Welcome to week 9 of our Book Club. This week we are focusing on imagining a world were we can trace every stage of production, distribution and reuse.

Please note: Meet up this Sunday at the 16 Foot sailing club at 2:30pm. Exact location posted on our Insta and Facebook 10 mins prior to meeting. 

Q: Firstly what does traceability mean?

It "is the process of making information available to understand how fibers and materials were sourced, processed and produced through the supply chain. Improving the transparency of suppliers, and the traceability of sourced materials, is essential to enable more sustainable decision making. It is an enabling factor to help reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of the textile supply chain." ( Definition from Fashion for Good website)

Q: Because as Clare says  “We can’t manage what we can’t see.” P. 199

Discuss what this means when discussing textile waste? 

Q: “All our clothing can be produced from existing resources”p200.  Do you agree? What if this could be accomplished? Is it realistic?

The book discusses how the fashion industry must "Get Sorted" if we want clothes to be produced from existing resources. It says that we need to have:

1. Facilities to collect and grade the source materials
2. Fiber-to- fiber recycling plants

Q: Can upcycling old junk into new products make a big enough change? are we just postponing the inevitable landfill? 

Q: Discuss and look at the initiative -‘Worn Again’ (to expand on what is already discussed in the book..

Q: Discuss fibre to fibre recycling? What do you know about it? What technology do we have in Australia? What are the negatives currently associated with the technology?

Q: Discuss chemical and mechanical recycling methods and how they differ?
What are the considerations with Polyester, nylon, and cellulosics (cotton, wool and linen) recycling?

Q: What issues are there with sorting garments for recycling? How are some companies dealing with this issue?

"Less than 1% of used textiles are recycled…" Pg 201

Q: The book also brings up "Passport Control"   a concept where all products of the future will be able to tell you what they are and where they’ve been! Why is this essential to know? P. 203

Q:“Connectivity is essential to reshape our relationship with resources” P. 204
How could EON’s product passports change the fashion industry’s trajectory?

Q: Fibre passports are also being explored. What might be the benefit of this for producers/buyers and consumers? 

Q: Consider the Renewcell innovation, something termed by Cavalli -Bjorkman “Industrial Evolution”P. 207. Creative thinking can take what’s already there and find new purpose for it. Maybe transformation is a key way of thinking about the industry when trying to come up with sustainable solutions for the future…. What are your thoughts? (Eg The Pulp industry example in the book, where existing infrastructure from industries that are no longer viable are being refit to power textile recycling).   

Local

Q: Local fashion - "In some ways it looks like the past" (p.170)
In what ways might this be so?

"...the enormous skill we have in our country towns gets ignored, because it's seen as little old ladies knitting..." (p. 172)

Q: 2% of clothing sold in Australia is currently being made locally, compared to 97.5% in 1961. What happened? 

Q: How does the disconnection of products from their origins effect the way consumers view these products - their value/cost and worth?

Q: Preserving craft tradition and cultural heritage is an important consideration when considering championing local fashion production. To what extent do you agree with this statement and why?

Q: Reducing transport emissions is also a major consideration with those advocating for local fashion. Discuss the importance of this consideration.

Q: "We produce our own fiber here...then send it all overseas to be processed" (p.177)
Processing in Australia may not be financially viable at this point in time, but cooperation and innovative thinking may lead to new solutions...
What are some examples of this happening in the chapter? Have you seen this happen at some level in your local environment?

Q: We need to consider cost and efficiency, pooling resources and sharing new technology. Discuss how we can do this.

Q: Why do we assume that competition is the only way forward economically speaking?

Q: What might locally made clothes FOR locals mean?

Global

"Legislation is the key" (p.188) What does this mean for global fashion?
"Asia is still the fashion workshop of the world" (p.188)
"The sector employs approximately 60 million workers" (p.188)

Q: What are the best and worst scenarios for these workers?

Q: How can brands reduce their negative impact on the environment, and improve the lives/wellbeing of workers in Asia, within the narrative of de-growth and localism?

Q: "Africa can't continue acting as a dumping ground" (p. 196).
Discuss the "Return to Sender" initiative and the issues our textile waste creates for the global south. (p.193-4).

Q: The global north needs to completely rethink the way it produces, consumes and disposes of clothing, and it needs to consider its colonial legacy which is still effecting its commercial processes... How can we do this?

Wow, we are half way through the book! This week we are looking at Community and Less. If you want to come chat about these two topics our meet up is this Sunday at the 16 Footers Belmont 2:30pm - the Blend Café. 

Lets start with defining the two scenarios: 

1. Community is imagining that consumers purchase to make a difference and seek out social enterprises. Like we did today on our field trip to the Rag Traders Pop up shop today.
2. Less imagines that we own fewer and fewer clothing items because consumers want to reduce their ecological footprint.

