steve i dont no your email. so this was the only way i could get it to you.

Research Project.

Environmentally sustainable materials and processes

The production process of wool, is it environmentally sustainable?

With in my research project I will be making a video on weather the wool industry is sustainablie suitable for the environment? Is the long process from the berth of a lam to a wool knit jumper necessary and is it infact that we are just damaging our land and environment by producing wool?

Or are we not putting enough support in to the wool industry as it is a biodegradable fiber it also has thermal properties it’s water resistant, static resistant, dirt resistant and even noise resistant. If wool has all these great qualities then why don’t we use it for other products than just clothing?

Copyright Laws

There are so many personal issues to consider with copyright laws and as an up and coming designer this affects me personally. There are o many questions and I don't have any answers!! I will blog further when I find some...

Copywright

How much difference is enough difference for a design to be original?
If a design is innovative and unique with a lot of depth in the meaning behind the work, I think it deserves to be copyrighted. For it to be counterfeited and sold at 1/10th of the price, as the designer I would feel betrayed. I think its okay to look into the work and concept of other designs but take inspiration from it and make it your own.

Copyright...

Um, i wouldnt want ppl ripping off my designs, but its kinda hard to design, say, a dress for a specific pourpose (to look pretty for a cocktail party, flattering, not too out there, but still striking) and to have NO features of anyother cocktail dress in existance.

I think maybe its too late for copyright laws? As in all our culture is so mixed around.... and no one knows what is really whos, maybe if it had been carefully documented over time (way, way back) then everyone (as in countires, tribes, not individuals) would have a copyright over what was oringinally theres.
But i think its human nature to copy each other... So maybe (tho i would never like it) but if u want to be a designer or artist, once ur work it put out there its free for all....and expect others to copy that, maybe we are too posesive..?

Copyright

Copyright i feel is important to some extent... As a designer in training naturally my designs are inspired by designers, cultures, political views, art work and a number of other things, before now i have not thought about the people who im inspired by and weather they would want me to be inspired by them. If someone wanted to copy or incorporate my designs i would actually want to be told, in away i feel to someextent it is flattering. On the other hand i do belive copyrighted fashion would make it extreemly difficult for me as a new designer and like designers before me i can try to turn styles of the past into styles of the future.

Have a great day Steve!

Legislation on Counterfieting....

More than 100 organisations from countries such as United states, European Union, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand have signed the Anti- Counterfeiting Treaty Agreement. This provides a means for companies within these countries to keep the copyright on designs created under the umbrella of this treaty. However... Because other asian countries haven't signed the treaty and are refusing to counterfeiting is still a major problem. Hence why at markets such as Paddys are able to sell cheap versions of the original designs because they are mass produced in China and then sent to be sold around the world for a fraction of or the full amount, making money off of another designers creations. It really peeves me because when i'm a consumer wanting to buy an original or real version. I feel there has to be some way to force other countries to sign the treaty to prevent the market from abusing the lack of copyright laws.... just a thought....

Copyrigns? ant you a copy cat?

when it comes to the issues of copyright and my future designs and a fashion designer. i must not lie even though i was agents copy right. i strongly think that if some on was to take one of my hard work designs i would be less than impressed about the situation.

how ever like i have said before copying is every were for instant. a fashion forecaster's job is find out what the new trends are and what us the public are wearing.

so for all those kid trying to be different and stand out by having there own style. along comes a forecaster and turns there individuality in to a brand new trend and take the credit of it. so ist'n copying just a never ending circle of riping each other off. so in the end a so called original design by a fashion designer is really getting the inspiration from a forecaster who in tern stole it of a kid trying to be an individual.

ant we all copycats??

Copyright!!

Is something that is really hard to control, how do we pick the original? i wish we could be like the aboriginals and have an unwritten code. As they have such a strong meaning behind their work. ( or are they now starting to do it for money... from the western influences)
The prints on Hawaiian shirts have a special meaning to the traditional people there, but the shirts themselves also have a meaning to us/Australian culture as a happy holiday shirt or maybe tacky. It may not be a very deep meaning but nether the less these shirts have a meaning to us. So does this mean they belong to us also because we have given them meaning?
I think copyright is definitely a western phenomenon, as we are very greedy, materialistic and money driven, wanting something to belong to us and are so worried that others will come and take it and be better off than us. Now non-western cultures are catching on after seeing we can make money from exploiting these different prints etc.

