Colechi talks with Margo about fashion’s shocking contribution to climate change and the ways it affects the small, remote communities; often, these communities contribute the least to the pollution, but feel the consequences the most.
‘I believe we vote with our money, and by diverting it towards more sustainable and conscious brands we could shift the direction the industry is going in’.
What is the title of your work?
‘Tidal Wave’
In ‘Tidal Wave’, what did you discover about the excessive production of fast fashion?
My overarching argument is that we, as fast fashion consumers, are contributing to the suffering of the people in the most remote parts of The Earth. The brands are blocking minimum wage raises and choosing to keep their workplaces in unsafe conditions, but it is us who finance it. We are buying shirts for a few pounds. We are choosing the cheapest option. But the truth is: someone else is paying that price. Most often it is the garment workers, living in poverty, having to bear the consequences of pollution going into their waterways, being prevented from organising unions, and being unable to change their circumstances.
I would like to use my work as a platform to get through to people that do not have the same values as me, to show them the harmful effects of their actions, as well as educating the ones that are simply not aware of what they are contributing towards.
What was your goal when undertaking this research?
The goal of my paper and my final project was to make my audience aware of all the harmful tactics and a blood trail that the fast fashion industry is leaving behind. I wanted to expose the truth about these things as it is often not only hidden, it is also very frequently covered by elaborate greenwashing, which makes it quite difficult to make conscious and informed choices.
What did you learn about the fashion industry during your research?
In my research I have learned how ruthless and greedy the industry can be, but I have also learned a great deal about Oceanic culture. I have researched their traditional forms of art, like war canoes and warrior tattoos they abundantly covered their skin in. I have also learnt about the impact Christian missionaries had on these parts of the world.
That lack of connection between cause and effect has dramatic consequences on the rest of the people. Our overconsumption leads to water pollution, droughts and floods.
Did any of your discoveries exhibit positive changes within fashion?
I have discovered a lot of great artists who use either discarded clothes like I did in my project, or make their pieces out of plastic rubbish found in nature, to convey their message and jumpstart the awareness about these issues in the ones who view their art.
What did your work conclude about how we can incite change?
Climate change has been the subject of conversations for an incredibly long time now – yet nothing seems to change. This is because with just facts and statistics no one is going to make a link between what is happening in the world and their actions. Most people looking at scientific facts blame everyone but themselves for the state of the world, because they address society as a whole. The same way if there is an accident and someone gets injured and one shouts to the crowd to help no one is likely to do anything, but if you point to an individual person, they are more prone to take action, the same way we need to point at each other, and ourselves, and admit we are guilty in order to take an action. Otherwise nothing is ever going to change.
How do you think your research could impact the future of fashion culture?
I believe the conversation I have contributed to with my research is having a huge effect on how the fashion industry is shaping. I can see more and more interest in finding better solutions, in choosing to produce textiles which are safer for the environment as well as the animals and people. There are a lot of sustainability centres being formed now, and it feels like we are at a tipping point where we are transitioning from constantly chasing the new trends and never being satisfied, to being more conscious consumers, who cherish the items they bought, for much longer periods of time as well.
Since writing this body of work, are there any new discoveries that you would include if you could rewrite the project?
I would definitely make more of an effort to contact the island communities I have based my project on. From the perspective of time I can see that talking about them, rather than making connections and trying to amplify the voices of specific people, is not a good approach, and in my further work I will choose a different path.
I think that during the past couple of years we, as a society, have become way more aware of climate change and the effects it has on us, and more and more designers are choosing more sustainable options, which is great to see as that is exactly what I was trying to achieve with this dissertation.
Does your university research have any relevance to the work you are doing now?
After graduating I continued researching on my own, mainly focusing on growing and experimenting with kombucha leather. I successfully grew some samples and small bags, which was very exciting. I am fascinated with all the different plant materials that could be used as alternatives to the harmful plastics most companies use nowadays, and I am currently taking steps to start growing mushroom based materials as well.
I have created a plant based fabric from a kombucha brewing byproduct, which will help to not only divert some waste from going to a landfill, but it’s also fully biodegradable, meaning no toxins will transfer into the soil after its life has ended.
