Can The Pink Elephant of Sustainable Fashion Design Maintain Its Balancing Act in the Circle of Life?

This summer, I moved to Stillwater. I packed up all the furniture my parents would let me have, the junk from my mother’s kitchen closet she had no use for, and moved it into my house in Stillwater.  I would never have guessed that the bits and pieces of furniture my parents had accumulated for years would come together and make a decent college home. It has been fun decorating, yet I had no idea that what I was doing was participating in sustainable development.  The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability states:  "sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". I used what I already had instead of going out and buying new furniture for a house that I’ll only be in a short while.  A lot of the furniture is at least 30 years old, meaning no new resources were used. Sustainability in the interior market is easier to accomplish than the apparel market because you don't replace furniture near as often as you do clothes. Armstrong and LeHew claim that there is a pink elephant in the design world called consumerism. Consumers buy, buy and buy yet they don’t look at what goes behind the product. They also claim that we need to dematerialize and that the quality of life may have to decrease. I, for one, am not excited about that idea. Our society thrives on fashion; it is part of our identity. In order for the market to rid itself of the pink elephant, consumers must be informed of the injustices that go on behind the clothes rack and beyond the walls of their own homes. Consumers should also be educated on how to become a more eco-friendly consumer.  Designers should explore all of the alternatives, even if that means we look to other industries for help and guidance. Finally, we should maintain a consumer-focused industry coupled with a good sense of style that is well balanced in sustainable development.

I can say that before reading these articles, I never really thought of every detail that goes into the creation of a product. If a student in the design industry isn’t completely aware of the negative impacts textiles have on our environment, I can guarantee the majority of the general public has no idea. The International Journal of Consumer Studies talks about how an increase in demand for sustainable goods depends on the consumer’s knowledge and understanding of what sustainable fashion even means. The article Fashioning Sustainability says one way to make sustainability a reality is through transparency. Retailers should know the process their merchandise went through to get in store. Fashioning Sustainability also talks about how we can learn from the food industry. One of the ways the food industry has increased organic eating is by giving information from behind the scenes. Think about it, the movement towards healthy eating and going organic all stemmed from documentaries and other sources of information. If the public was informed of the toxic chemicals and the harsh working environments in the textiles industry and as the Just-Style Green Report says “that the fashion industry is one of the most exploitative industries and we have a long way to go before we can be considered fair”, they would pay attention. I remember, for example, when Nike was under fire for unethical treatment of workers. When a company gets a bad rap, they risk losing consumers because people won’t buy from them because they don’t want to be associated with something so negative. When companies become completely transparent, people will begin to support designers who take the time to make their products eco-friendly.

The industry also needs to focus on teaching consumers to take care of their products so they last longer and how to take the minimal effort needed to be a more eco-friendly consumer. The article Inconspicuous Consumption says that by watching what you launder will help immensely toward cutting energy consumption. They also say that because of advertisement from companies about whites being “whiter than white” and everything should constantly smell good, we end up using way too much energy and water. They give the statistics that say only 7.5% of a load of laundry is heavily soiled.  Consumers need to be taught how to be conscience of the energy used in taking care of their garments.

Fortunately our designers and industry are beginning to respond. The article Design Responsibility and Sustainable Design as Reflective Practice: An Educational Challenge says that our industry is beginning to realize that our resources are scarce and becoming expensive to use. They also say that sustainability and quality go hand in hand. Some of the biggest designers out there have begun to do their part in getting rid of the pink elephant while keeping their style.  Stella McCartney doesn’t use real furs and her stores use bags from certified managed forests.  American Apparel recycles their leftover fiber scraps using solar panels on its LA factory.  Louis Vuitton has a warehouse that receives power from geothermal energy and they recycle rain and water waste. David Lipke wrote an article on Lacoste’s involvement in the Save Your Logo program where they are committed to help preserve the animal on their insignia, the crocodile. LA Times had an article about how Patagonia makes an effort to help the environment by making their fleece jackets out of recycled bottles, their buildings run on part solar power, and they donate one percent of their sales to certain environmental causes. Crate and Barrel has a whole section on their website that is devoted to eco-friendly furniture. The International Journal of Consumer Studies says that consumers tend to trust the retailer. People assume that if it’s a good name it’s a good company. As designers, it is up to us to carry out good practices. People are spending good money on high quality, they won’t be throwing stuff away within a few months, they are buying lifelong pieces. One question to think about but that opens up a whole other can of worms is; how is fast fashion affecting the environment?

My mom recently sent me a picture of my room in Kansas City. She sent this message “Who knew fifteen years later it would still look classic??” The bedding and furniture now in my room at home are the same furniture that I had in my room as a little girl. It looks like we could’ve bought it yesterday. I’m a huge fan of classic, traditional styles. Those are styles you can use for many years; therefore they aren’t going to be made to last a year or two, they will be durable and if we take proper care will reduce some negative environmental impact. A huge trend lately has been restoring old furniture. This even goes for the contemporary style in the home. If you prefer the modern look, use old industrial pieces like wheels from palettes or old pulleys. The pink elephant doesn’t have to mean losing style, it means being smart and informed of our products, how to use them and looking for even more solutions. I truly believe that within the next few years we will see more sustainable designs.