I don't know what I think about copyright, but I'm sure if I was a designer and someone was ripping off my designs I would not be impressed... But then again I it depends how unique and different my designs were. If they were based on trends, and I was designing for mainstream fashion I might not mind so much. But If I was designing couture clothes or designs which were personal to me I would be angry that they had taken my design without knowing the menaing behind it.

Copyright

I think copyright laws are essential. Hard work, long hours and a large amount of money go into the design process, it should not be ok for someone to then copy.

Good designs are precious and are worth protecting.

I believe that copyright should exist! But it needs to be improved to include anyone involved in the fashion industry. To protect everyone equally, and provide a stability within fashion industry.
But who and how do we determine the fine lines?
Copying or taking inspiration.
One fabric or another.
These fine lines need to be cleared up.

Handmade v. Mass Production

Does the notion of the "handmade touch" really impact on what why do or do not purchase? I think it's interesting that consumers will choose items that seemingly have been handmade or "by hand" over ones that have been factory of mass produced. If the product or garment is IDENTICAL then what is the issue? What makes one better or more deirable than the other?

I think that the discussion re double dressing or people dressing the same yet still attempting to be individual is interesting, why do we try so hard to strive for a sense of belonging and individualism? Are they not polar opposites? Can you achieve both, at the same time? And why strive for them at all? What is to be gained by this? Does it change who you are or how you're percieved by others? And if so is that really important? In a superficial industry such as fashion this sense of acceptance and being visually appealing seems to be such a priority and has a trickle down affect to the rest of society. It then manifests itself into this perpetual cycle that we all find ourselves in, trying to find a sense of individuality and also acceptance. It doesn't seem to have an end! Yet realisticly we only have ourselves to blame... We as a society and active consumers dictate for ourselves what is "in" and "accepted" so within this can we find this sense of individuality? Or is there always going to be someone that is"in" and someone that is "out"?...

CONFUSED?!?!?!?!?!?!

From our debate today i was having a think... seeing as we have discussed sustainable fashion in the past i thought i would relate todays topic back to that because i feel quite confused about it... Really, is hand made more sustainable... like with mass production if it was on the same scale as hand made would it be more economic or less?!? I dunno... just a thought...

Individuality in fashion...

I think rather than trying to SHOP for an indiviadual piece of clothing, maybe we should be buy the cheap (and hopefully ethical) mainstream fashion, and then change them ourselves, to BE individaul...Individually...

And also perhaps Twin dressing is a good idea, to get people to be more open minded about fashion in a "safe" environmnrt (after that of course, dressing to match will not be tollerated!!!!)

Handmade Vs. Mass Production

I think people who prefer to buy handmade products are looking for the exclusive human connection between the product and the consumer, however I don’t think there is a large market of consumers who are specifically looking for handmade goods. Today, supply needs to keep up with demand at a faster rate, so although it would be nice to increase the amount of handmade products, it would not account for the demanding consumer mentality.

handmade and mass produced

dear steve, seeing as you are not here, here is what we talked about...
so, my focus for the debate was the idea of clothes losing their sentimentality and original meaning and the idea of not relying on designers to provide personalized garments, but personalizing them ourselves so they have meaing for ourselves.
To me, the point of fashion is to stand out, but also people are looking for somewhere to belong. So is there goin to be continuous pull between the desire to the stand out and the need to fit in?
Is it not more personal and meaningful for us to personalise a mass produced garment, than buy someone elses sentimentality in the form of a garment?
you guys decide

Handmade & Mass Production

In our discussion, Laura brought up a point that intrigued me.

If we buy handmade individual clothes are we in fact buying the designers individuality and creativity? Rather if we continue buying mass produced clothes and customise them ourselves to suit our individuality then does that make them truly individual?

OR does the way we put handmade clothes together reflect the want to express individuality.

As a designer I have a deep interest in producing garments that are one off, limited edition.
As Steve mentioned, it gets boring when you are making one particular dress 10 times.

D.I.Y

Do It Yourself!

Trying to convey YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR simply isn't happening as much as it should . the power of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. This statement specifically really made me think about how individual i am? i may have an individual personality and i may be an individual person but to be honest i don't think (for a fashion design student) i dress as individually or as personally as i want to, especially because 95% of my my wardrobe is mass produced! So studying this debate topic has really made me want to branch out, do things myself and to not be so afraid to be unique!

