formodernhumans

Sustainability is ridiculous

7 June, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Why playing this shell game should be banned


Sustainability is ridiculous. Not because the concept per se is stupid or does not make sense. But because it is too broad, too vague, and, therefore, deceptive. 

Sustainable fashion? This is greenwashing

Sometimes for ignorance or superficiality, yet in most cases, with intentionality, as those who play the sustainable game are perfectly aware of what they do. But, in the end, sustainability is just a new way to make money by showing a green facade. The industry, which goes from consultancy to fashion brand retail to NGOs, is flourishing. As a matter of fact, industry players spend time on “eco – green – conscious” labels, but it seems they are playing a shell game. The purpose is to hide and manipulate truths. 

In most cases, the effort is all about running after the latest eco-friendly label. But is it enough to achieve sustainability? It is the case of Chloé, for instance. Richemont hired Gabriela Hearst for her eco credentials, and now, three years later, the designer is exiting the company. Though they say revenue increased by 60%, their design is far away from the beauty of the past. 

Why sustainability is ridiculous

However, we have some doubts about the strategy Chloé has promoted so far. How can a luxury brand based on seasonal trends manage its business without damaging the planet? We wonder how fashion brands that shift to a purpose-driven business can be credible if they still run their activity on an overproduction pattern. Also, they attain the status of B-Corp. Most importantly, we wonder how B-Corp certification can combine with overproduction.
That seems contradictory. In fact, in this context, sustainability is ridiculous.

Specifically, we wonder if a drastic reduction of supply by offering only beautiful design garments made with “sustainable materials” and respecting the production chain would be an effective strategy.

But, of course, we understand that manipulating reality with the effect of fueling overconsumption is the most effective way to make money. So keep up promoting a green world!

The Double Essential Dress

2 June, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Niche fashion #formodernhumans

Today we introduce The Double Essential Dress by Un_namable.

“Essential” – the minimal and timeless aesthetic inspires the name of this longuette dress in two layers of hand-dyed natural fabric, recycled cotton and linen. Indeed, it is a stylish addition to your spring-summer wardrobe.

New in this Spring-Summer season, Un_namable is an Italian brand that creates unique and timeless clothes which are, at the same time, experimental and innovative. Juxtaposing fabrics submitted to special processing and avant-garde techniques, they transform the pieces into unexpected volumes and silhouettes. The brand emphasises the value of exceptional craftsmanship and uniqueness.

Discover The Double Essential Dress

About the design
Sleeveless, round neckline maxi dress featuring a flared silhouette for two layers of fabric. Minimal design with two side slit pockets. Under knee length. A simple and sleek elegance defines the image of this dress.

The Double Essential Dress

About the material
55 cotton recycled, 45% recycled linen + 100% cotton – recycled BCI cotton.
BCI is the acronym for Better Cotton Initiative, the world-leading sustainability initiative for cotton. Their mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive while protecting and restoring the environment.

About the colour
Light marsala, garment dyed.
All Un_namable garments are dyed with pigments of natural origin. Specifically, the designer makes the colours starting from food ingredients.

Laundry
Easy-care product: wash by hand inside out in cold water. 
Reshape whilst damp.

Styling tips
The flared line of The Double Essential Dress lends itself to multiple combinations, and it is perfect even in layered style. For your daytime looks, pair it with flat sandals. For special occasions, it works with a mannish blazer and heels. The beauty of meaningful pieces is that you can wear them in diverse situations just with different styling!

How to purchase from us:

Drop us an email or WhatsApp for any further information. Also, you can book your private shopping experience – physical or via video call. 

International Shipping available! 

We are based in Milano but ship our niche fashion selection #formodernhumans everywhere.
In order to provide unicity and a sustainable approach, our selection offers a limited number of pieces.

Treat yourself today! ❤️

The elephant in the room

31 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Overproduction & why the fashion system ignores it

The elephant in the room is a bulky presence that fills every physical space. A dominant companion whose effect we can see in every corner of the planet. The thing is, everyone ignores it, hides it, or pretends not to see it. 

But can the fashion industry make change without addressing its elephant in the room? 

Fashion industry: what is the elephant in the room?

It’s overproduction! An enormous, visible, tangible and destructive elephant. Is the industry aware of it? Fashion insiders, CEOs, fashion designers? And the group of all the new “sustainable labels”? And what about those who promote corporate change? Of course, they are aware. But they still put profit first, not the planet. Even new companies born to spread sustainable messages do not renounce the overproduction/overconsumption pattern. In fact, some deemed changing that system would be too radical, and bosses wouldn’t accept it.

