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Eco-chic: The Fashion Paradox
In a comprehensive survey of this highly pertinent subject, leading academic Sandy Black examines the way the fashion industry is changing to accommodate the environmental concerns of the twenty first century. She exposes the naked truth behind the clothes we wear, exploring alternate practices and assessing their feasibility.
Using case studies of designers from the catwalks and the high street, including Katharine Hamnett, Marks and Spencer and Linda Loudermilk, the book illustrates how these processes are finding their way into the industry, and shows how ethical fashion has moved on from its traditional connotations of hemp shirts and rope sandals.
Fashion and environmental awareness are two concerns that do not comfortably sit side by side. Over the past ten years, high street fashion, led by global chains, has become ever more affordable and disposable. The sourcing of materials, the manufacture and the distribution of clothes have become the dirty secrets of the beautiful industry.
Eco-Chic continues Black Dog’s commitment to the environment and to responsible design. Lavishly illustrated, it is a timely publication that will appeal equally to the fashion conscious and environmentally aware.
Using case studies of designers from the catwalks and the high street, including Katharine Hamnett, Marks and Spencer and Linda Loudermilk, the book illustrates how these processes are finding their way into the industry, and shows how ethical fashion has moved on from its traditional connotations of hemp shirts and rope sandals.
Fashion and environmental awareness are two concerns that do not comfortably sit side by side. Over the past ten years, high street fashion, led by global chains, has become ever more affordable and disposable. The sourcing of materials, the manufacture and the distribution of clothes have become the dirty secrets of the beautiful industry.
Eco-Chic continues Black Dog’s commitment to the environment and to responsible design. Lavishly illustrated, it is a timely publication that will appeal equally to the fashion conscious and environmentally aware.
- GenresFashionSustainability
254 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 26, 2018
The Greening of the Fashion Industry
p.14 – The Fashion Paradox – Cheap fashion means disposable fashion, and encourages more consumption, creating a vicious circle. More importantly, fast fashion also puts pressure on the clothing manufacturers and their suppliers to squeeze more output in less time, impacting those at the bottom end of the production chain who actually make the clothes. How can we change this to a more virtuous cycle?
Some of the key questions:
• How can fashion become more environmentally and ethically sound?
• How can we slow down fashion?
• How can consumers make a difference?
• How can designers make a difference?
• Can conflicting interests be reconciled in a fast-moving industry like fashion?
• What ecologically sound choices are available in fabrics?
• What would be the impact on the fashion industry if everyone kept their clothes longer?
• Can we resolve the fashion paradox of transience and sustainability?
p.17 – Do we know what drives fashion? Fashion is full of contradictions – it is ephemeral and cyclic, referencing the past but constantly embracing the new; it represents an expression of personal identity and difference, while also demonstrating belonging to a group; it can be both an individual act of “performing” ourselves, and a collective experience; fashion exists for the few as one-off couture pieces or tailor-made bespoke clothing, and for the many as mass-produced volume clothing. Alternatively, make-it-yourself and customised individual pieces have recently captured the imagination of a younger generation and grown in popularity – directly mimicking the hippie revolution of the 1970s and its hand-crafted clothing. The desire to be fashionable, for constant change and renewal, expresses itself in all areas of contemporary lifestyles, but has created over-consumption and obsolescence. This is paradoxically what fuels the industry on which many millions depend for their livelihoods in both the developing and developed world, from cotton farmers to garment workers and shop staff. For those living below the poverty line in countries such as China and Bangladesh, jobs in clothing factories often a better alternative to subsistence farming, although wages may be no more than the bare local minimum. Western consumers have come to realise that complex ethical issues are hidden behind all our fashion purchasing decisions.
p.18 – Buying things that have been made more considerately is a choice we are prepared to embrace, but different issues arise when businesses have to contemplate the impact, but different issues arise when businesses have to contemplate the impact of a decline in their sales. This then is the fashion paradox – how to reconcile the transience and inherent obsolescence of fashion’s constant change with the imperatives of sustainability and social justice, and fashion’s economic importance with diminishing resources? How can we consume clothing with a clear conscience?
