consciousfashion

Couture: The Future of Fashion

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Crafting Tomorrow’s Wardrobe through Quality, Customization, and Conscious Production

On our journey to trace the future of fashion, Paris Haute Couture Week SS24 offers a chance to reinforce our viewpoint on the industry. What becomes evident is the link between couture and the sustainable paradigm needed to shape the industry’s trajectory.

SS24 Haute couture

Haute Couture for luxury houses serves as a mere reaffirmation of brand power. With an endless array of outfits, it appears evident that luxury brands – and the fashion industry as a whole – fall short of comprehending the essence of sustainability and adopting a long-term perspective.

This season, collections managed to break away from monotony. Gaultier by Simone Rocha impressively redefined the designer’s DNA, while Chanel exuded loveliness. The Gallianification of Margiela seemed finally completed. Beautiful, but no trace of Margiela anymore, if not for some tabi or the logo. Yet, it’s Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, who earns the title of a true couturier, always impeccable in his superfine tailoring and magnificent creativity.

However, among the most elaborated and creative silhouettes typical of Haute Couture, more clean and perfectly tailored pieces completed the collections. Which translates into timeless, meaningful garments for everyday style. In fact, beyond the glamour, Haute Couture provides an opportunity to reflect on the future of fashion.

Couture & sustainable fashion

In its essence, couture means made-to-order garments of impeccable quality produced in limited quantities. Therefore, it inherently embodies sustainability. In this tailoring realm, quality takes precedence over quantity, focusing on the meticulous creation of timeless pieces that embody the ethos of minimalism.

Specifically, this sustainable essence of couture is a pattern that represents the future of fashion.

At its core, couture’s commitment to made-to-order garments, crafted with unparalleled quality, shatters the notion of disposable fashion. The bespoke nature of these creations allows for customization, fostering a connection between the wearer and the garment that transcends the fleeting trends of fashion.

Indeed, by opting for fewer pieces produced in limited quantities, artisanal production aligns with conscious consumption. It’s a departure from the relentless pursuit of newness. And a testament to the idea that true luxury lies in the careful curation of one’s wardrobe. Less but better.

As we trace the steps and missteps of fashion brands, one aspect becomes apparent. The future of fashion lies not in the mass production and fleeting trends but in the intentional creation of timeless pieces that endure beyond seasons. Couture serves as the vanguard and back to the past, revealing tomorrow’s wardrobe through quality, customization, and conscious production.
A blueprint for a fashion industry where sustainability and style seamlessly coexist.

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2023: A Pivotal Year in Climate History

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The Climate Crisis Impact on the Fashion Industry

2023 represents a pivotal year in climate history. In a sobering report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2023 has emerged as the hottest year documented since 1850.

2023, the turning point in climate history

The global temperature surge has peaked at a staggering 1.48°C, alarmingly near the critical 1.5°C threshold. Specifically, September stands out as the hottest month on record, painting a stark reality check after the mockery of the recent climate summit in Dubai. In other words, the earth is about to cross the critical threshold, breaching the Paris Agreement target to keep global warming under that to prevent the most severe consequences.

Even if the world has not breached the 1.5° target, temperatures have surpassed the 1.5°C target on almost half the days of 2023, which sets a concerning precedent.

The cause behind this alarming spike is the unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide emissions, coupled with the return of the natural climate phenomenon, El Niño. Above all, our persistent inaction and procrastination in addressing necessary measures for 2050!

Immediate action, not in 2050!

So far, we’ve been grappling with droughts, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events. Now, it’s time to reconsider our approach to climate adaptation. Reshape it fundamentally.

What is the solution? It lies in immediate and concerted efforts to slash emissions. Now! Not in 2050! Every fraction of a degree in temperature rise intensifies the severity of catastrophic weather occurrences.

Fashion industry & climate emergency

The fashion industry is not immune to these effects, evidenced by the challenging sales of knitwear and outerwear during the Fall/Winter 23 season. Unfortunately, this hasn’t prompted significant shifts in how brands curate and sell their collections or how retailers conduct their buying and selling operations.

Fashion brands and corporations babble something about Net zero and green growth. But, their reluctance to embrace meaningful change relegates these promises to a vague future. A future far removed from the immediate concerns. And a future that when it becomes a reality, purchasing fashion items will be the last thing crossing people’s minds.

To the fashion industry: 2023 marks a crucial turning point in the history of our climate. What more do we need to witness before taking decisive action? What are we waiting for?

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Threads of Change

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Elevating Fashion with Purposeful Design and Limited Quantities

In this exploration, we delve into the threads of change, the transformative power of good design and limited quantities. Join us on a journey where fashion intersects with purpose, quality, and conscious consumption.

The British Fashion Council recently unveiled the winners of the Fashion Awards 2023, an event that celebrates the forefront of fashion and serves as a fundraiser for the BFC Foundation Charity. This gala not only spotlights creative talent but also underscores the pivotal role of fashion at the crossroads of culture and entertainment.

One of the most notable moments of the evening was the tribute to Valentino Garavani for his outstanding contribution to fashion. The celebration was marked by a spectacular fashion show featuring 24 iconic red dresses, all set against the backdrop of “An evening at the opera with Valentino.” This ballet, filmed in his hometown of Voghera, paid homage to his legacy, even dedicating the local theater to his name.
Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s lifetime business partner, received the award on his behalf. His interview to the Financial Times Fashion is a lesson on contemporary fashion industry.