But is it plausible to talk about sustainability regardless of overproduction? No! Of course, not! 

To make it more clear: can brands overproducing goods be sustainable? No, they can’t! It seems obvious!

So, why does every single brand involved in this overproduction system promote its sustainable practices? Marketing is the answer: the purpose is, selling more, feeding the system and their pockets.
And marketing takes the shape of greenwashing or social washing in order to show a clean face engaging with people. 

Specifically, are top brands and new green companies bringing real innovation? Are they doing the right thing with their sustainable marketing strategies? No, they simply found a new way, an updated way, to make money!

And so, in the end, it all boils down to this point: can the fashion industry attempt to make a change without addressing the elephant in the room? No! Of course, not! Indeed, the industry is far from changing for the better.

Cultural change

29 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Between utopia and feasibility

Are we ready for cultural change? The real one, we mean. When it comes to sustainability, do we believe in all the marketing bullshit that flooded communication lately? Or are we open to change for real? Ready to pick this opportunity up and make something better beyond the facades? 

People are bombarded with deceiving information: 
“We are sustainable because we recycle garments!”
“We use milk, coconut or whatever fibres.” 
“Hey, we have a conscious section in our store!”
“There’s a sustainable selection on our e-shop.”
“And we are the ones who do it best because we plant trees!”

Forget all that! Even the ‘plant a tree’ claim is proven misleading. Indeed, all these messages have the sole purpose of making people over-consume. As a matter of fact, not a single company has changed their overproduction pattern.

On the one hand, this is marketing, what brands need to say in order to show a clean face. But, on the other, we can find alternative reports and explorations that dig the truth out. Are we open to reading those reports? Understand how things really are? And, therefore, start questioning? 

Of course, sustainability is a path to pursue with conviction and self-commitment, despite all the difficulties, misleading messages, and smoke and mirrors. 

But is the effort worth it? Or, as many people with whom we exchange thoughts tell us, sustainability is just one of those beautiful utopias! To sell, one must think only of selling more. That is what companies have to do. And people, for their part, have to buy whatever product. 

So, in the context of trade, specifically in the fashion field, is sustainability a utopia or is it feasible? What’s your viewpoint on this?

Are you open to cultural change? We would love to hear your thoughts. 
Drop us an email, WhatsApp, or comment here below!

The Silk Slip Dress

26 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Artisanal fashion excellence #formodernhumans

Today we introduce The Silk Slip Dress by Marc Le Bihan.

More than a 90’s comeback, it is a real timeless piece of artisanal couture. Its minimal design will make you stand out without screaming. Indeed, it’s the essence of elegance.

No one like Marc Le Bihan provides that sense of nonchalant elegance, which is understated, and never out of place. But also, his design makes you want to wear beautiful pieces in your everyday life. Because you build your wardrobe of meaningful garments over time with items you love to wear. Clothes you select with attention, privileging quality over quantity, choosing that special one rather than a shopping bag full of disposable fashion.

Discover The Silk Slip Dress

About the design
The design point is a sleek slip dress featuring thin shoulder straps, a draping front neckline and a v-cut along the back. Impeccable tailoring. Fluid straight line and a relaxed fit. Under knee length.
Understated, timeless, seasonless, artisanal couture.

The Silk Slip Dress
The Silk Slip Dress

About the material
100% silk. The fabric has a soft touch and a creased effect.

About the colour
This item is available in two colours:
Anthracite: an understated hue which is refined and elegant.
Anise: a vibrant light green that will boost your mood, but it lends to be combined with many colours.

Laundry
Dry clean.
However, you can wash it carefully by hand in cold water with soap for delicate fabrics and add white vinegar to prevent colour loss.

Styling tips
Wear The Silk Slip Dress as a versatile seasonless garment. In winter, complete it with a wool cardigan and boots. During the spring and summer seasons, underneath a sweatshirt or a mannish blazer and flat sandals, depending on the situation.
Also, for special occasions, pair it with heels. You don’t need anything else!

How to purchase from us:

Drop us an email or WhatsApp for any further information. Also, you can book your private shopping experience – physical or via video call. 

International Shipping available! 
We are based in Milano but ship our niche fashion selection #formodernhumans everywhere.

In order to provide unicity and a sustainable approach, our selection offers a limited number of pieces.

Treat yourself today! ❤️

Private shopping trend

22 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Also megabrands launch the service!

About four years ago, we started this new thing called private shopping to offer an alternative shopping experience, physical or digital. Which is about delivering personalised service to your home.
A limited, let’s say very limited audience, enjoyed this more intimate participation. Most people’s reactions were: What? What’s that?

