sustainability

What is sustainability?

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Vito Mancuso: ethics, nature and accountability

What is sustainability? Think about an all-embracing definition, a few words we can extend to any field. To our whole life, indeed. In our search for a more sustainable lifestyle, Prof. Vito Mancuso offered some food for thought.

In a tv show called “Quante storie”, a must-see programme which is all about books, Prof. Vito Mancuso, a theologist and philosopher, introduced his latest essay titled “Etica per i giorni difficili” (Ethics for difficult days).

Addressing the need for shared ethics, he gave some guidance on the importance of preserving nature. Precisely, he said: “Custodire la natura è un’ assunzione di responsabilità.”

Literally:

“Preserving nature is an assumption of responsibility.”

Vito Mancuso

We believe we can extend this definition into the discussion on sustainable matters. Likewise, we can affirm: “Sustainability is an assumption of responsibility.”

And taking responsibility means, in other words, holding ourselves accountable.

But holding ourselves accountable goes beyond economics, marketing, or personal power. In fact, it’s about ethics.
And so, from a marketing perspective, can we agree to pair the word sustainable with big corporations? From the perspective of profit, can we allow well-known brands to sponsor sustainable events? Or set up sustainable fashion shows with the same rule as non-sustainable ones?

On an ethical level, we cannot.

From an ethical perspective, taking money from big corporations won’t lead to real change.
But holding ourselves accountable doesn’t mean being perfect in our effort to make a change. It means taking seriously the choice we made and being consistent with it. Fundamentally, it means changing the way we operate, and being very careful who we partner with.

Mainstream sustainability vs ethics

So, what is the mainstream sustainability movement proposing? Green capitalism is the enlightened way. Specifically, they tell us to shift towards an eco-green-sustainable model in order to keep up consuming as much as we did so far.

Of course, it won’t work. Either they are missing the point, or ethics isn’t their concern. And neither is sustainability.

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The land of waste

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How the fashion industry dumps the problem into Africa

A land of waste: the unbelievable amount of discarded clothing dumped in Africa regularly. About three million pieces of clothing every year. Endless layers of textiles form mountains high of fashion waste polluting the land and waters. A terrifying sight which shows the destruction the western world perpetrates towards nature.

Fast-fashion waste recycling?

People think the clothes discarded into the recycling container (the yellow one here in Italy) are reused. Usually, charities are in charge of these garments. But fast fashion items have poor quality. So, in the end, large quantities can’t be resold and end up in a massive toxic blob in Africa.

Y2K: the overproduction era

Since 2000 global clothing production has doubled, but the quality is lower and lower. As we already addressed, brands accelerated the overproduction model. At the same time, they promoted overconsumption, kicking off the toxic cycle.
Brands overproduce up to 40% every season.

Waste shipped to Africa: the western solution!

In west Africa, everyday cargos arrive full of dirty clothes, and most get there in unwearable condition. In Ghana, a dumping ground for textiles, they call them the “dead white man’s clothes.” Moreover, Western garments are so cheap that local manufacturers can’t compete (source ABC.net.au).

The city of Accra has to find a place to dispose of 160 tons of textile waste every day! Liz Ricketts, a circular economy advocate, has spent about ten years documenting what happens in Ghana.
During the monsoon season, the heavy rains drag the textiles into the sea. Then they return to the shore buried in the sand.

In Accra, there’s no room left to throw away clothing.

We recommend to watch this video by ABC News:

Video by ABC News

If waste is the byproduct of a fashion industry based on an overproduction pattern, consumers play an active part, too. Indeed, they contribute to this environmental disaster with their consumption habits. Perhaps years ago, information was lacking, but now it’s everywhere! Everyone can understand the downside of cheap clothing.

There are people underpaid to make cheap clothes and, at the end of the cycle, people who make 4 dollars per day to collect fashion waste. Slaves indeed!

The western world’s solution was to ship the problem to Africa! But that has generated a land of waste, which we leave to the coming generations.

Fashion brands are responsible, but so we are if we don’t change consumption habits.

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The fashion regeneration

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A circular vision from the Paris Haute Couture Week

Although the status quo is hard to fight, some designers made a strong visual impact showing fashion regeneration at the Paris Haute Couture.

Regeneration: a new narrative in the fashion industry

While showing beautiful clothes, some brave young designers proposed thrilling setups to make people think. Specifically, they delivered a new narrative raising awareness of fashion overproduction and waste. Therefore, they promoted a more sustainable lifestyle based on circularity.

Since finance owns top brands, the fashion business is an uneven fight. Indeed, small or independent designers put a lot of effort into competing with big luxury conglomerates that have no interest in changing.

But, some spectacular shows made a difference at the Paris Haute Couture week.

One-of-a-kind: a positive change

Yuima Nakazato is a talented designer who presented impressive work!
The collection named “INHERIT” wants to inspire a positive change. Born from upcycling, it is a mix of captivating design, enveloping lines and evocative colours. So, he showed the beauty of fashion innovation and the downside of fashion pollution. Chills and creativity.
Inspired by a trip to Kenya, the introduction video showed an Africa devastated by fashion waste.

