“Sustainability is the forerunner of greater diversity and choice, not less.”
– Paul Hawken
In the book Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change, our friends Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose tackle the issue of sustainability in the fashion world. Within its pages you will discover practices that have the potential to transform the fashion system for the better. From framework to production to design practices, Kate and Lynda break down the topics that matter when it comes to the design process of the fashion industry.
Their work challenges designers and manufacturers to consider their practices and the impact they have on the environment. Reduce, re-use, and recycle are words we hear often, but this book offers real ways to integrate those words into daily practices. Not only that, it shares how to do so with little cost or interruption to the manufacturing or creative processes; you might even say it enhances these processes by challenging creators to explore new methods and materials.
Not only are Kate and Lynda posing new ideas and methods for consideration, they’re suggesting changes in thought patterns and behaviors. They encourage designers to cast off old ways of thinking and create new business models.
They also challenge consumers to educate themselves on how the garments that they buy are made. The practices discussed in this book make it easy to understand the importance of purchasing from eco-friendly, fair trade, and sustainable-minded companies.
We are honored that Alabama Chanin was included as an example for this way of thinking. Having our business model mentioned for its focus on community growth and skill – over mere profit – is an honor.
“It is a fundamentally different model of business than in the conventional fashion industry, where a focus on economic growth alone might typically drive production to India, where the Alabama techniques could be copied at lower cost. Chanin’s model supports a local economy and changes the relationships and experiences between wearers, makers and community.”
Conscious design, production, and consumption have a place in the fashion world today, but with the works and suggestions of Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose, hopefully, it will play a larger role in our tomorrow. Thanks to Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change, we can all be more aware of the benefits of making and purchasing sustainable goods.
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