sustainability

Conscious buying: a sustainable choice

Conscious buying is how we refuse to go back to normal, our sustainable choice.

Among crowds of people eager to go back to normal, some individuals are quite perplexed by what this means. Whatever that normal was for you, consider linking it with all the troubles we went through this past year.

For those who have connected the dots, the picture is clear. Going back to that normal is not a possibility. In fact, we are showing up every day with the intent of reaching a higher level of consciousness and helping others to do so.

The intention is not to stop purchasing items. Perhaps we could go for one year without buying new clothes. But, even if it makes sense, the side effect would be tragic. Consider all the people that work in manufacturing to bring food to their tables.
Of course, we need to find the balance.

Promoting conscious buying is a byproduct of our evolved attitude. “Shop now!” is far away from our new vision. And, there is an urgency to think rather than to buy. As modern humans, we realise that even our shopping patterns need to change. And from the moment you connect the dots, you naturally make a different choice.

Conscious buying in fashion

In fashion, what are the bullet points for conscious buying?
The premise is that consciousness relates to being aware of both the environment as well as one’s self. “Well-being” includes having respect for the planet and ourselves as individuals. It is about feeling better and being the best humans we can be.

These are the actions we can take when we buy clothes:

• choose a good design, it stands out forever.
• look for quality fabrics, they are made to last.
• invest in well-made items.
• choose fit over size, a size number will not define you.
• support honest productions that take social responsibilities.
• the packaging must be minimal.
• less marketing, more critical thinking and thoughtful consumption.

Some of those concepts you can apply as general shopping rules, not only for fashion items. However, having a critical approach is fundamental. For instance, do we need tons of paper for packaging? No!

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others”

we like this quote from Jonathan Swift.

Indeed, we see that going back to normal is dangerous. Also, we can look around perplexed but, in the end, we know that we are not alone.

Small communities can make change possible!

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Evolution vs revolution

The Italian economist Guido Maria Brera released an interview to a daily newspaper which provided another piece, a fundamental block, that perfectly completes the picture of a broken system.

“With globalization, the weaker classes gave in to the masochistic exchange of their rights for cheap goods. Fashion, household appliances, mobile phones became affordable and gave the illusion of well-being. In the meantime, homes, education and healthcare are becoming less accessible. The result is dramatic: rights, hardly won, bartered for goods.” – Brera said.

Cheap goods have distorted the economy. Issues aren’t confined to one industry only, indeed the whole system is corrupted.

Reflecting on Brera’s words, the need for a change stands out. We thought it was just a matter of evolving, that natural process which is part of human beings’ growth. In other words, we simply needed to move to the next level of making improvements.

But a system that is collapsing, completely broken, perhaps doesn’t need to be revised. If we just put a patch on it, we will not find a good solution. Because of common sense, we are feeding dinosaurs that have lost their purpose. It’s impossible to find new ways if we follow old patterns. Once we understand this, the next step to take gets more clear. Now we must challenge what we take for granted.

We do not need evolution. We need a revolution.
Reset and reinvent everything from scratch: education – economy – work – fashion – lifestyle.
Everything!

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Who has a voice

Who has a voice in the fashion industry? And who do you think has a say on sustainable matters in fashion?
One of the many problems with sustainable fashion is that those who have a voice in discussing the topic are exactly the same ones who created the toxic environment. Same faces, same brands, and same interests. That is the trick, unfortunately.

They set up a system based on massive overproduction to be disposed of through crazy budgets to retailers. Outlets packed with discounted items. And a parallel market to reach those retailers who wanted to buy certain brands but officially could not.
Therefore, all the Maisons understood they could increase the budget to retailers, knowing that retailers, in turn, were then reselling through a parallel net, feeding that hideous system.
All the operators knew how it worked, but since they were making a lot of money, it was good. No complain! Like it was acceptable to do the worst things in the name of god-money. Now that the industry collapsed, they’ve started questioning it.

Mono brand retail, department stores, parallel market, off-price stores. How many goods those enlightened CEOs and managers did believe people could buy?
Is the fact that they are not making money as they did enough to let us believe in their redemption?
We could invite Hannibal Lecter to the table, but perhaps, serving only vegetables will not be enough to change his tastes in food.

Who has a voice and influence on the sustainability discussion are exactly those who created the problem.
If we believe we can search for the value of sustainability among the same old faces, listening to their voice, we are wrong.

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Sustainability or greenwashing?

Sustainability as we know it today, is a bubble, an old-school marketing operation better defined by the name greenwashing.
The same marketers made us believe in the existence of 100% organic food products. The world is an open-air landfill, but we believe it is unspoiled. Or at least we can isolate lands, preventing any contamination. Trust in it!

It’s as though we suddenly all woke up in a sustainable world, with green labels flourishing everywhere. But some questions are jumping into our heads.
Is the use of a few eco-friendly materials enough to define a brand sustainable?
Can fast-fashion brands call themselves sustainable?
And all the luxury brands that continue to produce enormous quantities of products?
Can they be sustainable? Really?

And so, sustainability or greenwashing? Contradictions are strong.
We need a radical change, not fake messages.

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The real value

Sustainability must pass through the re-education to the real value of products, quality, materials and skills of those who carry out the work. Understanding and respecting the craftsmanship, the workers and their rights.

These values are the opposite of a fashion system that has taken fast food as a productive and consumption model.

Since the explosion of fast fashion people have been pushed to buy disposable clothes. Now, how can they understand garments that have a totally different value?
Higher value, in terms of quality, therefore a higher price.

Self-education can make a difference.

The real value Read More »