Of course, our selection of international brands and independent designers is unique. Indeed most pieces are available only at suite123. That intentionally sets us out of the mainstream, so we talk to a niche audience who loves fashion research. In other words, nonstandard people.

However, the news said that Maison Valentino launched the same service under the name “Chez Vouz.”
So, people? Are you still sarcastic now?

We are happy about Valentino’s choice. Maybe now, the concept will be more widespread. And thanks to the power of the brand, a larger audience will learn about it. Indeed, that is the point. Most people do not have an independent viewpoint but need megabrands, celebrities, and influencers to feed them with a line of thought.

By the way, back to people like us, who appreciate independent thought. People who need creativity, good design and a precise selection. Because we do not need more, we need less, much less, but better, avoiding pointless overproduction and fashion waste. So, an evolved vision of fashion, that cannot ignore an ethical approach and attention to people and the planet.

What’s private shopping?

It is an alternative shopping experience, a personalised service. We schedule a private appointment and come to your home where you can try on some clothes. Also, for special occasions, you can have your made-to-order dress. We take your measurements and deliver the item as soon as ready.

You are not in Milano? WhatsApp shopping!

If you are not in Milano or the surroundings, the service is available online, too. Book a video call. We’ll guide you through our catalogue and deliver clothes directly to your home.

How do you request the service?

Drop us an email or WhatsApp.

We’d love to help and be in touch with you!

Climate change and natural disasters  

19 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Emilia Romagna: a region devastated by heavy rain and flooding

Climate change, between natural disasters and man-made activities, brings along massive devastation.

In 36 hours, 50 centimetres of rain fell in Emilia Romagna. In other words, the rainfall the region usually sees throughout half a year. The heavy rains and consequent flooding have devastated a large part of the area. 14 rivers had broken their banks. Ten people died and more than 10,000 had to be evacuated. Some rescued from roofs by helicopters.

Over the winter season, the region faced months of drought. Now, during springtime, heavy rains and flooding. According to Mario Tozzi, a geologist and science communicator, drought and flooding are two faces of the same coin: climate change.

In the end, extreme weather events are the result of human actions on the planet. Without any ethical consideration, man acts like the master of nature instead like a part of it. Indeed money is the only concern. Still, humans want to dominate nature, disposing of it in endless exploitation.

“We have traded nature for the economy, but in the end, we all lost. A healthy economy is not possible without healthy ecosystems. Enough with the merchants of doubts: it’s time to act.”

Mario Tozzi

The merchants of doubts are climate change deniers. We shouldn’t even waste time listening to them. Since the 70s, scientists and economists knew what was about to happen. Capitalism is an economic model that brings destruction. Now this destruction is in front of us.

“Here, natural events become catastrophic due to a worsening factor: the concrete with which we have covered the entire territory. If you take away space from a river, sooner or later, it takes it back.” – declared Mario Tozzi.

Concrete monsters, mastodontic shopping malls, intensive farming and, on top of this, fossil fuels are all part of an exploitative system that failed. In fact, climate change and natural disasters are undeniable proof of human activity over nature.

“If we squander our fossil fuels, we threaten civilisation; but if we squander the capital represented by living nature around us, we threaten life itself.”
E.F. Schumacher

We must leave this pattern behind and take action now.

Tailoring vs mass products

27 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Valuing quality over novelties

Tailoring has nothing to do with mass products. Indeed, they are two worlds apart. Why make this point clear? Because what and how we buy, links to the change we want to make. In fact, it’s about promoting a cultural shift far from the novelty-obsessed fashion industry. To this end, changing the perspective of what we consider new is crucial.

Mass products: ready to wear and trendy items

With the term mass products, we identify the “production of large quantities of a standardised article by an automated mechanical process.” Specifically, in the fashion industry, we call it pret a porter or ready to wear. In other words, mass-produced clothing with an average price range. Both top brands and the “average market” garments are mass-produced.

You can call these garments new because they come from a new collection, a current season, or a new delivery. But that doesn’t imply specific quality standards. Nor anything significant in the context of climate change.

Ready to wear is trendy based, cheaper to manufacture and convenient for the consumer. But this business model has reached a tipping point. In fact, the impact it has on the planet is devastating and undeniable. Mass-produced clothing is the result of capitalism, an economic system based on the exploitation of people and the planet’s resources. Since this system believes in endless growth, it fosters overconsumption in the shape of trendy items pushing people towards novelty obsession.

Tailoring: quality over quantity

On another level, we find tailoring. Which means pieces manufactured by artisans, made by skilled hands. Therefore, clothing from ateliers or small realities. They would provide good quality in limited quantities reducing fashion waste.

