The fashion atmosphere

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France, Paris. Strategy Consultant, Founder of Helsinki Fashion Week

The fashion atmosphere

Е. Mora

Abstract

The article is devoted to the actual problem of understanding how the modern fashion industry is created, and how it should be developed in the future. The subject of forming the real needs of the consumer, his authenticity in connection with the problems of fashion industry, is analyzed. The emphasis is on the importance to understand that person's identity is built of his personal free decisions, free choices and real actions, which influence on the future, and sustainability as well. The idea is that for the fashion industry to be able to become sustainable it must redefine society and the role of the people in it.

Keywords: fashion industry, sustainability, consumer, consumption, fashion magazines, authenticity, values.

In the last couple of years, we have been witnessing the rise of sustainability. But it didn't make it into the Oxford dictionary word of the year. Although what does sustainability really even mean? To me, sustainability is the mindset that is anchored in being fair, kind and friendly to the planet but most importantly to others. Sustainability doesn't start in the supply-chains but it starts from within. But we haven't adapted this mindset, so what are we really even talking about? With all the greenwashing, preaching and criticism around sustainability, it has become an ideology or even a religion kind of topic that everybody should faithfully follow. And the ones that don't follow, are simply not relevant, but is that true?

Climate Crisis was the word of the year in the Oxford dictionary in 2019. Together with the rise of fake news in the media, greenwashing by the very “activists” or the “change-agents” ofsustainability, at least people who have branded themselves that way or simply used it as their personal branding strategies have created an atmosphere, and this atmosphere has turned into a negative, judgemental and misleading one, where people are separated and competing. Mirror mirror on the wall who is the most sustainable of them all? Who is the first, who is the pioneer who is the true queen or king and the real changemaker?

Repeating the same numbers of a couple of reports, or idolizing personalities like Greta Thunberg. What did Greta really do? Yes, she raised awareness but about what? What kind of impact have these movements created?

Has anyone calculated that? Are we measuring our footprint? What about our digital footprints? Are we relying on facts and data or just simply using sustainability and climate crisis as an excuse to speak up, get validation and break free of the judgment that we are all surrounded within our social societies? What is that our actions have truly changed to better? For the past two years, in nearly all the seminars, panels, events and media we have been repeating the same things, same sentences, same topics yet with little improvement. Using sentences like “there is no planet b” or “we must be conscious of our choices” these are of course true and hard not to agree with or share in our social media channels to yes, again, get validation and brand ourselves as the “believers”.

Why haven't we questioned the very structure of the fashion industry? Even in the midst of the Pandemic the industry insiders, many being members of the media, share the paradigm of “Nothing major will change after the pandemic is over” but at the end of the day that is a decision the industry has to make not a given fact necessarily. So has the industry aka. luxury fashion houses, fast fashion companies, and the publications already decided to keep the industry as untouched as possible? If yes, then this is exactly that mindset that needs to change.

Why haven't we made the real changes in our business models and in our daily lives, in a way that it actually matters? This could be and should be an eyeopening moment for the consumers to understand how much they can create impact by simply being mindful of their consumption. Again, if the industry decides to completely ignore and underestimate the power and wisdom of individuals, that is indeed when they will go bankrupt.

How fashion magazines operate, do you know? How bias can they really be in their articles and how is the “sustainability editor” really qualified to state the “next big thing” in sustainability, or who is the “most sustainable” in different topics and industries. There are however several extremely talented journalists and very much qualified to share information around sustainability to the masses but how can one know if that journalist's output is actually something to take into consideration or believe? How can we trust the fashion magazines on sharing information on how to be sustainable or inform us who is doing the right thing when current titles are being shared in the industry between friends? I see these as a great strategic marketing partnership between individuals and publications but is it ethical or sustainable procedure one might wonder.

This could have been and still can be another amazing opportunity for the industry to work in an interdisciplinary way, say hire researchers or scientists to work with the magazine, collaborate with the journalists to create and share meaningful and fact-based content. Media is playing a huge role in sustainable development and therefore this is an alarming topic that should be taken seriously by the publications.

Publications must thing about how can the magazines become sustainable when their very core business is to sell aka. advertise? Not only products that we do not need but how their companiesare actually funded? Advertisements of brands that actually are not sustainable. How are we supposed to raise awareness on reducing our leather consumption, when we read a four-pagearticle on the topic that is highly encouraging us to actually ditch leather when the issue comes with an extra attachment catalog wrapped tightly in plastic with the actual magazine which is solely filled with the advertisement of leather good of several brands. Who should we listen to? Who should we believe? How can we trust publications and how can we measure their integrity? I have this habit of always asking myself “What is the real purpose of this article? What is the message they want to deliver? Is this based on data and facts or opinions and experiences of industry people?”

The fashion industry is still run by a handful of people who are the ones who actually make a profit in the industry. Many times, we point fingers on fast fashion brands and ignore the luxury fashion houses and groups. Luxury brands are at least as responsible for the pollution in the industry if not more than the fast fashion brands. They urge you to buy pair of shoes for 3500 Euros, the shoes are advertised in most of the fashion magazines, worn by the most popular pop stars and branded as the “must-haves” of the season. The same design is soon copied and produced in fast fashion chains costing 79,95€. Why does this happen? Because fashion is a business of manipulation that takes advantage of our social system, supports and creates the needs to seek validation by buying things we don't actually need, every season, multiply times a year. Then the industry points fingers to the fast fashion companies whilst the luxury brand is selling the boots for thousands of euros. What justifies the price of the shoes? Are they completely sustainable in terms of material sourcing? No. Are they transparent in terms of their supply chains? No. What about the pricing? No, again. So what are we really paying for?

