Sustainability

‘The context in which we live and work has changed dramatically within my lifetime through the realisation that the types and scale of our activities are completely out of sync with the balance of nature, which we defy at our peril.’ (Black, 2012; 98)

Because of today’s throw away attitude when it comes to clothing, the fashion industry is one of the most wasteful cultures. Due to the fast and constant changes to fashions and with cheap clothing being so easily accessible, clothing has a short lifespan and is very quickly disposed of. Furthermore, many members of the public are either unaware or unmoved by this issue.

‘Sadly many high-street shoppers are still unmoved by accounts of exploited workers, let alone bothered about despoiled rivers and climate change’ (Black, 2012; 22)

This trend that is currently surging through the fashion industry encourages my direction of research and work towards:

• The use of organic fabrics and those that withhold Soil Association standards
• Recycling existing garments and unwanted fabrics to create repurposed garments
• Create made to measure, high quality, well made clothing with classic tailoring and shapes giving them longer life and surviving changes in fashion
• Working alongside the principles of PETA to create vegetarian clothing which apply to those with a conscience regarding the treatment of animals in the fashion industry
• Zero waste pattern cutting to reduce the volume of waste material
• The use of dyes with reduced chemical content and those less harmful to the environment