SLOW + FASHION—an Oxymoron—or a Promise for the Future …?

Abstract

Conceptually, the slow food movement provides the point of departure for this article, which asks if the slow approach can offer a sustainable solution for fashion. Three “lines of reflection” are addressed: the valuing of local resources and distributed economies; transparent production systems with less intermediation between producer and consumer; and sustainable and sensorial products that have a longer usable life and are more highly valued than typical “consumables.” Each is investigated using examples that together address the possible global dominance of fast fashion, provide more sustainable ways of approaching fashion, and concentrate on the implication of fashion as actual material garments, which are used and discarded. The approaches mentioned simultaneously challenge existing hierarchies of designer, producer, and consumer; question the notion of fashion being concerned exclusively with the new; confront fashion's reliance on image; present fashion as a choice rather than as a mandate; and highlight collaborative/cooperative work—providing agency especially to women.