If clothing is a living entity, why do we chuck it?

Sustainability is an intersectional, complex issue. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have numbed yourself to it, particularly because most of the responsibility has been placed on us by large corporations. Gen Z has been born into a consumerist society, fueled by social media, we are constantly influenced to keep up with the latest fashion trends. People are encouraged to buy sustainable clothing endorsed by contradictory fashion houses that produce 24 collections a year (Whitty 357) and unashamedly contribute to the 92 million tonnes of textile waste (Ruiz). The #greenwashing is inescapable and let’s be real, we all love the dopamine hit and excitement we get from purchasing new clothes. However, new research by Lynda Grose is showing that the same garment can re-produce these feelings over and over again if it is well designed.

Coming from Aotearoa/ New Zealand with an indigenous Māori background, I see objects, such as clothing, as living entities. Mana Taonga is an important Māori concept that expresses a garment’s intangible value. Many hands touch a single piece of clothing, this garment now holds stories of those who harvested the fibres, made it and previously owned it. Understanding that objects/taonga have a value past their materialistic need or appearance could radically change how we see clothing within our current capitalist structure. The Māori concept of mana taonga and indigenous frameworks would “support a shift from looking at fashion as a singular discipline- a field of visuality- to one of meaningful engagement, materiality and experience from a plurality of sources” (Whitty, 370). 

The idea of seeing clothing with value past its appearance is almost impossible to comprehend when much contemporary clothing is made by people in poor working conditions, low pay and short deadlines; it makes me wonder what energy and stories this garment is holding. It makes me feel uncomfortable, I don’t want to buy a garment that has had this upbringing. 

In comparison, slowly hand-made clothing (crochet and knitting) and one-off designs by individual designers, have a strong connection to the maker who has poured love and effort into this garment. You can feel it, and because it’s usually more expensive, you value it. It’s likely to not end up in the landfill. If it’s in human nature to chase a high from purchasing new clothing, then this may be a solution to our eco-crisis as these clothing items will generate satisfaction every time you wear it, like it’s new! 

If garments are well designed with interest and service in mind (particularly by individual designers), and consumers start to mentally understand the intangible value of each clothing item, then we are challenging the colonial capitalist structures of the fashion industry… the structures that are relentlessly causing grave-like environmental destruction, climate change, slave labour and wars. 

I ask you to question whether you value clothing through materialistic aspects only, or as a living entity with stories, memories and connection to people… and whether you can alter your perspective for the greater good. 

Here are some of my favourite slow-fashion makers:

Myah Hasbany @myahhasbany

Crochet

Raewyn Hildreth https://www.raewynhildreth.co.nz/

Māori traditional flax weaving

Here is some of my work as an individual slow-maker:

@charliscrotch Crochet

Written by Charli Nicholls

NTU Fashion Design student on exchange from Massey University in Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

References:

Whitty, Jennifer. “Fashion systems of earth logic and transition for this time and place”. Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, vol. 8, no. 4, 2021, pp. 355-375 

https://doi.org/10.1386/fspc_00096_1

Ruiz, Arabella. “17 Most Worrying Textile Waste Statistics and Facts”. The Round Up Organisation, n.d. https://theroundup.org/textile-waste-statistics/#:~:text=The%20world%20produces%2092%20million,are%20produced%20globally%20every%20year.

Huhana, Smith. “Mana Taonga and the Micro World of Intricate Research and Findings Around Taonga Maori at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa”. Sites: a Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2009, pp.7- 31,

https://doi-org.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/10.11157/sites-vol6iss2id126