January 5, 2011

Let's Free Fashion in 2011!

5:05 PM | Geplaatst door THE COOL COLLECTOR |



Cool Collector # Anti Files

January is all about doing things different then before, from that aspect there starting some really interesting projects! Like the 'Free Fashion Challenge' , a project by Laura de Jong. She is a graduate of the Fashion & Branding course at AMFI – Amsterdam Fashion Insitute, who specialized as a student in fashion and sustainability. For her final thesis she examined how the definition of fashion should change to become truly sustainable. While most ‘green’ brands focus on the use of sustainable materials, Laura believes the real barrier is the way people consume and how brands stimulate this overconsumption.
The free fashion challenge, challenges you to stop buying clothes for one year. On 11 November 2010 fifteen fashion addicts worldwide stopped buying clothes for one year. The ‘fashion addicts’ are a mix of fashion students and fashion professionals. Every fortnight they will share their experiences on this website, based on assignments. Some participants will get their own assignments, as going cold turkey on a fashion addiction is not the same for everyone…

But what drives the people that join this project? Over the last few decades fashion has become more and more about consumption. Fashion became fast fashion and clothes have become disposable. Generations are growing up believing that a t-shirt truly can be made for 50 cents. With the Free Fashion Challenge they want to find out what the meaning of consumption is within the definition of fashion. They think fashion is more than shopping:

"Don’t get us wrong, we are no fashion haters. We love fashion but we think it is not necessarily about buying stuff. Fashion should be about creativity, adornment, joy, quality and good design."

Consumption has become a very important part of the fashion industry. The rise of fast fashion and more consumption on one hand and the necessity to live a more sustainable lifestyle on the other hand raises ethical problems. To make fashion more sustainable and long term oriented, fashion needs to change.

Green fashion pioneers come up with wonderful ideas, but to make fashion truly sustainable, people have to consume less. With the Free Fashion challenge they try to find out what the meaning of consumption is within the definition of fashion. What happens to people who are fashion conscious if they cannot buy trends anymore? If they don’t ‘follow’ the strict rules of fashion, trends and mass consumption? What are their demands of clothing when they need their garments for a longer period of time?

I believe this project is pretty cool and respectable and I am very curious about there results and struggles and creative ideas during the process. If you feel the motivation and need to join the public shopping rehab, or you just need a big challenge this year, you are more than welcome to join their force here!

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