The History of Sustainable Fashion Design
Design has been around since humans have been around, and can be understood as taking action and cultivating change towards sustainability. It is something that we all do and be able to make better, such as reducing the impacts that happen during the creative and production phase. However, the history of sustainable fashion design is incredibly nuanced and complex. Everyone has approached this journey through their own cultural lens and environment, and yet my underlying assumption is that design will get better when designers better understand how we shop and use our clothing. I will explore different eras in the effort of exploring how designers have changed, and how their designs have changed over time.
Typical Fashion Design Process Overview
Designers often first gather market and trend information to brainstorm their designs and start making collections. They then look for more information about the functionality and flow of the garments that could allow them to make usable items. It is also assumed that the habits and rituals of society are reflected within the wearers of the designs.
Yet, there is something lost in the design and production process: the longevity of fashion. The discussion of sustainable fashion design is deeply intertwined with the emergence of ultra fast fashion and fast fashion brands. We no longer care for, maintain and value clothing until the end of its useful life. The landfill has become swamped with overconsumption and impulsive buys that we did not bother to care for. Within this journey, I hope that we further understand how we as people have changed and transformed. The more we design for empathy we can further listen and engage with communities through human-centered approach to creativity.
The Origins of Sustainable Fashion Design
Sustainable fashion is an effort to tackle the mass-production and mindless consumption that has emerged through ambitious brands and corporations. It is often approached through strategies to meet the real needs of the individual, making it durable, and producing long-lasting products for slower patterns of consumption.
Sustainable fashion in the pre-industrial era was usually handmade and created with locally sourced fabrics that were produced in homes. It was made in small quantities, tailored for whom it was going to be made for and with limited fabric in mind. These fabrics were usually incredibly natural to its environment, and included wool cotton and linen, which were biodegradable and did not harm the environment.
Additionally, the clothing was repairable and could be passed down from generation to generation. This all changed when the industrial revolution began mass producing items and when they created synthetic fibers, like nylon and polyester. The result was a shift to cheap goods that were poorly made while using an incredible amount of natural resources to produce and ship.
The rise of fast fashion also introduced the idea of trends and the race to fit in with the latest styles. As clothing production became more efficient, it gave rise to major fast fashion brands that have led to a throwaway culture and the mass destruction of our planet.
Sustainable Fashion Design in the 50’s
Within the 50s, haute couture garments were actually designed in preparation for (later) alteration work as it was being created. However, when alterations were made to garments, fabrics were not usually cut or removed. This meant that the garment could be reconfigured in a number of ways over a period of many years, for example, if there was a need for updating or upsizing.
This designing for longevity is essential to keep a garment durable for generations to come, one wearer may believe that longevity exists in a made-to-measure suit, while another wearer may believe that longevity can be found in a pair of denim jeans. These biased individual value systems also have a lot to do with how to understand expectations of longevity, especially since what can be considered a timeless aesthetic could be cared for and maintained while what others could consider temporary and ugly for someone else.
The Emergence of Environmental Awareness (1960s and 1970s)
It was during the 1960s and 1970s that environmentalists began to voice their concerns over the impact and devastation of a consumerist society. They wanted to find eco-friendly approaches to production and consumption. By the 1970s a number of environmental groups, such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, had begun to voice concerns about environmental degradation, which aimed to protect the planet and promote sustainability.
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962, republished 2000) was pivotal in providing a critical account of the environmental damage caused by cotton growing and the textile manufacturing industry.
This information and the work done by environmentalists allowed consumers to make more conscious shopping choices and further understand the impact of their consumption choices.
The work accomplished also planted the first seeds of the sustainable fashion movement, since the effects of the fashion industry weren't felt until the 50s. Mass production was barely becoming the norm and clothing stores were starting to emerge.
Fashion was becoming more easily accessible and shopping was becoming more convenient. There were also niches of communities, like the hippies and punks, that embodied sustainable fashion. The hippies preferred to use natural fabrics and had a slow lifestyle while punks wore upcycled clothes and rewired band tees. They typically wore secondhand clothing and vintage and rejected the dominant ideas of traditional fashion and mass consumerism.
The Rise of Fast Fashion (1980s and 1990s)
Despite the awareness of mass production, the 1980s and 1990s exploded with the expansion of synthetic fibers. Brands started making blends from plastic based materials they pushed to be popular due to their durability and low cost. This led to the rise of plastic-based fast fashion where clothing was produced with unnatural materials that shed micro-plastics in the wash. However, this period also saw the emergence of organic cotton, which was grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
However, in 1989, Katharine Hamnett, a political activist and designer, researched the environmental and social impact of clothing. She campaigned on these issues long before they were mainstream while wearing distressed denim and organic cotton. And during this time the anti-fur movement emerged, and started connecting animal abuse with the fashion industry during the boom of luxury fashion.
