The fashion industry is the second-largest contributor to environmental pollution. Karin M. Klossek on how we can become less wasteful and stay stylish, in an essay for finews.first.
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Guram Gvasalia, who co-founded designer Label Vetements with his brother in 2014 and has worked for Balenciaga as creative director, disclosed surprising figures: on average, just 20 percent of brand-name apparel is sold at regular retail prices. For the overwhelming bulk, prices are slashed before the unsold goods end up in outlet centers.
Since many goods also remain unsold there, 30 percent of all apparel ends up in the trash bin – an enormous waste of labor, materials, energy, and transportation.
«Only a fraction of designer collections end up in flagship stores of luxury brands»
The counterpoint is that some designer clothing is unsellable because prices are exorbitant to prohibitively expensive. We all love exclusivity. If only it were so: only a fraction of designer collections end up in flagship stores of luxury brands or high-end department stores, according to Gvasalia. The majority is manufactured for the secondary market, or shops in destinations that no one would fly to for free. Certain collections are even produced exclusively for outlet centers, which benefit from the brand name but otherwise have no link to the label.
Gvasalia shined a light on the illusions of the fashion industry in a spectacular way at Saks Fifth Avenue. For weeks, the storied New York department store decorated its shop windows with clothing donated by staff, or which had failed to sell on the shop floor.
«The move was a public relations coup which roused the industry»
Saks’ windows are an arbiter of good taste which set luxurious scenes for designer brands to showcase themselves. Until the middle of last August, the shop windows looked more like a thrift shop had thrown up inside. The apparel went to charity shops following the campaign.
The move was a public relations coup which roused the industry. Whether the shop windows were art, a political statement, or simply ugly and unnecessary was hotly debated in nearly all key fashion industry publications – a hugely effective way raise brand awareness in one of the biggest markets in the world.
Gvasalia also drew attention towards the fact that fashion calculates in a certain overproduction every year – a perfect argument for Vetements’ limited production quantities, along with their high price and exclusivity.
«I don’t believe there is any justification for dumping prices in fashion»
And yet his arguments led me to take a critical look at my purchasing habits. I used to think that I was exemplary in this respect: maintenance and quality have always been important to me. I’m a regular client at my tailor and proud to have bought some classic items of clothing that age well. I can’t abide the throwaway mentality for clothing, and don’t believe there is any justification for dumping prices in fashion.
The safety standards and labor conditions in the impoverished countries where much of the clothing is produced are just as low as their rock-bottom retail price.
«My Motto is Closet Detoxing»
When I reminisce over photos of beautiful moments from the past, I discover myself wearing favored pieces of clothing over and over again – even though my closet offers a far wider selection to choose from. When my dry-cleaner frets over the care instructions on a new piece of clothing, I realize that I won’t enjoy a piece for very long. My laundry bill will explode though due to a more elaborate cleaning process for mixed synthetics before the pieces break down – despite their high cost. My Motto is «Closet Detoxing»:
1. Less is More
Rather than a full-to-bursting closet, a few favorite pieces. I don’t like the school of thought that trashes everything which hasn’t been worn in the past year. Instead, I prefer to reduce over time, mainly by purchasing fewer items of clothing.
2. Fabric Quality is Key
A high component of wool or pure silk– and proper care – is the only guarantee that clothing will keep its shape and color for years. It also justifies a higher price. Pure synthetic combinations, even very fashionable ones, don’t make it over the threshold to my closet.
3. No More «Event Purchases»
When I note a particularly important or meaningful date into my agenda, my next move used to be clicking on one of my favorite fashion websites. There, I could be sure to find the ideal dress, perfect coat, or fitting skirt for the occasion. If a piece of clothing speaks to me in a shop, I am creative enough to imagine an event I could wear it to. I usually receive confirmation right away: «buy the dress, the event will come», a saleswoman in a London high street shop assured me. Have I worn it? Never.
4. Perfect, or Not at All
Way too many items in my closet look perfect – and don’t fit. The most frequent reason: sales. The usual excuses range from «I’ll lose the weight and then this will fit perfectly», or «this is too big for me, but I can probably make it work somehow». The sale price is often so tempting that experience and sense go out the window.
5. Curate Your Own Closet
Many of the items in my closet which will never be favorites are ones I bought in haste or under pressure. By contrast, how long do we spend buying artworks for our home? We take time, choose carefully, weigh pros and cons, and review critically how the art will look in the wider living context. I’m going to become the curator of my own closet from now own – and I will appreciate the few perfect pieces even more so for it.
Karin M. Klossek has worked in Frankfurt, Auckland, Sydney and London. She was represented the fashion, financial services and health industries with an emphasis on branding. She has recently launched GloriousMe.Net, a lifestyle website, together with Maike Siever.
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