The rise of the Ethical Fashion Movement over the past number of years has seen the emergence of hundreds of designers, campaigners, journalists and celebrities who are passionately committed to working in an ethical and sustainable way and actively encourage other industry personnel as well as the public to change their attitudes not just their outfits. Notable posterpeople include Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and models Erin O’Connor and Lily Cole and actress Emma Watson.

Companies and designers

London Fashion Week now hosts Esthetica which showcases new ethical designers each year

HOWEVER…

Kate Fletcher insists that a ” more of the same but more efficient” approach to change will only give an “illusion of change”. What’s needed is for the Western world to take a good long look at the way in which it consumes and disposes and reassess it’s needs and wants.

Only a full systematic, social and behavioral upheavel will result in the kind of change we at Re-dress and people like us are working towards and hope for.

Here are a few ideas which we hope will “be the change we wish to see”:

The Cradle to Cradle Movement asks us to rethink how we make things and calls for “ecologically intelligent design” which uses raw materials which can be reused fully at the end of the products life. In terms of fashion this would involve garments which can be disassembled easily and re imagined without any waste.

Ethical Fashion hero Helen Storey is in the process of developing a fabric detergent which purifies the air as the garment is worn. She is also working on a research project exploring desire  and hopes to fundamentally radicalize how we think about and engage with fashion.

Basically, slow it down, love it like it’s hot and make it last.