The Creators Project: Last week, Miki Agrawal and Céline Semaan Vernon sat before a roomful of aspiring and active designers to talk about the future of social- and environmentally-minded design. Hosted by AIGA NY in their newly acquired pop-up space in lower Manhattan as part of their latest series of members-only events, the discussion was titled “Beyond Vivienne Westwood: Fashion brands that are changing the world." And, to say that these two designers were the perfect picks to headline just such a discussion, would be a gross understatement.
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I really appreciate the direction that a lot of the responses to these questions moved in, but I also felt like a lot of them felt a bit privileged in their discussion of affordability of eco-friendly fashion. At first, I felt all on board, particularly with the idea that when you buy something for really cheap (i.e. $15 for a pair of shoes is the example they uses) it's likely that someone else payed the difference in what you're paying with their life. This makes a lot of sense, and is a good way of pitching the idea of saving up for more conscious clothing choices instead of filling a closet with essentially slavery-driven clothing. However, the responses developed kind of into this idea that some people just can't afford to save money to be able to buy an $80 pair of shoes no matter what the reasoning behind it is. There are just too many other factors involved, like the minimum wage issue for instance. I wish that some of the designers themselves had touched more on this idea, and if they did I'm upset at the creators project for leaving that out of the article.
This article is so important! I love fashion, but it's really difficult to think about it as an industry so ingrained in selfishness and monetary power. Kudos to these two designers for taking good design and trying to make it about something meaningful in the world. So much of the money in the art world trades between the highest bidders; there's so much of it that could be funneled into charities that instead goes back to a one percent of the one percent of the world. I read an article about THINX a few days ago in relation to having posters in the subway advertising it, and the controversy behind it. There needs to be more recognition for a product that aids and helps 50% of the world -- especially in places where tampons and pads aren't easily accessible, or even allowed for women. I'd love if these two companies had partnerships with larger brand names like Target or Urban Outfitters so that more people can understand and recognize the efforts of these designers.
I think this article is very important. For me it raises the point of how we should be responsible both as designers and producers, but also as consumers. As consumers we are choosing what ethics and practices we want to flourish. We may not support child labor and other unethical practices, but we may still buy things from companies that participate in those practices. By doing that we are supporting a world in which these things exist. It is difficult because things that are made and sourced ethically are often more expensive, and some people simply cannot afford to pay more money from these products. But making a little changes can go a long way. I recently became a vegetarian after reading a article that said that vegetarians and vegans affect the number of animals slaughtered annually in the order millions. I have for a long time morally disapproved of the meat industry in this country but that article simply made me realise that my personal choices can have a very real impact. I feel that sometimes we forget that we vote for what kind of world we want to live in every day with how we spend our money.
When the items you buy have a meaningful history, they become all the more special to you. Spreading awareness about the responsibility we owe to our planet is extremely vital especially in the hectic cycles of fashion which pushes for "fast fashion" where designs are mass produced and often times very generic. Unfortunately the 2 main issues that stands in the way of many eco-friendly designers is the price point which limits their clientele and the reputation surrounding designers advocating for change. The hurdles that these designers must climb to achieve a remote level of success is truly breathtaking, and should make us admire their drive even more. Very often it is easy for consumers looking for fast fashion to disregard more expensive basic pieces because of the notion that "simple" designers should be cheaper than more intricate work. Yet as the article sites, to achieve the right fit can take as much time as it does money, which explains the steep price tag. If we remove the prejudices that surround the fashion industry, who knows where these designers will take us next.
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