Blog Reflection Three

This week has shown the value of a dollar in terms of sustainably . In The Designers Atlas to Sustainability, by Thorpe, it states "Sustainability carries on indefinitely, for a very long term. Yet our culture is dominated by 'short termism.'" From a culture who values items instead of livelihood, we do not think what we possess at this moment may not matter if the world seizes to exist.

I sort of look at humanity as a virus. We live to consume and destroy. Sadly, we will me an inevitable fate of killing ourselves if we do not change the way we look at earth. The variation of the virus, also know as public, private, and not-for-profit, keep us in check.

What I want to take from this week is the ability to educate not only me, but my fellow peers. I want to learn about different companies who are not money hungry. The companies who understand mother earth isn't immortal. These companies aren't hard to find, being there are a variety. From resale shops, to retailers reusing used fibers; they are everywhere.

Blog Number Three

There are three sectors to the Economy: Private, Public, and Nonprofit organizations. According to The Designers Atlas of Sustainability; the Private sector's aim is to generate profit for themselves through mechanism of the marketplace. The Public sector's collects public resources to provide collective public services. The not for profit sector tries to meet social needs and is not considered a business. Each sector works in a way that mocks the checks and balances sequence for legislation.  Look at is as a chart divided in three. If the private sector decides it wants to expand, it would be taking away from the nonprofit or public sector. This is where Private companies try to persuade or bribe the other sectors, as in government etc, to pass laws to start deforestation in areas which benefit them.   

Some of our most important resources, such as air, water, or children, are considered a 'zero' in the economic calculation. They are considered a given right to all humans. Yet, if a person were to become ill, the medical bills is a positive being money is spent. Redefining the entire notion of economic growth and accessing these negative, events such as an illness, is a must.  

An interview with  Kumi Naidoo, head of Greenpeace International, nails the root cause of most of the environmental problems were facing and many of the social problems.  "Big business is starting to understand that they have as much to lose if the whole planet goes to pot, but have have to ensure business leaders are not strangulated by the tyranny of quarterly reporting cycles, which is what the situation is right now."  The issue arises in relation to the Economy. We cannot expect to have a plentiful supply of fish if all we're doing is taking from the pond. Just like private companies, we cannot expect to keep up the way we do business and sustain profit. I'm impractical. 

Over time our culture has shifted in what we value.  Materialism is now the measurement of what people have started to define themselves with.  This is not necessarily a result of human nature, but the persuasion and influence which designers play a central role in.  They shape the appearance to convey commercially generated meanings tying in visuality with it.  With pressures from the commercial culture,  designers focus is not on economic interests.  They rarely think in terms of long-term. The 'short termism' in our culture is normal. 

How do we move forward? 

Ecological awareness is every ones responsibility. Designers impact of the economy as well as on our culture should start by planning products differently.  It does not all lay in the responsibility of the designer itself. Yes, the designer needs to help sustain products by making it a priority in their work. The long term effects and products.  Here is a list of the top five Fashion Designers That  help avoid  disposable fashion shopping . Consumers: seek these companies out. 

1. C. Marchuska

  

                   Image via TreeHugger.

sustainable collection of wearable, affordable, and versatile looks

2. Popomomo

Image via TreeHugger.

Garments are made with sustainable fabrics -- hemp, organic cotton, tencel, bamboo 

3. Vaute Couture

Image via TreeHugger.

featured vegan winter coats and introduced knits made from soy bean farming waste, vegan belts made with Ultrasuede EcoDesign and urban snow coats, made with alternative fiber Primaloft ECO, encased in 100% recycled closed loop ripstop from Tejin EcoCircle, and hand quilted locally in Chicago.

4. Doie

Image via TreeHugger.

  Bamboo clothing line

5. Indigenous Designs

Image via TreeHugger.

http://www.treehugger.com/style/top-5-green-fashion-designers-favored-by-the-great-american-apparel-diet-founder-photos.html

Blog Two Reflection

Starting to understand the actuality of of Sustainability in the apparel industry doesn't mean with fashion trends, color schemes, and selling techniques means so much more.  The way we process fibers, manufacture apparel, sell it, consume it, and dispose of it which mocks natures food process mentioned in 'Cradle to Cradle' is what the goal to sustainability is.  How we choose to do this, either by biological cycles or technical cycles depends of what substances we're working with.  The biological cycle are for materials that can be biodegraded. Technical cycles deal with the technical materials that stay close looped that are considered valuable nutrients for the industry. One without the other cannot do the job alone, but they are to be remained separated.

Different techniques that have caught my attention have been the different ways people are upcycling old garments.  The link and example of the lady who is taking the challenge to upcycle a dress a day for under a dollar has inspired me to check my closet to see what could be done about my 'undesired' garments. Instead of donating every item that I planned on getting rid of, changing the old tee's into tank tops and the dress pants into cut-offs.  I had an idea about left over loose fabrics which can be re-used and cut down into smaller material for gardening or sewn into quilts.

I was very unaware of how much we take up of the earth when we are mining for raw minerals. Some of the minerals which we do obtain aren't safe to use. Take the lead that was used with leather. According to the AAFA, it's illegal to use it in childrens apparel. There is no need for the apparel industry to obtain lead for it's products.  This has made me brainstorm ideas about what companies can do to take the next steps into sustaining their company and help them financially cut back in areas where unnecessary spending on minerals occur.

