The Art of Being Fashionable and Responsible

The time has come for the fashion industry to start taking responsibility for its actions.  Sure, they can turn people into your dressed-up dream come true.  For others, clothes are just something to wear.  Either way, we are dependent upon the fashion industry in some way.  And as consumers, we are partly to blame.

In the rush to go green through every possible venue, we have all largely overlooked the pink elephant in the room.  Shopping seems like such a benevolent thing to do in this economy.  (RED) signs in the Gap window assure us that our purchases are helping others in another country.  Wearing TOMS shoes gives us the ability to put shoes on someone’s bare feet.  These are great ideas, just some of the few available under the giant umbrella of the fashion industry.  But what about the rest of it?

So, just how responsible is the fashion industry, on the whole?  For years, textile and clothing companies have been accused of exploiting foreign labor.  Fashion also drives consumer demand and consumption.  Even “eco clothing” purchases are often discretionary consumption.  So, what are our options?  How do we improve the fashion industry while we continue to use it?

First of all, we have to take the fashion industry seriously.  Just hearing the word “fashion” calls up images of pouty models, haute couture and glossy magazines covered with airbrushed, smiling faces.  Beneath this timeless veneer is the root of our biggest obsession and consumption.  Fashion needs to be taken seriously and handled with care.  That is just what the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. plans to do.

Christine Brooks-Cropper, the president of this organization, “has made considerable strides in creating a Fashion Caucus to represent the voice of the Fashion Industry in Congress nationwide,” Jessica Hoy, senior associate, said.  “The interesting thing about this Caucus is it could represent everything from trade issues and sweat shop regulations to Design Piracy and fashion week locales.”

“[Brooks-Cropper] is trying to mobilize the fashion industry and give it a voice on a law making level so issues can be discussed and resolutions can be made,” Hoy said.

What exactly are the issues that need to be dealt with in the fashion industry?  Consumers and designers alike weighed in.

“The issue that I really care about is producing clothes by sweatshop labor,” Lidia Wachowska, proprietor and designer of Evil Kitty, said. “I understand that 95 percent of clothes are produced oversees, mostly in sweatshop condition. I’ve been told so many times that I have to outsource and go abroad; otherwise there is no future for my label.”

Wachowska, however, disagrees.  “I believe you can be successful and keep your production local. Evil Kitty is a socially responsible company. I use a local Chicago manufacturer, who is located 5 blocks from our studio. We reduce the carbon footprint to the minimum there and at the same support the local economy. All of our fabrics are purchased from U.S. mills or local distributors and fabric stores. I also believe in making a quality garment, a piece that you can keep for years, and will not go out of style.”

Designers are also looking to consumers as the next big trend in turning the fashion industry’s practices on its ear.

“People need to become aware of where things are being produced and become more conscious shoppers,” Kate Robertson, owner of Mayu Hand-Knit Alpaca, said.  “Consumers have power.  If consumers would just realize and value the practice behind the product, then they would be showing the fashion industry consumer responsibility.”

For some, it is a matter of balancing the trends and desires of consumers.

“I feel the fashion industry, though having a myriad of influences itself, greatly influences consumer behavior,” Adrien Edwards, owner of TheNakedHippie organic t-shirts, said. “But at the same time, I think the chicken and egg argument has to be determined for two very different factions of the ‘Fashion Industry.’”

“The fashion businesses that influence the trends more tend to be the ones with the most well funded marketing departments, such as Gucci, Armani, Gap, etc…. Whereas the more subtle businesses such as Snorg Tees, Tom’s Shoes, ecco or Ugg back in the day, and of course TheNakedHippie, tend to be directed more by the consumer’s desires.  Many of the ladder style businesses were erected as a result of an existing trend,” Edwards said.

There are other sustainable and eco-friendly designers forming a grassroots effort to save the planet and still make people feel individual through expression.  Activist fashion house Vaute Couture, which makes vegan coats, Rising Tide Fair Trade, an ethical fashion company and LAVintage, a company that deals in “recycled” clothing, are just some of the better choices available.  But what about the other designers?  How do existing designers “go green”?

Kathleen Fasanella just may be the missing link.  In addition to blogging about the fashion industry “from a sustainability standpoint,” Fasanella “leads, instructs, and teaches designers about how to produce responsibly.”

However, Fasanella and her small team at Fashion-Incubator can’t do it alone.  It all comes back to the consumer.  We have a voice, and it speaks even louder through our wallets.  If we educate ourselves on what we’re buying, then perhaps our dollars will do the talking.  Eventually, we just may turn the fashion industry around.

Remember that in this day and age, knowledge is the new black.  People aren’t paper dolls and it’s time we let the fashion industry know that the days of irresponsible silence are over.

Check out some of the fashion discussions going on today at SocialYell!

Ashley Strickland is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Georgia.  She is now seriously considering buying a vegan coat.