Turn the (Energy-Efficient) Lights on for Fashion Consumers

Anyone familiar with the term sustainable fashion would agree that it is a step in the right direction. The problem is, no one really knows where to go with it from here. Furthermore, no one could give you a straight answer on what exactly this term means. The problem is no one is informing the consumer on the issues behind eco-fashion, there is confusion in terms, and the promotion of ways to become apart of this new era is slow in the making. Although eco-fashion is a controversial topic among designers and businesses, the topic needs to be an issue that is commonly known and accepted by consumers. The carbon footprint the fashion industry is making on our environment needs to be addressed to the consumer. If consumers know more about why it is so important for the change, then they will be more likely to engage. In the United Kingdom alone, 1 million Kg of textiles are sent to a landfill every year (2009, Morgan, 2). This converts to over 2, 204, 000 pounds of textiles. This waste has been increasing because of the new trend of fast fashion. Morgan defines fast fashion as the latest trends at low prices, just weeks after they appear on the catwalk (Morgan, 2009, 1). Some brands that we are familiar with in the United States include Forever 21, H&M, and Charlotte Russe. Fast fashion is made with cheap fabrics that are not biodegradable. Polyester is popular amongst these fabrics used, and the process of creating polyester involves crude oil and different harmful gases are emitted into the air, such as hydrogen chloride (Luz, 2007, 115). These gases are known to provoke respiratory disease (Luz, 2007, 115). This

information needs to be distributed to the consumer to stress the importance of ecofashions sustainability. The confusion set up by the fashion industry makes it impossible for consumers to know what exactly sustainable fashion is, and if it is or isnt the same as eco-fashion. While at the sustainable fashion convention, Vanessa Friedman interviewed some wellknown designers. When she asked Dries van Noten what sustainable fashion his answer was: "Most of what we may currently refer to as sustainable fashion is a contradiction in terms. It refers to how the fabric used for a new garment has been produced ... Yet, I believe, we need to consider this issue from a more macro and profound perspective. Though a cotton may be unbleached, we need to examine how it arrives to the manufacturer or to us the wearer. What was the 'carbon imprint' of its delivery, for example." Then, she asked Oscar de la Renta, who is a designer and the founder of his brand, and he said something different: "Sustainable fashion implies a commitment to the traditional techniques, and not just the art, of making clothes. I work today in the same way that I first learnt in the ateliers of Balenciaga and Lanvin 50 years ago. We need to ensure that the next generations of seamstresses and tailors have the skills necessary to develop clothes that are not only beautiful but also extremely well made. (Friedman, 2010, 9)

Through this research there are many times where sustainable fashion has many contradictions and confusions. No one seems to have a clear-cut definition, and there are not any rules that the entire industry is following. If there were, maybe consumers would not be so hesitant to jump into sustainable fashion. It is overwhelming to endure twenty definitions of the same word, especially when they all contradicting another. Then, there are the labels that try to use eco-fashion to get consumers to buy their products. With no set rules, pretty much anything can be eco-friendly with just a little change here or there. Nathaniel Beard explains the importance of authenticity when it comes to the consumer in the light of eco-fashion (Beard, 2008, 458). It is hard for consumers to tell who is authentic with the unregulated conditions we are left with today. Beard stresses the need for designers to truly be ethical and to go beyond mere aesthetics in terms of marketing and branding (Beard, 2008, 458). With all of the vocabulary confusion, the consumer is likely to give up or just ignore what they dont understand all together. Thomass article states it best with a quote from Cotton Incorporated, John and Jane Q. Public have little or no idea what new, green marketing vocabulary is sayingbecause they were unable to differentiate one green category from another, consumers simply stopped looking (Thomas, 2008, 528). This confusion and vocabulary needs to become somewhat standardized for the consumers sake. If eco-fashion, green fashion, sustainable fashion, or whatever the fashion industry wants to call it that day is going to go forward, consumers need to be able to differentiate and understand the terms. The promotion of ways consumers can become eco-friendly with their fashion needs to be addressed as well. There are many fashion shows promoting ethical fashion,

but they are not as publicized as New York Fashion Week, and other regular fashion shows. One show that should become more popular is the Paris Ethical Fashion show, which has been going on since 2004 (Eco-Luxury, 2008). Also, larger corporations such as Nordstroms and Wal-Mart are working towards eco-fashion, but they have not had much promotion of these changes yet (Spear & Cole, 2008, 12). Nordstroms has been working on having 20% of all their cotton be organic by 2011, but theyre worried about the demand for organic cotton (Spear & Cole, 2008, 12). If there were more promotion on why organic cotton is so necessary and the fact that it exists for a specific reason, not just for hippies and tree huggers, the demand would be larger. Wal-Mart is even joining in on helping the environment by reducing packaging by 5% by the year 2013, which began in 2005 (Spear & Cole, 16). This has not been promoted, either, but this could be due to the elongated process that still has a few more years until completion. Eco-fashion is inevitable, but it would become a reality much faster if the consumer were more informed and less confused. This could happen through more promotion, more information on the reasons this is so important, and fashion leaders making a more well-rounded way of defining sustainable fashion. Eco-fashion will only be successful with consumers participation. They are the ones that are really running the fashion industry, and they need to be more informed.

Shaira Shelton English 104 Dr. Strecker Research Paper Turn the (Energy Efficient) Lights on for Fashion Consumers