FASHIONING THE FUTURE: The Past, Present And The Not-So-Distant Future Of Fashion

As we move forward from years of self-isolation and reintroduce ourselves to the "post-pandemic". world, we Took at the past and present of fashion, and what that might mean for the future of sustainability

- RYUJI SHIOMITSU

By definition, sustainability is when you reuse the natural resources you take or replace them with new natural resources, thus maintaining some form of balance in this big blue planet we call home. For all industries, the road to sustainability touches on everything, from how products are made, to a shift in the habits and attitudes of the people who make and buy those products.

If you look at our current relationship with the fashion industry, we are massively influenced by many things, from trends, to bloggers, to price. Nowadays, we’re throwing clothes away after only one or two wears (thanks to Instagram and our innate fear of being seen in the same thing more than once). In return, the effects of this on the environment are colossal: last year, The National Waste and Solid Management reported that our country is producing 21 million metric tons of trash. That’s a lot of waste for our little corner of the planet.

It is essential to note that this relationship with sustainable fashion started a long time ago. From the devastating effects caused by the production of nylon since the early 20th century, to the make-do-and-mend culture of the 1940s, it’s an industry that’s been ebbing and flowing in response to societal change for decades. What we need to discuss is how that relationship looks now and how it can develop in the future.