Also, before we start with Clare's book, I want to share a quote that I personally love and think fits perfectly here:

  “What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up, and remake the world for the better.” – David Bornstein, Author, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

This week’s questions:

Community

In the book it talks about collaborations such as (if you want to check them out click on the links to their web pages):
- Making For Change a UK social enterprise that works with women in prisons for more about this go to https://bethany-williams.com/blogs/manufacturing/making-for-change.
- San Patrignano (Italian) group who use weaving textiles as a way to rehabilitate people out of drug addiction, to read more about this see https://designlab.sanpatrignano.org/en/weaving .
- Mending For Good based in Millan see https://www.mendingforgood.org/ .
- Manusa who trains and hires refugees and new immigrants. https://www.manusa.eu/en/homepage/ .
- The Social Outfit who offer sewing and retail training programs for women from refugee backgrounds and CALD migrant communities - https://thesocialoutfit.org/ .

Q. Discuss the statement that said that to survive they need to work together with other social enterprises. In the book it is described as “growing the web of connections” p 140.

Q . Does fashion have the ability to change lives? Before you answer, consider this quote, “ ‘I didn’t have a retirement fund before’ says Fatima. ‘I now know more about my rights and what you need to work in Australia.”

Q. One of the issues is that social agendas can clash with commercial – How can this be alleviated? “The money has to come from somewhere”pg148. According to the World Economic Forum, “nearly 40% fail in the first year” (social enterprises).

Here are some ideas we have for survival:
- Government assistance
- Extra fundings via charity fundraising
- Donations
- Sponsorship
- Marketing of product explains that cost of product is the “therapy” and “training” and the result of rehabilitation for the producers. You are wearing someone’s reason for hope.
- Give credit to the maker so that there is a connection to the artisan’s story.
- Fundraisers . Look at “Wear The Change” example: https://thesocialoutfit.org/pages/wear-the-change .

Q. Is the answer B Corp for profit driven businesses ? Consider this quote; “ B Corp offers a tangible and transparent framework for keeping businesses accountable and setting industry benchmarks” p 150

Q. Do you think the cultural zeitgeist is shifting from maximizing profits to maximizing purpose? Is this driven by consumers or businesses?

Less

Imagine if “fashion is seen as a vehicle for political activism and personal storytelling. DIY culture makes it creative.” “When we do buy we choose well because we know it’s got to last”

Q. How much do we really need in our wardrobe?

Q. How does the idea of less make you feel?

Q. Degrowth? Is it possible to stop overproduction?

Quote: “ We must grow out of growth…The only solution is less stuff. There are no other options” – Kate Fletcher pg 156.

Q. The commons is defined as “a resource + a community + a set of social protocols’. Pg 157. An example of this model in practice is Fashion Act Now https://www.fashionactnow.org/ . Discuss how this is a “vibrant, creative social system” pg 158.

Q. Can you think of other communing in practices. The book gives these examples; “gift economy; open access journals for scholarship; CSA (community supported agriculture…..repair cafes and crowd funding” pg 159.

Q. One of the interviewed people in the book says that for fashion to become about “less” to “we will need to redefine status” – It will need to reflect social responsibility somehow. We need to not look at less as a sacrifice rather as more authentic connections. What do you think?

Q: How can small businesses survive if they can’t sell enough clothes to pay for rent, staff etc p165?

Q: DIT (Do It Together) will that become a commodity rather than a new outfit. Let’s discuss a date and organize one of these to do together :D.

This week we are discussing the chapters  "Slow" and "Even Faster" from our book Wear Next: Fashioning the future by Clare Press.  

This weeks meet up is at Blend Cafe at the 16 Foot Sailing Club in Belmont NSW Sunday 2:30pm.  These are the questions we will be discussing this week:

"Slow"

1. “In 2019, the WHO officially recognised burnout as a syndrome of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. p93 . How do you define work/life balance? Do you see any signs of burnout in your life? What could you do to decrease the risk? What can employers do to protect their employees?
2. This chapter urges us to ask - What does success look like to me? And… How much am I willing to sacrifice to achieve this?
3. Finding a way back to balance requires “…taking the time to slow our thinking down and consider why we do things”. p99
4. What are some of the techniques you use to slow your thinking down? Time to reflect is essential, ask yourself - What do I need?... rather than - What do I want? And start slow so you can sustain it!
5. One way to slow things down in the industry, is by working with a new business model - working in “Collaboration” rather than in “Competition” p97
6. Why isn’t a competitive model working for everyone? For the environment?
7. “Nothing is outdated”. p101. Discuss.
8. What are the alternatives to trend-driven fashion?
9. Slowing down fashion industry norms enables the development of the best products using the best practices possible! Consider the trickle-down effect on consumers….“Slow Fashion Season has 3 demands: transparency from companies, targets from governments, and accountability from advertisers”. p104. Discuss.
10. “We have to see the dominant narrative around success, hyper-acceleration, and a productive body as rooted in colonialism”. p99 . Consider this  statement and its implications… Katrina from the Shared World Collective will be leading this discussion. 