Eco-fashion must aspire to being the norm – not the exception – and requires a re-examination of all the principles and processes of producing, designing and marketing clothes. Consumers can be a great influence for positive change, once they are made aware of the issues, and are offered alternatives which meet acceptable ethical and fashion standards.
Re-Designing Fashion
p.102 – Techno-Eco: Future Visions – Could nano-technology help solve the fashion paradox? If our clothes do more for us in our daily lives they will become support systems, but still, fashion is relevant – will we want to forever dress in the same clothes as those found in Star Trek? Currently, fabric finishes are expected to last the normal “lifetime” of the garment, through perhaps 30 washing cycles.
p.14 – The Fashion Paradox – Cheap fashion means disposable fashion, and encourages more consumption, creating a vicious circle. More importantly, fast fashion also puts pressure on the clothing manufacturers and their suppliers to squeeze more output in less time, impacting those at the bottom end of the production chain who actually make the clothes. How can we change this to a more virtuous cycle?
Some of the key questions:
• How can fashion become more environmentally and ethically sound?
• How can we slow down fashion?
• How can consumers make a difference?
• How can designers make a difference?
• Can conflicting interests be reconciled in a fast-moving industry like fashion?
• What ecologically sound choices are available in fabrics?
• What would be the impact on the fashion industry if everyone kept their clothes longer?
• Can we resolve the fashion paradox of transience and sustainability?
p.17 – Do we know what drives fashion? Fashion is full of contradictions – it is ephemeral and cyclic, referencing the past but constantly embracing the new; it represents an expression of personal identity and difference, while also demonstrating belonging to a group; it can be both an individual act of “performing” ourselves, and a collective experience; fashion exists for the few as one-off couture pieces or tailor-made bespoke clothing, and for the many as mass-produced volume clothing. Alternatively, make-it-yourself and customised individual pieces have recently captured the imagination of a younger generation and grown in popularity – directly mimicking the hippie revolution of the 1970s and its hand-crafted clothing. The desire to be fashionable, for constant change and renewal, expresses itself in all areas of contemporary lifestyles, but has created over-consumption and obsolescence. This is paradoxically what fuels the industry on which many millions depend for their livelihoods in both the developing and developed world, from cotton farmers to garment workers and shop staff. For those living below the poverty line in countries such as China and Bangladesh, jobs in clothing factories often a better alternative to subsistence farming, although wages may be no more than the bare local minimum. Western consumers have come to realise that complex ethical issues are hidden behind all our fashion purchasing decisions.
p.18 – Buying things that have been made more considerately is a choice we are prepared to embrace, but different issues arise when businesses have to contemplate the impact, but different issues arise when businesses have to contemplate the impact of a decline in their sales. This then is the fashion paradox – how to reconcile the transience and inherent obsolescence of fashion’s constant change with the imperatives of sustainability and social justice, and fashion’s economic importance with diminishing resources? How can we consume clothing with a clear conscience?
Eco-fashion must aspire to being the norm – not the exception – and requires a re-examination of all the principles and processes of producing, designing and marketing clothes. Consumers can be a great influence for positive change, once they are made aware of the issues, and are offered alternatives which meet acceptable ethical and fashion standards.
Re-Designing Fashion
p.102 – Techno-Eco: Future Visions – Could nano-technology help solve the fashion paradox? If our clothes do more for us in our daily lives they will become support systems, but still, fashion is relevant – will we want to forever dress in the same clothes as those found in Star Trek? Currently, fabric finishes are expected to last the normal “lifetime” of the garment, through perhaps 30 washing cycles.
Read
August 7, 2011Informative with a good selection of designers, history, theories and information to give the reader a very rounded view of Eco fashion.
February 16, 2018
Look, there is so much wrong with the fast fashion industry that even this hefty book can’t cover it. It’s a good start though.
April 25, 2024
A must read for the subject.
January 7, 2013
I really liked this book. I think it is a good overview on sustainability and fashion. It is particularly a good starting point for fashion students who are interested in becoming a part of a more sustainable fashion industry.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews