As the world continues to suffer from disasters related to the dire situation of climate change, movements that forward sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) are gaining traction all over the world. A great example of such movement is slow fashion. Good Trade describes slow fashion as a campaign that encourages people to design, create and buy garments that forward quality and longevity. Its main goal is to combat fast fashion, which is described in our previous post ‘Fast Fashion...Is It Dead?’, as a phenomenon that started with companies like H&M and Zara whose goal is to give consumers now trends at a really cheap price. Since fast fashion often leads to unfair labor practices, irresponsible use of natural resources, pollution and excessive waste, slow fashion also promotes slower production schedules, fair wages, lower carbon footprints and zero waste.
As someone who is living paycheck to paycheck, subscribing to slow fashion and leaving behind fast fashion altogether can easily turn into a challenging task. Fortunately, there are a lot of figures across the world within the slow fashion movement that we can always get inspiration from. Here are some of them:
Yvon Chouinard - Patagonia
Aside from being a celebrated rock climber, Yvon Chouinard made it his life’s mission to produce outdoor clothing and gear in the most ethical and eco-conscious way possible. In his recent interview, the founder of Patagonia shared how most of the public companies nowadays are merely greenwashing instead of changing into enterprises that really forward the responsible use of natural resources. Unlike its competitors, Chouinard’s 50-year-old company not only uses sustainable materials but also helps consumers repair their clothing to keep them from buying new ones. Patagonia also follows fair-trade practices and closely monitors its supply chain to ensure that every process is safe for the environment, the workers, and the consumers.
Rami Helali - Kotn
Back in 2015, with his friends Mackenzie Yeates and Ben Sehl, Rami Helali founded Kotn - a brand that sells simple but well-designed t-shirts, dresses and joggers made from ethically-sourced cotton. Unlike other brands, the founders of Kotn have directly partnered up with Egyptian farmers to ensure that fair prices are paid. The company also put in place ethical work standards with an emphasis on transparency and fair wages, have OEKO-TEX certified factories and give back to the community through school initiatives that focus on providing growth opportunities.
Mari Jasmine - Sora Life
As one of the most prominent social media influencers in the Philippines, Mari Jasmine has a laid-back style that captures the essence of the modern it-girl. She recently conceptualized Sora Life with her partner Tina Dahl, which uses plastic waste such as PET bottles and fishnets to create towels that are absorbent, non-slip and sand repellent. The eco-friendly cult brand makes use of cutting-edge technology that melts post-consumer plastic and turns them into yarn which is then made into fabric. Aside from making sustainable products, Sora Life also collaborates with independent artists around the world to come up with items that boast impeccable designs.
Alexis Assoignon - Les Sublimes
Driven by her goal to create wardrobe essentials for girls who deeply care for the environment, Alexis Assoignon teamed up with Kachen Hong to launch Les Sublimes. The brand only uses fabrics that are either natural, recycled or botanical to ensure that their whole supply chain not only consumes less water and energy but also discourages mass deforestation. To keep the brand from contributing more pollution to the world, Les Sublimes also ensure that their textiles have limited or no use of hazardous substances, such as herbicides and pesticides, and are free of harsh chemicals, dyes, toxins and processing agents.
For further reading go to https://rareandfair.com/blogs/the-slow-scoop/fast-fashion-vs-slow-fashion