While mass products change continuously, offering new items that last a breath of wind, tailored garments focus on quality and artisanal workings. In fact, their designs don’t change that much over time. You don’t buy them because they’re trendy, but because you’ll wear them for a lifetime.

Most importantly, tailoring brings an added value, mass products, instead, represent the perpetration of a destructive system.

What if what we consider new is wrong?

Sustainable fashion: hemp for clothing

11 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Are you familiar with its properties?

Checking out Spring-Summer 23 new arrivals, we had the chance to learn more about hemp, a natural material with excellent features.

Garments’ compositions show hemp among various materials. Every time we receive orders placed months before, we check the tailoring, fit and touch the fabrics to ensure our selection matches our expectations. As to provide you with good design and quality. 
Also, during Milano Design Week, we received an invitation to view “Prototipo” – a clothing brand supported by Lampoon Magazine. An accurate design for an entire collection made of hemp. Which we found interesting!

What is hemp used for?

This material is versatile. The wide range of use goes from eco-building to cosmetics to textiles – for fashion and furnishing, food and more. Considering the environmental impact, this material offers many advantages compared to other natural fibres. 

Richard Fagerlund, an expert who has over 40 years of experience in the management of plant pests, explained that: “Cotton cultivation is probably the biggest pollutant on the planet since, occupying only 3% of the agricultural land of the world, demands 25% of the pesticides used in total. The chemicals go into the groundwater, and the poison targets not just insects, but all organisms, including humans. Furthermore, the hemp fibre is longer, more absorbent, resistant and insulating than the cotton fibre”. Also, from a cultivation viewpoint, cotton requires about twice as much water to grow as hemp. (Source)

Why is hemp a sustainable material?

  • it grows quickly
  • does not need any special care
  • the whole plant is used, therefore there is no waste.

Hemp properties

Thanks to its hollow fibre, hemp yarn with a high thermal insulating and breathable capacity, which behaves like wool: cool in summer and warm in winter. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties and can absorb moisture from the body, keeping it dry and absorbing infrared and UVA rays up to 95%. 
Furthermore, tear resistance is three times greater than that of cotton. In fact, among natural fibres, it is the most wear-resistant.

And so, hemp is a great fabric for clothing. Just an ironic note: do not try to promote a post on social media, the Meta’s algorithm doesn’t allow it! Are they afraid you get high by wearing clothes?

Disability: life is not a cover page

11 May, 2023 / Leave a Comment

Are magazine covers the means to make a change?

Put disability on a cover page, and the life of disabled people improves. But from fashion magazines’ glossy covers to real life, does anything change for those with disabilities? Is accessibility something they arrange when setting up locations, workplaces, or events?

Inclusivity in fashion

British Vogue is one of the most committed magazines on “Reframing Fashion.”

“We want to carry this on and for people to see Vogue is taking that step… We’re not perfect, but we have to create this welcoming space.”
Edward Ennigful – European editorial director of Vogue.

Indeed, considering the positive comments on covers featuring disabled models, it seems change is real and tangible.

Our experience on disability

Our viewpoint is a little different. We understand that a diverse representation may help people broaden their views. But we aren’t satisfied with it. Specifically, we would exchange cover pages with real accessibility on a daily basis to shops, events, locations and so on.

Allow us to explain. I, myself, Ro, writing this post, am a wheelchair user. A few weeks ago, Cri and I attended Milano Design Week. Apart from very few exceptions, most places weren’t accessible. Indeed, we had to exclude some venues a priori. In many other places, I had to stand up and climb one to three steps. Cri had to lift the wheelchair, carry it inside, and then I could sit again.

Thank goodness, I can do that. But what about those who cannot? Those who use electric wheelchairs?

Disability and real accessibility in fashion

Of course, it works the same in fashion showrooms. In the fashion industry, people love to discuss inclusion and diversity on social media, advertising or cover pages, but they do the opposite in everyday life.

I had a disgraceful experience with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana a few years ago. “Because of Covid”, so they said, I couldn’t access an event they organized. The invitation was for one person, but being in a wheelchair, I needed plus one to help me. They said no. But Camera Moda proudly has a Diversity and Inclusion section! What do they not understand about disability? (You can read the full story here).

What’s the message? Disability is the subject of the cover pages, but please, don’t show up at events? Please, don’t go shopping? Don’t visit a museum or take a train?

What are we talking about showing disability on cover pages? Marketing? That’s what it is. In fact, diversity and inclusion are some of those magnificent fashion bullshit the industry loves!
Just don’t show up in real life!