“There are many places in Nairobi that have been contaminated with textiles. We need to change that.”

Yuima Nakazato SS23 Couture

Circular couture

Marine Serre: proposed a fashion regenerated through a circular design. To explain, we quote her concept for her Couture show:

“The RISING SHELTER show featured a fully circular set design. The tower weighs 1.3 tons of vintage clothes inside three 8m high towers full of used denim, silk scarves and t-shirts that will be regenerated for the collection’s production.”

Marine Serre SS23 Couture

Perhaps highlighting the reality with the terrifying imposing towers full of fashion waste will help understand the urgency no one wants to see.

However, these young designers deserve credit for addressing fashion waste and climate change, leading fashion regeneration with creativity and skilful design. And so, a positive change for the future.

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Upcycling: the future of fashion

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A trend or a permanent approach towards sustainable fashion?

Upcycling seems to be the future of fashion. Indeed, this technique is one of the best opportunities to make fashion a more sustainable industry. But is it just a trend? One of the buzzwords brands use to lure attention? Or is it here to stay?

Upcycling – what does it mean?

Upcycling means taking discarded materials, re-designing and reassembling them to create a product of higher value. While recycling transforms materials into something new, which implies more resources, and has a higher impact. Upcycling starts from current materials, having a lower impact. Therefore, this practice represents a pattern of circularity, the heart of sustainable fashion.

A personal note: family tradition

For us, daughters of a seamstress who was so passionate about making clothes that she even finished buttonholes by hand, it’s not a novelty. Since we were children, we’ve had familiarity with collecting buttons, zippers, and fabrics. Pieces from existing garments that mom would reshape to make something else: beautiful clothes for special occasions or garments and accessories for daily life. Our school bags and pencil case made of deadstock denim were fantastic.

upcycling

Upcycling background notes

A memorable example of upcycling comes from the movie industry. Rossella O’Hara’s dress, made from curtains in “Gone with the wind”, belongs to our collective imagery.

Many blogs attribute the “upcycling discovery” to this or that designer for a promotional purpose. But we cannot avoid mentioning Mr Martin Margiela. Since the beginning, his aesthetic mastered the deconstruction and reinvention of found garments, culminating in 2006 when Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal was born.

On the same line, we mention Marc Le Bihan. A big part of his work is searching for vintage garments, deconstructing and reconstructing them. He upcycled military uniforms from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, reshaping them into modern pieces. With Swedish pants, he created a coat; with military pull, a gilet; and with smoking pants, a long skirt. Also, he created pieces with postal bags made of heavy linen for a catwalk.

Among young designers, Marine Serre’s creativity stands out. Indeed she is doing a great job with upcycling.

By exploring fashion history, we can see that upcycling is nothing new. But what brought it to the centre of attention was the pandemic, which spread a do-it-yourself trend among young people. Most importantly, it favoured the diffusion of particular attention towards sustainable fashion.

Nowadays, many famous brands ride the wave to stay popular. Though advisable to become sustainable, a fashion industry that almost entirely revolves around upcycled garments is hard to imagine.

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Davos Forum: permacrisis and private jets

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World leaders, the luxury bubble that rules the world

These days, the planetary elite is gathering in Davos. And try to guess how they reach the World Economic Forum? On a private jet, of course!

Davos Forum: what is it?

Davos is a town located in the Switzerland Alps where, in January, the World Economic Forum takes place. Started in 1971, WEF is a Switzerland non-profit that holds a five-day conference annually. The delegates include political leaders and representatives from international companies, pharmaceuticals, tech, banks and academics.

Every year the leaders tackle a different topic. This year’s theme is: “Cooperation in a fragmented world.”
Since Europe is facing a persistent state of hardship, going from crisis to crisis, we entered the era of “permacrisis.” And there seems to be no end to this challenging time. Other than economics, leaders will touch on environmental and social issues too.

Greenpeace & Davos

Greenpeace published an analysis conducted by the Dutch CE Delft checking the CO2 emissions from the private flights to the Davos Forum:

“The analysis shows a substantial increase in private jet flights to and from Davos airports and an even more sizable increase in CO2 emissions during the week of the World Economic Forum 2022, compared to an average week. The number of private jet flights doubles and private jet emissions quadruple during the week of the World Economic Forum compared to an average week.”

About every second flight is attributed to the meeting. But, the distance travelled is striking:
53% of all private jet flights were short-haul flights under 750 km. 38% were ultra short flights (below 500 km) that could have easily been train or car trips. More than 6% of all private jet flights flew less than 100 km. The shortest flight recorded was 21 km.

Read the full report here.

Clearly, these leaders live in a luxury bubble. In order to address economics, the climate emergency and social injustice, they fly on private jets and go to five-star hotels. Nevertheless, they suggest a radical change in technology and sustainability. In short, they indicate solutions while they exacerbate the problems. Absurd. Isn’t it?

Of course, the idea that leaders travel on private jets to address pollution, causing more CO2, could make us laugh. Unfortunately, the climate emergency is here to stay, and there’s nothing to laugh about.

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