Even Faster

What this could look like.....

- Better inventory management.

- Better predictions due to "big data to manage inventory"

- Direct to consumer model.

- 3D printing 

- Made to order,  even  at the touch of a button from home.

Questions this chapter encourages us to think about:

1. The younger generations are the next deciders of where fashion goes. "Do they know about the sustainability issue, or even care?"p109
2. "Brands can now get products live within days" Sein is releasing "TEN THOUSAND" (p110) a day! - This makes Sein the most "important" brand on the planet "doesn't mean good....its a bellwether for what is happening" (pg110). Discuss.
3. "Social media commodifies our every moment" (pg 111) Discuss. 
4. Survey by "Samsung, found 60 percent of young people ready to ditch fast fashion entirely". But, Vouge study finds gen Z buy most of their clothes from fast fashion. And even worse,  BoF Insights research suggests just " 7% of gen Z" are driven "by a strong sense of ethics and purpose to change the world" (pg112). Discuss.
5. Apparently its not not "trends" - its now called "Aesthetics" that motivates gen z pg.112. The other is issue is financial. Also, they are so overwhelmed by "social upheaval and political unrest. There is a feeling of nihilism out there". pg114. Discuss.
6. Do you think fashion can be pulled by demand rather than pushed out products. So less waste on unwanted items. e.g. order customized on line and 3D printed (hopefully made from biodegradable materials such as corn starch, where old fashion becomes compost)  pg 114. ?
7. "used right, tech innovation can unlock speed and Sustainability"  Such as Magic fit technology used by Citizen Wolf pg115- 117, Discuss.

Hope to see you on Sunday,

Love,

Yvie xo

 

 

 

  

 

Its week 4 of reading our book by Clare Press called "Wear Next: Fashioning the Future".  This week we are imagining a world of fashion that is “Fair”.

Firstly,

What does Fair mean to you?

• Fair Pay
• Safe work conditions
• Democratization of wealth
• Fair to the planet
• One specific thing, or all encompassing, such as the 10 Fair Trade Principles as set out by WFTO or is it the B Corp list of qualifying criteria.

Also please note that this weeks meet- up will be 2:30pm Sunday 28th Jan at the 16 Foot Sailing Club in the "Blend" cafe area. No bookings required - Just come if you want to chat about the following questions. 

Questions will be based on the key themes and concepts presented in this week’s chapter:

1. “To be conscious about your clothes and remember who made them”. Discuss.

If you want to dig deeper check out the podcast Clare mentions,  “Remember Who Made Them”. It is a six part podcast series, digital campaign and fundraiser that aims to help energize a new solidarity economy in fashion.

2. “Whenever the system cracks, the marginalized get the worst of it”. How can we prevent this?

Here are some of my ideas:

• Better international laws – Recognizing a duty of care?
• Recognize the importance of social media and orgs like Fashion Revolution, Remember Who Made Them, Clean Clothes, Fair Trade groups and ethical influencers such as Saphia Minney and of course – Clare Press 😊
• The importance of us being prosumers and keeping up with fashion issues, such as clothing waste and data regarding what are the living wages for the counties we purchase clothes from.
• I am a radical and think that EVERY brand should disclose the pay given to textile workers per hour, the approx. time taken to construct the garment and the cost of fabric. It’s not that hard!!!! Just the marketing to justify the pricing strategy is made harder – and as far as I am concerned – Well, it is more fair that the current status quo.

3. The power of the influencer – good and bad. Hague (cheap fast fashion)  v’s Megan (Outland social enterprise jeans). The book highlights that people do follow other people, so would you take on the challenge to show case “Fair”. How can you be an influencer? 

Here are some of our ideas:

• In photos you post when wearing a brand worth a shout out, do it!. Help get the good ones out there.
• Know the details of what makes what you wear so special – and talk about it, so others can also know and value it too.
• When you see someone wearing something you recognize as a "Fair" brand, tell them that, “you must be a nice person because I know that item is (what you know) and thank them for being a change maker.”

4. Purpose driven businesses using Outland as an example discuss if you think this can be the norm or the exception?

Dig deeper check out the brand: Outland web page

5. How are people inspired to go on the journey to become a purpose driven business. What is the motivation behind it?

This is what we think:

• Awareness of the issues: The importance of advocacy groups like Destiny Rescue.
• Being confronted by the realities of inequality and exploitation.
• Finding the right people at the ground level.
• Belief in the idea no matter what others say.