Fashion, culture and change

In our journey through the blogging world, we’ve consistently emphasised the intrinsic connection between fashion and broader cultural themes. While this relationship might not be immediately evident to everyone, we firmly believe it exists.

Our message has been clear: fashion is not merely about an endless array of clothing and accessories. Endless catalogues with tons of options, or stores packed with clothes with the consequent need to push people to shop more and more.
Meaningful fashion, to us, embodies the principles of slow fashion, handcrafted garments, precise tailoring, and, above all, limited quantities. This approach isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s the cornerstone of sustainability within the fashion industry.

It’s crucial to distinguish true sustainability from what often amounts to greenwashing. In fact, brands or stores claiming sustainability while continuing to overproduce garments are missing the mark entirely.

However, reflecting on Giancarlo Giammetti‘s recent interview in the Financial Times resonates deeply with us. His sentiments echo the very challenges we face in today’s culture, which seems distant from this vision.

Giammetti’s words, particularly, strike a chord:

“We left because the industry changed and meetings were all about money, not design. Sales forecasts decided what got created. The conglomerates made each label work to the same model. We couldn’t launch today. If we did, we’d be doing slow fashion, inviting fewer people to buy, at the highest quality. You don’t have to be judged on the number of dresses you make. And sustainability must be everyone’s preoccupation right now.”

via Financial Times Fashion
Giancarlo Giammetti

In fact, our radical fashion proposition and business model sometimes feel demotivating in a world fixated on overconsumption. But Giammetti’s stance is a comforting reminder. Indeed, it reaffirms our belief: embracing a model based on good design, quality and limited quantity.

These threads of change are a pivotal shift towards a more conscious and sustainable fashion industry. Embracing this ethos isn’t merely a choice; it’s a statement—a commitment to crafting a better, more responsible future through our fashion choices.

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Ignoring Black Friday’s impact

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Is overconsumption the only reason to live?

Despite the abundance of information available, people still ignore Black Friday’s impact.

Indeed, it’s essential to remember the truth behind it. This promotional event is a dangerous marketing trick. In fact, it leads to toxic, mass overconsumption and generates monstrous quantities of waste harmful to the environment. But our planet cannot sustain this economic and lifestyle system, so we need to stop.

As a retailer, if you participate in sales and promotions such as Black Friday, you contribute to a system that has failed.
This system does not offer a place for change and encourages you to foster the status quo by ignoring reality.

The fashion system, as well as any other industry, does not make reasonable or sustainable quantities. On the contrary, it produces large amounts in excess; the sole purpose is to maximise profits. Unfortunately, they do it at the expense of people and the planet.

Against Black Friday’s wastefulness #formodernhumans

We are unhappy with the current fashion system and choose not to participate in sales and promotions. That means no Black Friday for us.

We value consistency. So, we refuse to be part of something against our values and principles. And we take responsibility for our actions. That includes how we present our work and conduct ourselves while interacting with you. Though we understand that this might limit our audience, we believe it’s the right thing to do.

The big question is why people don’t see further than their noses. Why don’t they see the negative impact of this system? The results of Black Friday are crystal clear: mountains high of waste polluting the earth and waters are undeniable.

So, why do people ignore Black Friday’s impact? Why do most people not want to educate themselves? Do you think overconsumption is the only reason to live?

Do you know there’s a healthier alternative? Buy Nothing! Above all, stop buying pointless shit!

Share your thoughts here below or WhatsApp directly from this link!

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Miscellaneous thoughts on fashion

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A critical perspective on the industry

Three miscellaneous thoughts on fashion we’ve read this week seem to have something in common: fashion’s lack of understanding of its role in climate change.

Fashion & the heatwave in Italy

In order to tackle the heatwave in Italy, Federmoda – the organisation that represents retail and wholesale companies in the fashion field – asks to reduce taxes on made-in-Italy and sustainable garments.
“Made in” is a very tricky concept to address. According to the Updated Community Customs Code (EC Regulation 04/23/2008 n° 450 – art. 36 – on the non-preferential customs origin of goods), a product can be considered of Italian origin – in the customs sense – and contain, therefore, the indication “Made in Italy” when the last substantial transformation or processing took place in our country. Ta-da!
So, brands can make production wherever, then assemble a few things in Italy and get the magic label.
However, since there is no precise regulation, labelling and certifying sustainable garments is way more problematic.
Perhaps this proposal can relieve the pressure on fashion retailers, but it doesn’t change the core issue: fashion business pattern.

Luxury brands & revenge shopping slow down

Consumption of luxury goods in China and the USA has dropped because the much-awaited post-pandemic revenge shopping is slowing down. In fact, stock markets report a general decline for luxury companies. And so, the slowdown in China’s recovery and the cooling of demand from US consumers are impacting top brands who, undaunted, still commit to the same old model.

Vuitton & inconsistency

Pharrell Williams aims to push expansion and growth in sales to Vuitton, but also culture. Undeniably, the white culture has dominated the industry so far, and it seems quite clear what audience Vuitton is targeting by partnering with Mr Pharrell. However, the brand has a long history at its back. So shifting the discussion on culture, specifically a culture not even consistent with its core image, is meaningless.
Let’s say openly: we want to sell more! But there’s no need to mention culture since Vuitton’s culture has nothing in common with this new air.

Three thoughts, one pattern

The above miscellaneous thoughts on fashion are connected: the industry business pattern plays a huge role in climate change. But the discussions industry insiders deliver, basically ignore the issue.

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