Take. Make Waste. For decades fashion has been plagued by a cycle that has lacked the knowledge, creativity and innovation to sustainably use the earth’s resources. The outcome is waterways polluted by toxic chemicals, plastic runoff landing in the bellies of our seafood, labor rights being abused and more negative impacts to the health of our own bodies and that of the planet that we depend on. But, what happens when we educate ourselves about the problems and the solutions to fashion’s fast consumption?
Fashion For Good is a unique experience that addresses fashion’s problems and the solutions for designers and consumers to participate in. Brands can collaborate with Fashion For Good to learn innovation solutions to the take-make-waste model and museum guests can pledge to take part in simple solutions to be more sustainable- one step at a a time. The end result is a two-way solution to some of fashion’s biggest problems.
“We need to rework business models and not only think about profit. We need to think about the life-cycle of the product. How can we recycle materials?”
Does a brand really need to use virgin materials? Do I really need to buy another shirt? And, if both the brand and consumer consume a little less how will this put less of a burden on our natural resources?
Amsterdam’s locals can easily slip into the museum located on a bustling retail street in the city center to see innovative waste solutions from brands like Stella McCartney, Adidas and Frankie Collective, a streetwear brand that reworks vintage items into new designs. This design initiative- making something new out of materials that we already have- is something that Fashion For Good’s communication director Anne Ro-Klevant Groen sees as the next wave of sustainable fashion. “I think we’ll see more fully recycled items, no waste and better designed items,” she explained to me about the next big trends in sustainable fashion. “At the moment we have an ADIDAS prototype that is fully circular and one designer who re-purposes old bed linens into really cool streetwear items.”
For those who can’t explore these pieces in person Fashion For Good is offering virtual tours of these innovative designers and other interactive activities that allow brands and consumers to become a part of the solution. “Our experience is that as soon as people visit the museum they know that they can do more. You can commit to watching more documentaries. Wash clothing with only cold water. Throughout the museum there are 30 actions you can connect to.”
“We built the museum to educate consumers about fast fashion, and change the prejudices that sustainable fashion is ugly, or too expensive.”
This idea of connecting and interacting with visitors is what fueled Fashion For Good’s founders in 2017 to create the space. “We have founders who wanted to build a coalition of like-minded brands, industry experts and consumers to come together and work together for sustainable solutions,” Anne said to me. That’s part of the reason why the museum is an diverse space where brands can work together, consumers can learn and together we can all learn how to do things differently.
“Our goal is to to change the fashion industry into the circular system, to change the fashion industry for the better.”
So, when the problem is take-make-waste how do you and I become a part of the solution? The answer lies in understanding that fashion is designed for us. It’s designed for our buying habits, our style preferences and our need to buy more as cheap as possible. Yes, marketing and advertisements have a lot to do with our perceptions. But, what happens when our perceptions change? When we educate ourselves and say ‘no’ to production practices that don’t align with our values? Brands change. They look for innovative solutions to recycle water waste. They say ‘no’ to toxic dyes. They design with deadstock materials. And, when we as consumers do the same- use less water, say ‘no’ to toxic dyes and re-wear clothing that we already have- the planet we love so much will change and heal. We are all part of the problem and we are all part of the solution. And, together we can make the world well again. That’s what Fashion For Good is trying to show us.
