Having Respect for Our Clothes

By Anna Crowley

‘Sustainability’ is the buzz word of the 2020s. However, with different regulations across sectors and countries, it’s hard to pin down who’s doing it right and who’s doing it wrong. This is made even harder due to greenwashing or backstage deals that we, the consumers, cannot see. Unfortunately fashion weeks, and the fashion scene more broadly, are one of the main places where this tension is on display. 

London Fashion Week came under heat this year for talking the talk but not walking the walk. They hailed their ‘sustainability goals’ and had runways from Oxfam and Ebay which celebrated circular fashion, while at the same time had runways from fast fashion brands such as H&M (a brand that,despite all its greenwashing messages, was only given the rating of ‘It’s a start’ by good on you). Even Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is applauded for its ongoing commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, were inconsistent with what they say and what they do. During Marimekko’s SS26 runway, the model Jura pulled out a Palestinian flag that said, ‘ACT NOW AGAINST GENOCIDE’. She was removed from the runway. Our ‘sustainable practices’ must aim for environmental justice – caring for both planet and people. Not only is israel committing ecocide, but the lives of Palestinian people matter when we try to build towards an ethical, eco-friendly world. 

As Ireland’s fashion scene starts to gain global recognition – due in large part to the inaugarul Ireland Fashion Week this year and the third installment of Dublin Independent Fashion Week (DIFW) – we must learn from these mistakes and strive to do better. Although Ireland Fashion Week did celebrate home talent and proclaimed that sustainability was one of their main priorities, their attempts still fell short. Sponsors included fast fashion giants such as Primark. DIFW did a lot better, with strong sustainability requirements at the application phase for designers.

These efforts by DIFW encourage something that often goes amiss in the fashion industry – respect. Ellen Corcoran’s article for Fiche Magazine touches on how Irish deisgners cannot get funding from the Arts Council because fashion is not seen as art. While fashion’s practicality may separate it from other forms of creation and it being outside art’s elite ivory tower could be a strength, it’s doubtful that this is what the Arts Council has in mind when it rejects textile applications. The craft of fashion isn’t respected. And when we don’t respect the craft, we don’t resepect the resources that are needed to make the pieces and the people who make them. We don’t care if we overconsume or if people work in terrible conditions for little pay. We care about efficiency and ease. 

This isn’t to blame the individual customer. The majority of consumers do need efficiency and ease when it comes to their purchasing (not just in fashion) to keep up with this capitalist world. But with recent news such as corals reefs across the world being the first environmental system to pass the point of no return, the time to act really is now. We must change the culture around our cosuming habits. We must increase accessibility and affordability to more ethical choices – not reserving these ‘organic’ options for the top few and then celebrate their ‘eco-friendliness’. 

One thing that the Irish fashion industry needs to tap into more (and which both the fashion weeks this year did) is our homegrown techniques. The heritage and history of Ireland’s textiles is full of rich and fascinating ways to be sustainable. TG4’s show ‘Snáithe’ from a few years go was a great insight into the different fabrics and skills that have been passed on from generation to generation. But when in competition with big conglomerates, these traditions have nearly become extinct. From linen looms to wool weaving, many long-established customs are at risk of losing to fast fashion brands.

Some people may question the return to these traditional practices – again citing the efficiency and ease of fast fashion. But we need to stop viewing ‘traditional’ as ‘going backwards’. There’s nothing more backwards than an industry that is one of the biggest polluters and is notorious for worker mistreatment. As Joycelyn Longdon argues in her book ‘Natural Connection’, innovation today can come from the technology of the past. People across the globe, particularly Indigenous peoples, have a symbiotic relationship with the Earth already. Not prioritising these techniques is destructive.

Whether its future fashion weeks tightening their ethical guidelines or designers being inspired by well-established sustainable methods, we must respect our clothes more. This means respecting the resources and people that make them.