Slow Fashion

O presente trabalho aborda o movimento slow fashion e o processo criativo da designer brasileira Paula Raia, com o objetivo de compreender tal movimento como uma nova alternativa de produção e consumo através das criações da referida designer. A metodologia utilizada baseia-se em pesquisas bibliográficas sobre o tema e breve análise sobre o processo criativo da Paula Raia.

The present work broaches the movement slow fashion and the brazilian designer Paula Raia's creative process, with the purpose of understands that movement like a new production's alternative and consumption through creations of said designer. The methodology used it is based in literature researches about the topic and short analysis about Paula Raia's creative process.

We explore entrepreneurship in the slow fashion industry at a time of significant restructuring in the global fashion industry. Drawing on a case study of self-employed designers in the slow fashion industry in Geneva (Switzerland), Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Toronto (Canada), we argue that small, slow fashion businesses, through their innovative design, branding and retail practices, have carved out a unique niche in the hyper competitive fashion marketplace. In particular, we demonstrate that they have a very innovative approach to sustainability, characterized by an interest toward the use of salvage materials, the revalorization of craftsmanship, as well as a tendency for handmade productions. Driven by personal beliefs and values, these designers seem to wish to reconcile personal fulfillment with professional achievement as they seek to compete with the paradigm of fast fashion that continues to dominate the fashion industry. This paper contributes to our understanding of the entrepreneurial practices of emerging designers, in particular in the slow fashion industry. It also contributes to the emerging studies in fashion and design-oriented industries that consider the value craftsmanship and the wish to “stay local”, predicting a rise or return of the makers and small-scale manufacturing in contemporary cities.

Sürdürülebilir moda okurlarını dişil bir dünyaya davet ediyor. Üstelik yerel zanaata, çevreye duyarlı, uzun ömürlü ve sürekli olan bir modaya. Sessiz direnişçiler; endüstriyel moda sistemini değil, yavaş moda anlayışını benimsetiyorlar. Konvansiyonel tasarımcının kafası karışıyor.

Ahimsa modası ya da yavaş moda insani ve etik bir geleceği müjdeliyor. Tasarımcı ile kullanıcı arasındaki mesafe kısalıyor. İlişki şeffaflaşıyor ve güvenli oluyor. İdealize edilmiş vücutlar, neon ışıkları altındaki podyumlar yerine günlük, sürdürülebilir ve insani bir moda anlayışı inşa ediliyor. Tasarımcıların hayatı tasarladığı günümüzde, yeni bir perspektif görünür oluyor.

Şölen Kipöz, akademisyen kimliğinin yanında günlük hayattan hiç kopmamış bir tasarımcı. Çeşitli şehirlerde sergilediği yavaş moda örnekleri camiadan büyük övgüler alıyor. Sürdürülebilir Moda kitabı bu yolda yeni bir çerçeve çiziyor ve umut verici bir kapı aralıyor.

Moda dünyasının önemli isimleri Bora Aksu, Duygu Atalay, Gülsüm Baydar, Otto Von Busch, Dilek Himam, Kevin Huw Hilton, Ayşegül Kurtel ve Mine Ovacık yazılarıyla kitabı zenginleştiriyor.

This provocative publication focuses on videos by contemporary artists and filmmakers that encourage scrutiny of contemporary textile production and distribution. Is it possible to protect workers’ rights and ensure safe working conditions while keeping up with consumer demands? Can design and technology offer sustainable solutions to the environmental effects of fast fashion? What role do art and popular culture have in raising consumer consciousness? These questions and more will spark conversations about issues such as the merits of the local and tailor-made versus the global mass production of fast fashion.

Fast Fashion / Slow Art accompanies an exhibition at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum in Washington, DC in autumn 2019 an at Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, in spring 2020.

Statement of the issue/problem, and the relevant background:
The fashion industry has undergone several waves of 'sustainability' awareness since the 1960s. In 1996, James A. Roberts wrote, "Once again there is renewed sensitivity toward the environment and toward social consciousness", and, since 2013, after the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in which over 1'130 fashion workers were killed, we can say again that the global concern about fashion and sustainability has reemerged. Furthermore, as Roberts (1996) assessed, the current sustainability sensitivity focuses on consumer purchase behavior, in contrast to the 1960s and 1970s, when the emphasis went mainly to political solutions.