P.s. Bast debate topic yet Steve!

handmade

I like the idea of something being hand made, as Fairlie said with love and passion. I don't think I would mind wearing something that stood out and was individual if it had a personal meaning too me. But people these days don't seem to care about what they wear and how they present themselves, yet visually presenting yourself is just as important as verbally preseting yourself... if you get my drift.

thinking of the posibilitys.

intelligent fibers

in relation to the fashion industory and intelligent fibers, scientis have been devoleping new fibers and ways they can be used for years so this is not a new subject, how ever i feel that only recently we are starting to take further notice to the effects weather for the benefits of war and health reasons or deficits such as the damage it may be doing to out environments and if it is a waste of our money and resources.
so although intelligent fibers are not new to us, how does it affect the fashion industry today. well one way of looking a it is all the exciting new technology such as fibres in which can prevent asthmatics from having an allergic reaction. heat sensitive fibers with thermal protection for people working in climate whether being extremely cold or hot.
indeed creating such products can be harmful to the emvierment but who's to say intelligent fibers can tomorrow mean fibers that are beneficial to the environment. why does it striclie have to be fibers that are for making a mood sensitive t-shirt that lights up when your happy. who's to say when cant spend some of this tax payers money on inventing fibers that do all these wonderful thing but are also enviermentaly friendly?

Fashion applications for smart fibres...

um.....
First off, i think that with alot of issues like this thast are potentially environmnetally hazardous, WE have to choose between either our own lives now, or the future of or planet. we can destroy the planet and never die, orrrr we can let 10% of the population die and live for at least another 4 generations...

Anyway, fashion and intelligent fibres....
I like the idea of chemically grown leather, i think it would maybe take away the prestige of leatehr if we could produce it so freely, but it would be awsome!( i mean, benifical to the fashion indusrty) becasue of the sheer size of the pieces of leather that could be produced, colours texture etc..

I agree with Emma that we dont reaaly need all this new things, like clothes that break ur fall, we will all end up wraped in cotton wool. i think its healthy to have a little bit of...acidence, even if its only to build character( patience or toterance)...or start convosation ("gee man, how did u break ur arm?") I think a world with out bad things (such as injury) tho it seems like a wonderful vision...i think it would take away the exilleration of being alive if we cant..die or be horrifically injured?

Intelligent fibres and smart fabrics in fashion..

Most of the fibres and fabrics developed are not useful for the fashion industry although there are a few like the Photonic ones. Which sound extremaly exciting, the ability to change the appearance of the garment would extend its life span. This would only really be beneficial if it could change allot, to last throughout multiple seasons. They would also be very good for basic clothes, where you could change the colour of a plain singlet to match your outfit. That way you would not need to buy similar clothes in different colours, cutting down consumption.

Although as the fashion industry is forever reinventing itself, the issue of trends arise. These high tech fashion designs may just be in for a couple of season and then a natural movement might become stronger,(possibly like the art nouveau movement after the industrial revolution) then what do we do with all of the smart garments we were going to wear for years and years to come?

Intelligent fibres...

As much as i was on the affirmative side of intelligent fibres, i wonder is it really worth the efforts of scientists. In a way i feel if we can help regenerate cells from these fibres then it is worth it... but is playing god the way to go?!? over population is a problem as it is, and to help make people live longer by technology rather than just pure commonsense such as leading a healthy lifestyle we're aiding the overpopulation growth and at the same time hurting our environment. As people were saying before.... whats the point of living if we don't have an earth to live on?! Its kinda a waste... And don't we have enough technology as it is? though these advancements would be awesome for the fashion industry, we already make enough of an impact on the environment. Why do more? I am definately in 2 minds about smart fabrics.... but what i wonder is do the pro's outweigh the cons when it comes to their development?

Imagine the possibilities

Imagine what we come up with next......

• We could further modernise the Chastity belt.....
• Create fibres that patch the hole in the ozone layer....
• Even jackets that will suck out poison or infections...
• Have jackets that have multiple hands so you can do more than one or two things at once...
• Have condoms that 100% guarantee no pregnancies instead of a 99% chance...
• Or even a condom that never breaks.....
• A pair of glasses that could read for you...
• A suit that with a press of a button it could transform into a jet pack that makes you FLY!!!
• A car that you could fold up to put in your pocket..
• Lipstick that could change colour when you want it to..
• A tiny hot dress that holds everything you need on a night out on the town.... except you never see pockets.....

Just a few imagine if"s for you to think about, intelligent fibres and the future... we can have and do anything!!

