Tuesday, 1 November 2016

25th of October~ Towards an Ethical Fashion Framework

Text: Towards an Ethical Fashion Framework
Authors: Anders Haug and Jacob Busch

           
               This text being here reviewed was written by Doctor Auder Haug and Jacob Busch.
            The matter of ‘sustainability’ is becoming more discussed as people are becoming more aware of the limitless of raw materials. Inside various industries, this subjected started to be debated, in some more than in others.
            Inside the Fashion industry this matter has been largely discussed, especially at universities, however, despite the fact that some designers can be listed as ‘ethical’ producers, not many changes have been implemented.
            This paper points the fashion producers – designers, consumers and marketers - as the ones responsible for the current situation in how products are made. According to the text they are not only the ones blame but also the ones who have the ways to do some changes, although, as noted in the article, there are factors that limited the producers power. The text reverberates around the validity of actions already took by some brands and designers, that every so often bring ‘ethical’ products to the market. It notes that not only it is not an aspect that is part integral of most of the brands production but also it is not very accessible in terms of prices for the main targeted groups within the fast fashion market - adolescents and adults.
            The text also points out the fact that information about how the products are made is not easy to get. Although some designers use terms such as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’ to promote their products, they usually do not give enough information to the consumer to the decide if he/she thinks the goods being advertised are consistent with their ideology. However, although I agree that fashion companies, among others, should give more detailed information about their manufacture, I would like to emphasize the role of the consumer as the one who must try to research about what he is consuming and demand more information from the makers.

            Furthermore, the text explain, in a language that is easy to understand – making it appropriate for various audiences -, that, like many other industries, the Fashion industry is engaged in a system that prioritizes the economic success. There is, in this industry it is important that the products are made for the minimum value achievable and sold for the maximum value possible, which primarily goes against the principle of ethical production. Still, as the text emphasizes, the producers, especially the designers and media, have the power of influencing the population and leading the trends to a desire for ‘ethical’ wear. This way, I think the question that we are left with is: how can the industry continue to grow economically while following social and material ethical standards?

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