overproduction

Milano Fashion Week 2023

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Fall/Winter 23: between reality, wearability and confusion


Milano Fashion Week 2023 shows a fashion recovered from Balenciagitis! The extremely contagious phenomenon that has affected almost every designer so far, seems gone! And finally, brands looked in better shape. However, the number of outfits presented in every single fashion show underlined the blindness of the fashion system towards climate emergency.

Highlights from Milano Fashion Week 23


Gucci: a lot of everything and too much confusion in da house. This show transitions from Alessandro Michele, who destroyed maison’s heritage in favour of a clownish style, to the new designer, Sabato Sarno, whose first collection will see the light in September. Though waiting for the official handover, perhaps it made sense to show 30 archive clothing pieces mixed with accessories. All that confusion from a maison like Gucci was nonsense.

Milano Fashion Week 23


Prada: the collection focused on reality, with well-balanced silhouettes and beautiful origami decorations. Indeed, wearable clothes with a purpose, like the nurse dress, had the intent to offer uniforms for daily life. But what about BOF’s title? “A plea for compassion at Prada.” Talking about compassion for a fashion show seems a stretch. Compassion for what? By the way, we still wonder if Miuccia needs Raf Simons. She can do better than stitching a logo onto a skirt.

Dolce & Gabbana: so many deshabille looks gave the impression of an underwear show. However, when the more “habillé” outfits came out, we finally could see some of the Dolce & Gabbana original designs. Indeed, this one was much better than their latest fashion shows.

Bottega Veneta: precise tailoring cuts highlighted an image of quality and clean elegance. Beautiful textured fabrics gave a sense of unexpectedness. But maybe too many themes make you lose attention.

What do all the brands have in common?


Apart from the circus of most participants at Milano Fashion Week 2023 with zero idea of style or elegance and some indigestible starlets, still everyone showed trillions of outfits. Brands persist on that. Why? Nobody is slowing down. No one hits the brake, creating and suggesting an idea of style and lifestyle in tune with the current times.
The fashion industry (as our economic system) thrives on an overproduction pattern. Even if the world is melting down, no one cares to make a change.

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When Will You Start Sales? Never!

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Sales and sustainability don’t play well together–and why it matters


When people ask: when will you start sales? We reply: never. No sales here! Buy less but better over the season! And it’s easy to understand the point: other than an illusory short-term fix, sales don’t solve any problem. Intentionally neglecting the big picture, they contribute to exacerbating the exploitative system.

The need to change seems a shared belief. And it’s interesting to hear people in the fashion industry and consumers, too, talking about the urgency of it.

After all, it’s nice to keep playing the same game expecting something to change. Isn’t it?

The un-sustainability of sales


We all participate in the exploitation game traced by an economic system that led the world to destruction. But we just prefer to ignore it.

Flooded by overproduction, the market is exploding. And the majority of these garments are made by people who cannot afford to cover their basic needs. Fashion production is so excessive that it has a tremendous impact on the planet in terms of carbon emissions, waste and labour abuse. Retailers, for their part, inflate prices in anticipation of the inevitable question: “When will you start sales?”
But this system is not sustainable. So it’s time to make different choices, even if unpopular choices.

The sustainable solution


If everyone had a fair wage, we wouldn’t feel the need to constantly lower prices—a practice that has eroded quality standards. Clothing and accessories could maintain a more reasonable price range year-round. ‘Less but better’ would be the solution. Now, that’s sustainable fashion!

But the news says retailers are optimistic on sales. Optimistic? For what? Is a bargain worth a burning planet?

As a small retailer operating for over 17 years, we don’t want to be part of this global exploitation. Indeed we chose to cut the quantity we used to buy. Our fashion selection is essential, in a limited number of pieces, plus a made-to-order service. That is to ensure unicity and be as much as possible sustainable.

There’s a brilliant quote we found on the web:

“We ignore truths for temporary happiness.”

Unknown


In our contemporay context, sales are a way to ignore the truth. But difficult moments need radical choices.
So why don’t you stop being part of this game?

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The Anachronism Of Sales In A Collapsing World

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Markdowns, sales and sustainability


In a collapsing world, the anachronism of sales, expression of a system of overproduction and excessive waste, should raise eyebrows. Indeed markdowns are a short-term win inadequate to the current situation. In the view of making fashion a sustainable industry, aggressive discounts and sales aren’t a consistent plan.

Overproduction is the primary cause. Producing too many clothes doesn’t make sense anymore. Furthermore, a system that needs constant discounts to push people to purchase more than they need is a rotten system. Overproduction and overconsumption: one triggers the other. But if we want to make fashion sustainable, we should break this pattern.

Sales for high-income


High earners still rely on overconsumption and also markdowns to satisfy their need for novelty. In fact, they have learned nothing from the latest events. Therefore, the conclusion is that they simply don’t care about the impact their actions have on the planet. So, fashion brands throw the bait, and those people buy whatever comes out, proud to show their higher status.