'Imagine a shirt that can protect you from heart disease or a dress that sends you a text message telling you to take it easy when your vital signs go into the danger zone — imagine no more. European project BIOTEX has created just that. Clothes that monitor your body temperature and track your heart activity are already on the market but the European project BIOTEX goes one step further, using miniaturised sensors to analyse body fluids such as sweat.'
(http://health.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=440834)

Developing smart fabrics such as BIOTEX has done can provide helpful warnings for people who want to be made aware if there is a problem with their body. But what if the clothing malfunctioned and gave improper readings to the wearer?? Could it make the subject spend money on pointless check-ups with the docotor, and provide unwanted stress?

The cost of developing smart fabrics often gets into the hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the sophisticated nature of the technology. In fact, many programs like BIOTEX's smart clothes can only take place through government funding and private investors. Plus, do we really need the smart fabrics? We've done without their applications for this long.

xoxo

Gossip Girl

Intelligent Textiles

There is no doubt that fashion and science work hand in hand to invent fibres for elite sports and defence forces. These intelligent fabrics are starting to trickle down into general use but do we really need it?
If a textile can monitor heart rate will we become reliant on these fabrics to diagnose health problems rather than seek professional medical help?
If a textile can monitor our movement and location is it a breach against our human right to privacy?
I think intelligent textiles need to be used for practicality. If these fibres are produced for commercial fashion purposes it will leave a lasting impression on our already damaging environment.

Smart Fabrics and Intelligent Fibres

Are there valid fashion applications for smart fabrics in the fashion industry? Or are these developments more essential to the medical world?
Fair enough developmetns such as Photonic textiles are a positive step forward in the medical industry, but what is there application in the fashion industry? And if there is an application in the fashion industy, is it simply a superficial use in the industry?
Personally, I think the application to the fashion industry is unneccessary and unwarranted, I think if we can develop these fibres and fabrics for medical reasons, we can change medical history for the better. As Mai pointed out, if we can develop a fabric that can detect cardiovascular disease in its early stages, can we not stop this illness from taking so many lives?
The question is however, if developing these fabrics is overly damaging to the environment, yet can, say, cure cancer, is it worth the production of such fabrics?
So in fact, I guess its a catch 22, we either live our naturasl lives as intended, and what happen will happen, in an environemtn we are trying to sustain and save, or we live longer due to these fabrics, but rapidly destroy our environment because of it.
Which would you choose?

Smart Fibres and Fashion

The technology becoming available through the research into smart fabrics is very interesting... Like Steve said how cool would it be to grow your own human skin jacket?! The possible advancement and application of these fibres into the medical world is also a very interesting prospect and has the potential to be very beneficial yet in a world where we seem to have too much do we need more? Will these new fibres just lend themselves to the wasteful nature of fashion and the industry? Emma (Chilly) raised a fair point in her argument saying will this new technology just become trend based? Will it be in one season and out the next? I think inorder to have these fibres in "everyday fashion" we need to make them more sustainable. Somehow we have to extend their shelf life and longevity in the industry otherwise what is the point?

Applying these fabrics and fibres specifically to designing and garment production would be very interesting and potentially extend the range of clothing available. If there were fabrics that were "self-stiffening" and had the potential to turn this feature on and off the scope for design could be extended and changed. This could cause designers to think even more laterally when designing and have their impossibilites realised. Then where would it end? Would the scope for creativity and design just continue to grow and expand even further? Would this then influence trends and what people want to buy? If all that was available was "weird and wacky" designs would this then cause peoples ideas of what is "cool" and was isn't change? Would this change our perseption of "in" fashion? And how would this affect designers or fashion houses? Would the mission statements and aesthetics of these designers/houses be compromised? WHO HAS ANSWERS?! Steve...?

Smart and Intelligent Fibres

I think that smart and intelliegent fibres have a huge amount of potential. Textiles like Kevlar have been useful for a long time and for numerous applications, as a designer I am very interested in investigating smart and intelligent fibres that have numerous applications.

The possibility of integrating fibres into garments that have the potential to change colour, texture and style are exciting. The majority of objects we have and use have consequences, however with extensive research is it possible to create smart and intelligent fibres that are no worse on the environment than for example, cotton?

How do we as designers learn to link both science and design studio to benefit both the function and the fashion?

Smart & Intelligent fabrics

Isn't fashion about creating a piece of fabric into some thing with structure and which is a 3d form.... so if the fabric stiffens and hardens by itself, isn't that taking the challenge out of the design. Fashion needs to have barriers that designers themselves have to over come.

green is the new black?

