoming mainstream this should definitely help in the future.
Click the link to find more pictures of Kazia’s and Little Hands’ work https://steller.co/s/9MmGuG2z4PG
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