However, within the literature, limited research investigates the motivations driving consumers of sustainable fashion (Wiederhold and Martinez 2018). Davies et al. (2016) note there is minimal research observing actual buying behavior in sustainable consumption literature, questioning how much we genuinely know about sustainable consumption practice. A better understanding of why and how consumers engage in a particular behavior is needed. To do so, we have opted for a mix-method approach: three focus groups – one focalized on sustainable fashion consumers and the other two dedicated to a broader range of consumers to contrast the purchase behavior between both groups - and a survey with 1'063 respondents to validate the results with a statistically relevant sample. Note that, in the present research, clothing consumption refers to an individual’s clothing acquisition decisions, use and its end of life. It encompasses acquiring, storing, using, maintaining, and discarding clothing products (Winakor 1969). Under the Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen 1991), we explore the differences in Environmental Concern (EC), Subjective Norm (SN), Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (PCE), and Purchase Intention of sustainable consumers, drawing a comparison with the average consumer through descriptive statistics.

Finally, culture and the social environment play a crucial role in a person's decision making. A cross-national study conducted by Bucic, Harris, and Aril (2012) showed that country of residence shapes decision making on sustainable products. For the present research, we have focused on Spanish consumers and the Spanish fashion market.

In this context, this research aims for the following objectives: 1) To explore consumers' perception and consumption of sustainable fashion in Spain; 2) To identify and portray the sustainable fashion consumers and their purchasing process, drawing a comparison with the average consumer; and 3) To define the barriers and drivers for sustainable consumption, further contributing to the attitude-behavior gap literature and providing guidance for practitioners and decision-makers.

Description of how the issue/problem is approached, methodology:
Combining three focus groups and an online survey, this research, exploratory in nature, delves into consumers' perception and consumption of sustainable fashion in Spain. We try to identify and profile the under-researched segment of sustainable consumers, contrast their behavior with the average consumers, and determine the drivers and barriers for sustainable fashion consumption.

Summary of findings, conclusions and implications for theory and practice:
Based on a sample of 1’063 respondents and 23 focus group participants, the results indicate that sustainable fashion consumers demonstrate greater fashion consciousness, environmental concern, perceived consumer effectiveness, and a higher subjective norm. However, the perception of 'pressure' to buy sustainably comes more from within their moral values than from their inner circle or society overall. This may indicate that Spain still lacks a strong 'sustainable culture'. It also appears that the more sustainably conscious consumers are, the less they buy brand-new, preferring alternatives as second-hand (mainly), and renting. For the average consumers, price is still a critical purchasing driver, giving preference to fast-fashion stores. Respondents indicate that lack of trust in companies and their sustainable statements is the main reason preventing them from buying sustainable products or doing it more often, an issue that asks for further analysis.

The TED research cluster at Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, is a collective of practice-based design researchers whose main concerns are the consideration of the role that the designer can play in creating textiles that have a reduced impact on the environment and to provide a toolbox of designer-centred solutions. The cluster involves both staff and students in projects that apply ecodesign theories to textiles practice, with the aim of generating artefacts and theories that will aid designers in creating „better‟ materials, products, systems and improved social well-being. This essay uses three recent TED projects to illustrate how some of the TED members are creating new textiles, dialogues, and enterprises that are all inspired and guided by the TED cluster and its open, pedagogic and collaborative structure.

Entre as diversas modalidades de consumo da moda, o fast fashion é muito expressiva. A modalidade caracteriza-se pelo alto impacto ambiental. Logo, o artigo afirma a necessidade de procurar mudanças nas formas de projeto, produção e consumo da moda, propondo o open design como um processo que permite a conscientização do sistema. O open design prevê a abertura do processo de design para múltiplos atores (inclusive os consumidores), o compartilhamento de informações e a construção de conhecimento entre eles. Como resultado, pode levar a modalidades de consumo situadas na cultura slow.

The Fashion market is characterized by the rapidity with which a product becomes outmoded. Enterprises producing clothes, shoes, bags and other accessories generate wastes at a fast rhythm, due to the continuous change of collections. They must store notable quantities of textiles and components not longer used for production. Furthermore, the percentage of scraps of fabrics, leather and other materials, is often significant. Recycling can be applied to the Fashion sector in order to recuperate wastes and create original items, which can be particularly successful in a market where customers are increasing their sensitivity towards sustainability. We describe the case of a prestigious Italian brand, manufacturing high luxury leather and fabric accessories where Eco Design and Recycling have been applied. A Life Cycle Assessment of a traditional product of the company is also presented to enhance the significant aspects of sustainability in Fashion.