Low-income consumers


For lower-income consumers, the situation is different, but the push to overconsume remains the same. Indeed, affordable prices give the illusion of richness. And rather than shopping for quality vintage or “less but better” clothing, they shop for discounted items. Feeding up the throwaway culture that thrives thanks to unaware people.

Most importantly, there is an excessive supply, too much of everything, so high and low spenders don’t value the craft work anymore, the art of making quality clothes. There’s no understanding of this process. In fact, the masses think garments should be cheap and disposable.

The anachronism of sales


It’s impossible to match what needs to be done to keep the planet habitable and what the economic system (capitalism) needs to preserve itself. The choice is one or the other.

Although sales are an anachronistic expression of a system that failed, the cycle restarts happily season by season. No matter if the world is on the brink of collapse.

Fashion brands, retailers and consumers are not interested in having a positive impact and making a change. If the fashion industry doesn’t change, most consumers aren’t interested in doing so either.

So people, enjoy your winter sales. Your temporary illusion of joy is served this season again!

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2022: A Year In Fashion

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Looking back at the moments that defined fashion this year


Looking back at 2022, it seems that this year in fashion went by without any tangible sign of change. Indeed, retracing the events and analysing how brands run their businesses, everyone went happily back to normal.

Fashion advertising


Advertising released catchy stories creating a bubble that depicted a universe disconnected from reality. Over the 80s and 90s, the context promoted superstars, but now that ostentation is pointless and not appealing.
As regards the filed of marketing, forget sustainability, it’s all about greenwashing.

2022 in fashion design


From a design perspective, less but better was supposed to be the guiding principle to help the industry move forward. A clean and more focused fresh restart after the pandemic. But it seems that message has not been taken seriously by fashion brands. Perhaps it was something nice to say during a tiring moment, a way to move with the flow. Indeed, we witnessed a setback during the last fashion shows.

Furthermore, now that celebrations and parties are back, sequins and cheap fabrics are everywhere, again. Just looking at the pictures on social media or advertising on tv, the poor quality of the materials is the first thing you notice.

There’s no escape! The imperative of cheap clothing, accessible products that give the illusion of richness, is still very strong.

Fashion industry in 2022


Likewise, fashion companies have set up no measures to reduce the impact on the environment. Also, considering working conditions, we are far from giving workers decent wages.

From luxury brands to fast fashion, the rules are almost the same. And the difference between one or the other segment is just a matter of spending power. By the way, fashion is in the hands of finance, big groups pursuing perpetual growth. Therefore, overproduction which in turn fosters overconsumption. And, this toxic practice is always at the heart of the fashion business.
The industry is immersed in a consumerist culture exploiting people and the planet without no understanding of the scale of destruction it carries around. And no will to change.

2022, has been another tough year in fashion. In fact, throughout the year, we wrote a lot about the need for a different way of operating the fashion business, but perhaps it was naive to expect it for real.

Nevertheless, we’ll continue working in fashion, focusing on quality, good design and uniqueness—prioritising what truly matters, and always in limited quantities.

#formodernhumans

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Black Friday? Buy Nothing!

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Why say no to Black Friday


Here we go again: Black Friday is back, and we urge you to buy nothing! Yes, we are still at this point. That is where the matter rests: filling up the world with rubbish products. Even though our economic system failed, and the effects are visible, most people ignore it. And they do not realise we cannot suffer the consequence of mindless shopping behaviours anymore.

Black Friday: the chain system


Manufacturers increase the production of poor-quality goods. Retailers, in turn, order more of these products in order to satisfy their customers’ compulsive desire for novelties. Indeed, that is capitalism: overproduction, which leads to unnecessary overconsumption. And all this happens by exploiting workers and the planet. In other words, those who pay the true cost of these heavy discounts with no fair wages, tons of waste, gas emissions and pollution.

buy nothing

Why should we care?


The point is this: we failed the 1.5-degree target for carbon emission. One of the biggest reasons is that we consume too much. How is it not clear yet? So we have only one possibility: to reduce our consumption drastically. And look, that is what sustainable consumption means! It’s not just about purchasing sustainable products but reducing the goods we buy, consume and throw away.

What can we do? Buy nothing!


Eventually, excessive consumerism is destroying the world. And massive sales aren’t consistent with a thoughtful lifestyle. So we need to get rid of this toxic culture. You know what? No change will ever come from corporations or governments. The system won’t change. But we can change and educate ourselves. Because with our ideas and wallet, we promote the world we want. Also, lower turnovers would be the only language corporations would listen to.

Modern humans are conscious consumers. “Less stuff, more meaning” is our guiding principle. Use this day to spend time with your family or your beloved ones. Read books, more books! Listen to music! But do not contribute to a system that leads to destruction.

What can you do today? Buy nothing!

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