 

6. Non- for profit “charity” - “this idea is baked into us by the west…(but) often it does create a dependency , and that is another form of control” – Burtle owner of Outland. Discuss

I think that nobody wants to feel dependent on a charity. From my experience most people who are marginalized, exploited and struggling want dignity, sustainable employment, autonomy and be in a position to help others.  Our instore brand Global Mamas is a great example of an outstanding label, balancing Not For Profit and micro businesses. - Yvie's thought on this question.

 7. Discuss what it means to be a Certified B corp organisation – Should all businesses be expected to be one?

“B Corp, or Benefit Corporation, is a type of for-profit business that is also committed to meeting specific social and environmental goals. B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on shareholders but also on workers, customers, the community, and the environment. This type of business structure is designed to balance profit and purpose.

To become a certified B Corp, a company must undergo a rigorous assessment by the nonprofit organization B Lab. This assessment evaluates the company's performance in areas such as environmental responsibility, employee treatment, community engagement, and transparency. Only businesses that meet the required standards are certified as B Corps.” – quote from B Lab website

Sorry (but not very sorry), but I need to bring up WFTO even if not mentioned in the book 😊.

As for what is "better," it depends on the specific goals and values of a business. If a company is looking to address a broader range of social and environmental issues beyond fair trade, pursuing B Corp certification might be suitable. On the other hand, if the primary focus is on fair trade practices, WFTO certification may be more appropriate. Ultimately, both certifications reflect a commitment to responsible business practices, and the choice may depend on the organization's mission and priorities.

B Corp certification is aimed at the level of an entire business' operations, Fairtrade certification is largely aimed at the individual product level (and subsequent supply chain)

Want to dig deeper and understand more of the ethical & sustainable certifications, it is explained quite well on a blog by the online shop called Shop Like You Give a Damn.  Would love your thoughts on this :) 

Love,

Yvie xo

Ps Hope to see some of you on this Sundays Book Club Meet up

 

In the next chapter, we delve into part three called, "You Choose: The Future of Fashion Will Be...".  Our journey begins with the first concept called "Conscious.".

To anyone new - Welcome :)

This weeks questions:

1. Is it conceivable for the fashion industry to be guided by principles aligning the value of garments with both environmental and cultural significance? For instance, adopting a "polluter pays" approach could incentivize brands to explore more sustainable and low-waste manufacturing options.

2. Who do you think make up the fashion socially conscious consumers? (Young? Educated? Affluent?) 
3. Lets discuss the problem with the words like “Sustainability” Pg 48-49 and the problem of green washing such as; 

• H&M’s 2019 "Conscious Exclusive Collection"  ( 53- 55 ).
• Boohoo appointing K. Kardashian as its "Sustainability Ambassador" P55.

4. Brands linked to toxic waste from “brick kilns”. Should they be held responsible? How?  Or do we change the mindset to they are not the enemy? and accept that it is the system that’s broken ? And is that our responsibility as consumers to fix it? (Just yes or no as we will dig deeper on this in question 7)
5. Can the HIGG Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) help customers be more conscious in their purchases  - Or is it just a tool for big business to manipulate customer trust ( eg H&M example pg 55) ? Click on this link to know more about the Higg MSI .

 

6. Quote: "Perhaps we need to dig deeper? Spreadsheets and pretty words won't save us. We need to ask different questions." - Clare Press


7.Could a Buddhist economics model, be the answer? 

We recommend reading the following blog to understand this concept better: Buddhist Economics: A Practical Approach To Master Our Global Crisis by Julia Culen

8. Bandana says that if more of us knew and understood the significance of certain textiles and crafts we would have a deeper relationship with what we wear. she tells us to look up the process of Patola (double Ikat). Lets do it ! Click here to see a YouTube of the the process. Does it help you see the value of it?

9. Can you see the cloud in a piece of paper? What do you see with what you are wearing? pg 599. 

10. Mahatma Gandhi's relationship went from suits to Khadi. Do you think it was Ghandi's "search for satorial integrity"?  Clare recommends us to watch the TED talk titled "What Ghandi can teach us about slow fashion' by Bandana.

Note: Sartorial Integrity” and refers to a state in which an individual’s moral well-being affects the way they dress and present themselves to others. 

11. So, could the future of conscious fashion begin not with clothes at all, but with washing off the negativity and reconnecting with Nature? Could it be as simple - and profound - as that? 

12. How can we become more connected to what we wear? How can we find a deeper meaning, to everything - including our clothes?   

Next week: we will be discussing "Fair" p - 67-82  

The next meeting will be Sunday 28th Jan at the 16 Footers @ The Cafe - 2:30pm. No booking required. Just come if you want to discuss "Conscious" and "Fair" Chapters.