Australia is a little Fashion-occupied at the moment. With the opening of H&M and the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia in full swing, news feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram seem saturated with updates and #MBFWA.
But on Thursday, something a little different took place at Carriageworks: Clean Cut showcased a movement in fashion that is picking up momentum and driving change.
Sustainable fashion.
Exhibiting the best designers, with strong ethical production and stunning aesthetics, Clean Cut is connecting Australia with a global movement away from Fast Fashion and towards a more sustainable future.
So what exactly is Fast Fashion?
It is to shopping what the burger and fries combo deal at Maccas is to restaurant dining. Instead of purchasing timeless, well-made pieces, consumers are opting for cheaper and low-quality items.
The problem is, while the price tag might only say $49.95, this is rarely an accurate reflection of the true cost of the garment. There are hidden environmental and social costs that no one is talking about, because no one can see them. They are hidden behind glossy marketing campaigns, in the back of developing nations.
Remember the Rana Plaza disaster last year where 1,200 garment workers were tragically killed when it collapsed? They were making clothes for UK brands such as Mango and Primark. And if you’ve shopped in any of these stores, you will know, there is nothing slow about the rate in which new styles are added to the floor.
Here in Australia, it is astounding how rapidly stock is turned over in stores. Instead of having four seasons of fashion, there are over 400 new items each month in Witchery, while Topshop releases a staggering 300 styles a week. Fast Fashion giant Zara has a short 13-day turn around between design conception and being placed on coat hanger in a store. Just 13 days.
Top Comments
Of course if you were really concerned about the environment you'd avoid the whole fashion thing completely and keep your clothes until they wear out. That every model and designer ever known claims to be an environmentalist but is in a business whose plan relies on developing a reason to dispose of perfectly functional goods and buy new ones is an irony that even Alanis Morrisette could recognise. And no, buying only one new coat 'each season' is not really being an environmentalist.
And sadly a lot of women cannot afford designer "one off designs" and go shopping at either zara or topshop because that's all we can afford.