The idea for someone to lose one's self in the way they seek out retail stores because of what the product does for them and change their mindset to what the product does for the environment. As a consumer, the way we discard our undesired garments into a trash bin should never be the first option. Reusing or Recycling it can be such an easy alternative.

I plan on losing myself and challenging my peers, friends, and family alike to do the same.

Blog Number Two

Lose Yourself

 

Blog One Reflection

Interestingly enough, I was surprised how into this course I have gotten.  Coming into this course, I thought that it was a absolutely impossible to have sustainability in the apparel industry. I thought we relied on inconsistency to make profit. The readings this past week has forever changed my beliefs. 

Reading about the problems and solutions listed in 'Forum for the Future' fascinated me. For the majority of my college career I have questioned whether or not this was the right degree. The sheer fact that companies are looking to better humanity made me realize it's not all about retail and sales. I crave to expand my knowledge about other companies and how the social paradigm in the apparel industry will adopt the changes.

Us addressing the Pink Elephant by shifting our practices on how every aspect of the industry for the better is what I found to be the most important thing I've learned this week.  It cannot happen in one area. Idealistically, rapid responses would benefit, but this is not practical. Time, effort, and money are keys to resolving our own downfall.  This is something we should not rush into. Sometimes the long term effects from change are even worse than the quick fix. 

For our following generations to prosper as we did, Change is for the best.  Discussing with my peers different solutions to problems, agreements to change, and substitutes for these major problems has shown that humanity isn't just out to make money. We can take what we've learned and do our homework on companies who use sweat shops, or sustainable products which have little to no impact on the environment. We can spread the word about the issues on hand and teach the generations to come that a fad is not worth losing an entire species like the honey-bees. 

Blog Number One

Three Fingers Pointing Back

For the past 15 years, there has been a a substantial decline in the honeybee population. This has boggled the minds of many. Mostly speculation, we've blamed every natural occurrence, such as global warming, over population, etc. While we are pointing fingers at everything else, three fingers remain pointing in our direction.

Our good intentions to fix one issue has diminished an entire species. There are more than one causes, yet we are to be blamed for majority.  Pesticides, Insecticides, Substitutions for honey such as corn gluten, and expansion of commercial farming are effecting the bottom of the food chain. We use these for major crops such as wheat, corn, and cotton.  Us dust bombing, using Neonicotinoids in fertilizers, and anything far and in between are weakening honey-bee's immune systems and killing entire colonies (also know as Colony Collapse Disorder). Yet, we rely on these major crops for mass production to feed and clothe an ever growing population.

 " Embodying the Golden Rule, sustainable development is defined as meeting the needs of the present without prohibiting future generations from meeting their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987)."  We need to find alternatives before extinction of honey-bees occur. Although we rely so much on sufficient crops to sustain 'the American way of living', how to we do this?  Who is to say losing the bees wont harm our own species? Here's where the Golden Rule comes to play. If something was threatening our livelihood, our first instinct would be to assess the situation and render what ever the problem ensued.

Raising awareness about disappearing bees to the public, lobby for protective rights for the species and enforce standards for farming and agriculture would be great starts. These examples found in Fashioning Sustainability are not enough. Adjustment in the supply chain will need to be addressed, for the result of production will be shifted. Consumers will need to be well-informed of these changes due to the fact that prices will significantly increase in cotton and other major crops. Consumers can identify with purchases that help the environment and give them a peace of mind that higher prices are justified. New labeling methods, like listed in Fashion Sustainability (Forum for the future) which incorporate a simple disclosure like 'product services to the saving bees' would be a great way to raise customer awareness.

As stated in 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant' by Armstrong and LeHew, "Fashion is an important aspect of modern culture, and may, therefore, be a powerful conduit for the transition to environmentally friendly and socially responsible production and consumption.." (Walker 2006: 74-75) Let us be the forerunners to the cause. Let us pick the up the conglomerate to assure the bees livelihood. Mass production, mass retailing, and mass consumption as we know it will see changes that benefit the bees and our lives.

Solutions have a catch-22 in relation to the apparel industry.  Discontinuing our techniques that we have progressively been using with toxic chemicals can cause these major crops to produce smaller amounts. With less material produced less products are made. Yes, what we discard will be lower. Yes, we will save a species. Yes, we will be losing part of our 'industrial' mentality. We are also addressing the pink elephant in the room. 

 Stated in Armstongs 'Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry' ,  tools for sustainable approaches have five life cycle changes. The decision making tools offer precise ways to compare the impact of different product cycles stages. Three types include inventory analysis, impact analysis, and improvement analysis. Analyzing these in the Life Cycle Assessment can reduce the amount of crops being grown due to over estimations in inventory, environmental burdens, discarding waste, etc.


 This is why Industrial Ecology cannot be made in one stage of life for a garment. Review in the Materials we use, Fabrics and Garments, How we sell the garment, the consumers usage, and finally how we dispose of the garment should be addressed.  Speaking for myself, I have a closet which 90% of what I own is made from cotton. We have become accustomed to variety and assortments when it comes to shopping. Our "fierce competition" that drives costs and standards down, mentioned in Forum for the Future, will need to be left in the past and a lesson for future generations to come.  Americans will have to adapt. Less product is not only a result of rescuing honeybees.  Prices will rise. The effects of higher costs alone cause consumers to shop only for necessities and basic products instead of luxury and fad items.

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/


PHOTO: A bumblebee sits on a rhododendron bloom on a sunny spring day in Dortmund, Germany, March 28, 2012. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo Da Vinci