The Italian knitwear firm Benetton also began to produce a series of controversial advertising campaigns that provoked debates on topics such as racism, human rights and world hunger. By the 1990s ‘eco design’ was being championed by environmentally aware designers, while at the same time a growing market of socially and environmentally conscious consumers emerged, favoring brands with environmental credentials such as Birkenstock shoes.
The fashion industry began to experiment with the concept of eco-fashion, yet even though organic cotton was appearing on the high streets, it did not fare well with the cost-conscious consumer. But Patagonia became a stand-out brand in this era, gaining attention for evaluating their environmental footprint as a company. They then went on to build the first outdoor clothing company to transform plastic into fleece. In 1996, they became one of the first brands to exclusively use organic cotton. Consumers also had the choice to buy from People Tree, a pioneer brand founded in 1991, that answered the growing concerns of sustainability by intentionally creating with people and the environment in mind.
The Birth of Sustainable Fashion Design (2000’s)
The early 2000s marked the birth of sustainable fashion brands, as consumers became more conscious of their impact on the environment. The concept of sustainable fashion gained wider acceptance, and companies began to adopt sustainable practices. Brands such as Patagonia and H&M began to use recycled materials, and designers like Stella McCartney started to focus on creating luxury clothes that were both stylish and environmentally responsible.
The rise of social media also played a role in spreading the message of sustainability, and consumers became more aware of the impact of their clothing choices. Brands began to take notice and started to incorporate sustainable practices into their production processes. This included the use of organic cotton, the incorporation of recycled materials, and the adoption of environmentally friendly production methods.
Yet, fast fashion brands rocketed off, still competing with the cultural shift towards sustainable fashion which the internet sped up. Brands also started outsourcing to poorer countries to take advantage of their lower wages. Cheap fashion became readily available, and became beneficial for lower income communities. This does not excuse the surge of inequity and worker exploitation in the Global South to be able to produce such clothing items. It ended up swallowing smaller, independent brands who couldn’t compete. So in an effort to address these issues, the term ‘slow fashion’ was coined in 2007 by author and activist Kate Fletcher.
And things took a turn in 2008 when the financial markets went into turmoil, and even the most skilled of tailors had trouble convincing keeping afloat. The crisis left the everyday person trying to understand what went wrong and how financial traders had so much power.
But the intensification of competition between brands and investments in industrial capital made the time difficult for working class communities and small communities to stand a chance.
The accumulation of liquidity, with the help of China, created the supply conditions for finance capital to expand. This unbounded financial expansion came from labor-intensive industrial practices reliant on our natural resources and cheap labor.
The Growth of Sustainable Fashion Design (2010’s)
In the last decade, sustainable fashion has continued to grow in popularity, driven by consumers who are increasingly conscious of their impact on the environment. This has led to the creation of new and innovative materials, such as Tencel, a sustainable alternative to synthetic fibers.
Additionally, the rise of second-hand clothing and the circular economy has made it easier for consumers to access sustainable clothing. Brands have also started to take sustainability more seriously, with the emergence of corporate sustainability officers.
But it was only in 2013 did the majority of people realize how problematic the fashion industry had become. The Rana Plaza factory suddenly collapsed, killing 1,000 people in Bangladesh. This major event resulted in a renewed shift in mindset towards sustainable fashion, although there were other tragic events that had happened prior to this. Yet, the major attention came from The True Cost documentary that detailed the horrors of that day, and the exploitation of garment workers.
The Evolution of Sustainable Fashion Design (2021 - The Present Day)
Sustainable fashion design has continued to evolve, such as biodegradable materials, such as bamboo and hemp, has become more widespread, and new technologies, such as 3D printing, have made it possible to produce clothes more efficiently.
The concept of a circular economy, which is focused on keeping resources in use for as long as possible, has also gained traction.
But the expansion of technology and online shopping has shifted the fashion industry to faster consumption habits. Women are especially shopping more, given that within a few clicks, you can now browse and buy millions of designs.
As consumers we can make a choice of where the fashion industry should go, and ask that brands become more transparent. And whether that’s giving up fast fashion completely, or purchasing more items second hand or vintage, or purchasing from sustainable brands, it all makes a difference. And lucky for us now we can pick and choose, and we should be more critical than ever before.