I think to be sustainable is to be aware of the issues concerning the environment and contributing to resolve the problem which can work on different levels such as purchasing an organic t-shirt once in a while, re-using and recycling clothes or transforming every aspect of a lifestyle into a sustainable one.
A sustainable fashion industry is a complex definition that involves employment conditions, fair trade, the use of recyclable materials, a minimal impact of production and transportation on the environment, and no animals used to make a garment. To convert the fashion industry into a sustainable one will not happen overnight. The transformation would need involvement from farmers, fabric producers, designers and consumers over a long period of time.

In my view sustainable fashion is applying methods that help sustain the enviroment, i think anything thats helping the enviroment is good. i feel that fashion designers need to believe in what they do and to only do something such as sustainable fashion if they truely want to help not just as a publicity stunt.to become sustainable i feel that there would have to be a clear defintion of what sustainable is. that way designers can truely take credit for what they are doing. i also feel that designers that still contribute but in small ways should also recieve credit for what they do. i feel that sustainable can become to sustainable when it is forced onto other people, it should be a choice that people can freely make.

Fairlie,Emma and Penny

We believe to be sustainable is to obtain a thought or have an intention to do something for the future of our earth.

Whether it be riding your bike to work, re-using shower water, using natural compost for you garden, re-using or re-designing op shop cloths or even just using materials bags when shopping.

To be sustainable you need to be aware about your actions, how they affect the earth and what you can do to help.

By starting slowly to be sustainable and creating a Eco friendly lifestyle it will eventually become more recognised, more common and therefor like anything that starts out as a new trend it will become less costly. So in time hopefully, sustainable fashion will be our way of life and helping our planet and our children's children have a better future.

Is sustainable fashion worth it?

Questions

What are we to exspect if we do not change?

What can we do to promote change?

In what new way can we help?

Do you as future fashion designers think by the time we are out on our feet, will sustainable fashion become, with every design you do somthing you will consider?

Or will by then it just be as big a part of the fashion industory as winter, summer, spring and aurtom?


Penny

Sustainable FASHION? Sustainable clothes...Or a sustainable industry?

(Sustainable) Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment

I think to achive a sustainable fashion industry would be very difficult, and would not be an over night thing and it would need to happen on a global scale, it would require many smaller changes to the way we work. One change is as follows:

Sustainable clothes!-
* As far as i can see, either no one cares about ssustainable clothes and/or no one can afford them.
*there are many loop holes in what is sustainable (eg, electricity, cradle to cradle, employees conditions ect) so its hard to pin point what IS sustainable so that it can be corectly marketed without buyers being misleaded.

THEREFORE! I think that if INSTEAD of starting up a new "sustainable fashion market".... small (and hopefully not toooo costly) changes can be made to the current, mainstream market, that will only increase prices slightly (ideally by 10-15 dollars per garment for a garement ususally costing 60ish dollars).Theses changes can include using properly paid workers, or fibres such as bamboo or hemp, or using clean electricity.
If these sort of changes are made within all clothing companys, gradually the clothes will becaome greener, and because sales are staying up, the technologies used to keep green (solar power or hemp plantation) will hopefully get cheaper as it tends to do (remeber when the iPod first came out and it was like $400?it was a giant brick with only a few gig memory, now u can get one for around 150 thats super tiny and with tonnes of space)
It is still possible for companies to NOT go green and make more money from cheaper clothes ect, but thats will happen in any industry with any new change.

Inconclusion, instead of making a new sector and trying to get everyone to convert, why not just slowly adjust the old one (lol, like the catholics did to the pagans (ooooh!)) But it worked for them why wont it work for fashion..?

Our society is very unaware of the links between fashion and the environment.
And the impact it has.
So how do we communicate the problem?

Sustainable fashion is still developing as a definition. There is so much to explore, and learn about it, that we can't find a straight answer.

Sustainable fashion

What does it mean to be sustainable?

To me, sustainable fashion is really hard to determine, it is a big cycle that is hard to start and therefore less likely to be completely done, however, these are the steps i feel are included in sustainable fashion. From how it is grown- without pesticides- fibres that use less water etc- no animal furs- could cause extinction of animals if animal furs are still used, how the fabric is made- solar energy powered factories, to how the garments are made- with solar powered sweat shops- people being ethically treated in said sweat shops- award wages- clean conditions etc, to how fast the fashion is released- slowing down the cycle of fashion where disposable fast fashion is less normal for the world.

How can you become sustainable?

