What’s Going On? A Discourse in Fashion, Design, and Sustainability

Abstract

This paper sets out reflections and findings from the convening of a community of fashion and other disciplinary researchers, tutors, students, professionals and campaigners, brought together to critically explore and share practices in fashion and sustainability. It foregrounds the imperative for all, rather than some, who design, make, wear, buy and sell fashion, to engage in restorative practices. It discusses the tensions that exist within this very broad group of citizens, academics and professionals; between those wishing to evolve the fashion system from its current position, pursued in the main, by its incumbents, heavily invested in a system that involves commitment to its current goals and markers of success and those wishing to transform the system through a re-setting of its goals and success measures. It proposes a pluralistic approach to the exploration of fashion and sustainability, whilst emphasizing the need to better understand what we really wish to achieve when we make, buy, sell, wear, care for and identify ourselves though fashion.