As i am not at the head of a multimillion dollar fashion house i can't really contribute much to what i feel is sustainable fashion. However, the bit i can do is stop buying fast fashion as much, stop buying as many shoes etc. I can recycle my clothes that i get bored with and i can deconstruct and reconstruct them (doing this already). It's not much but it is a start, and may be once i become rich old ugly and famous i can help create awareness about sustainable fashion and make it more "normal" for the fashion industry.

How sustainable is too much to work in the market?

I don't think there could be too much to work in the market. It depends on the view point of the people running the market and the consumers. If the heads of companys are willing to lose some money in order to make the company more ethical, and people are prepared to pay that little bit more sustainable fashion is achieveable. Though i hate to say it.... I don't think this is going to happen any time soon... At the moment and for a while now and for some time to come... this industry is fuelled by greed... it is going to have to take a rude shock to fix all the problems within the industry... however every little bit counts.

Sustainable Fashion

What does it mean to be sustainable?
I believe to be sustainable is to be aware of the footprint you are leaving on the planet.
Make conscious decisions that will have a positive impact.
Make your new jacket last more than one winter and buy material from op shops.
Take or give your unwanted clothes to somebody who will appreciate them.
Lastly, design clothes that have multiple lives!

How can you become sustainable?
I think it is important to appreciate the objects you have and not get bored of them, and therefore buy things you don't really need. Make you clothes last and when you are bored of something deconstruct it and construct it into a new garment.

How sustainable is too much to work in the market?
I think the concept of organic cotton may be to much to work in the market, it is a grey area and I don't think it's imapct is significant enough. I think there is more potential in the concept of cradle to cradle and garments that can be used multiple ways.

I think sustainablility is crucial for the future of the planet. In terms of fashion I think sustainability means that your designs have as little environmental and social impact as possible. Nothing is too much... We need to realiase that this is not about us as individuals but us as a collective.

Sustainable Fashion

Like all the other issues we have spoken about in Social and Cultural Studies there are so many different questions and issues to consider!! Sustainable fashion is no different...
I think that being sustainable suggests a longevity and I don't think this can be easily achieved. It would be a lengthy and complicated process. I think that to be truly sustainable with regards to being a designer you should do so at every level. From the materials you use to the energy you use to the treatment of your employees etc. The question then is, is this even possible?

When money is thrown into the equation it opens a whole other can of worms... If you are not profitable what's the point? I don't agree with the whole financial focus and that everything in the end is about money but unfortunately that's the way our world works (for the moment) and sustainable fashion doesn't seem to fit. Too expensive, too difficult to set-up, to difficult to sustain etc etc. So where do we begin?

It is fair to say that it is a collective responsiblity between designers and consumers to initiate change. However I don't think that anyone can simply palm off the problem to another. We are ALL apart of this thing we call "society" and therefore we all need to be held responsible. Equally we are all responsibly for ourselves. For our own actions, choices and decisions so it is up to us, ourselves, to make these conscious desicions as to wether or not we want to help save the world.

sustainable fashion

How far do we need/have to take the term 'sustainable fashion'? i mean, are we, as fashion designers responsible for sustainable fashion alone, or a sustainable lifestyle??
Personally, Im not too sure of the 'correct' definition of sustainable, but I think it is the way in which clothes are produced (grown, construced, sold) that determins whether they are 'sustainable' or not. But we need a standardaised definition of what exactly sustainable fashion is so as to form a positive direction for the fashion industry to head in.
I think sustainable fashion is acknowledging how and where a garment/fabric is produced and by who (aka, were workers paid award wage? how damaging/draining to the environment was the production of fabric and garment etc)
To become sustainable, i think we as designers need to make conscious and educated decisions that are informed by our morals and values. I think if we design and do things because we think we are making and difference and because its what we want to do, we are doing oit for the right reasons. I think designers and people who jump on the 'trendy' bandwagon are selling out and perhaps not setting a good example for fellow designers, and arent fully dedicated to the cause.

I also think there needs to be more awareness and information about how the fashion industry is negatively contributing to the environment and global warming etc. Prior to this course/class, I didnt realise the fashion industry was/is having such an impact on the environment. I think people need to realise, consumers and whoever, that this is a serious issue, and we need to do something about it before its too late. But without the knowledge and awareness I dont think we have the necessary tools.

If other up and coming designers of our generation have the same mindset as us, so the future of the fashion industry can evolve and adapt to the environmental and social issues of the time.

BAM