Let's talk about another scam of the century, the influencers. Walking advertisements, that is. People that create so-called brand stories and illusions that we end up following. Why? Because we want to be like these people, we want to be thin, attend the best parties, have pumped lips and perfect boyfriends. Eat muesli for breakfast and green smoothies and for dinner in-and-out burgers and fries without it ever showing on our bodies.

These people have become the new #goals we work hard to reach. The unreachable lifestyles. Contributing massively in ever more anxious social societies. We have to be thin, we have to be rich, we have to wear this and that and don't forget the avocado bread which is a symbol of sophistication! Do you see the conflict here? How are we supposed to be sustainable, meaning actually change our lifestyles, change the current system if we are surrounded by the opinions of others which nobody actually has the courage to change?

If you speak up, and if it isn't appropriate in terms of capitalism, just don't spek, because most of the industry, who is owned by someone who pays for your bills, and who makes the profit cant accept.That is the moment when you can either become a scary outsider or bend over and flex to the rules and ways of the current fashion monarchy.

Ultimately, becoming sustainable means straightening the conflicts and disharmony of our actions. Instead of basing our global economy on taking advantage of people's weaknesses, using people's strengths in making business should be the embraced way. This is, of course, a more challenging concept that simply businesses who have functioned in an unsustainable way have trouble transiting to. During the lockdown, we do have the most valuable resource of human life, time, to actually deeply think about these aspects and change.

If you are a sustainability activist but you advertise an unsustainable company and you get fame and money for it, aka. modern power, you are simply not sustainable. If you dedicate your time to rather interact with an influencer due to their followers, to gain some more for you to strengthen your social standing and numbers of followers rather than giving that space and time to an actual professional like some of the researchers to talk about different important topics, you are not sustainable. Eventually, we must come to terms with the fact that we are not perhaps qualified to carry out many things but that is exactly why collaboration should be booming and yet still it is not enough and that is because the industry entourage wants to keep the hard grip and control of the industry, for financial benefits.

We live in a lie and tell ourselves that it is the right way and we are supported by a hundred thousand to a couple of million people. Our followers are our currency. But here again, we run into a dilemma. Where quantity is again more valuable than quality. You are simply more powerful in the eyes of Capitalism if you have 400 thousand weak followers that cannot help but follow you as they don't know of anything better or 400 strong individuals that support you and actually live up to their values. Could changing the terminology help?

Instead of calling them followers, we should call them victims? How many people do you manipulate daily? How many people do you encourage to buy unsustainable products that are bad for the environment but also for you? How much money can you make out of the misery of other people?

In the world, where money equals power people who don't have much of it have no choice but to try their best to fit into the social mold our inhumane society has formed for us. We, humans, have been able to build a toxic reality that we all suffer from, even Naomi Campbel suffers from low self-esteem so, in the end, no matter of your financial situation or social standing, we are all victims of this toxic atmosphere which we are miraculously maintaining.

We should be focusing on fundamentals. Firstly stop feeding this system that does not serve us. Stop believing everything you read in commercial magazines. Stop buying things for yourself to get justification from others, in other words, stop living for validation but live for yourself. Be patient and find the likeminded people, your tribe that value your values and the true you and accept and admire you for your heart and persona rather than your expensive pair of shoes.

Stop idolizing people that haven't created a real impact with their power. The artists singing in autotune is an illusion, the work of a big company and a team of forty+ people to seduce your desires and get you addicted to that specific idea of the person. Once they get you to fall for it, you will idolize, listen, follow and spend money on that imaginary person, which is again a product you are buying into. need fashion industry sustainability

Authenticity should be the 2021 world of the year in Oxford Dictionary because that is all we should be talking about. We must develop systems and ways to identity authenticity. What is real? How dowe measure impact? How do we really define if something is really sustainable or not? And no, this is not something the sustainability editor can say, this is something that needs to come from animpartial party. From a source of fact and data, not friends, opinion or money.

I have had many opportunities to sell my soul to the devil. Repeating an idea where I tell myself that what can I really, really change? Me, a tiny little person, without millions of euros to donate to rebuilding the church. Wouldn't it be just easier to go with the flow, aka. support the current pyramid and climb it so I can live a 70 if I'm lucky 90 years of easy and averagely happy and materialistic life? Have a couple of real friends, many fake ones, be "accepted" by my neighborhood and my colleagues at work?

I refuse to give up on the concept of reality, life, and existence. I do not believe that man-made things are the answer to happiness in life nor the expensive shoes will bring me long term happiness. I believe that beyond a perfect bronzed bikini body is a mind that is more valuable than anything in life.

I believe in planet b and also planet Mars and the Moon. I believe in healthy food diet and freedom of choice, I believe in shared values and common goals. I believe in being free and equal.

For the fashion industry to be able to ever become sustainable it must first redefine society and the role of the people in it. Where a product does not go ahead of the purpose and where talent is embraced, credited and celebrated over the entourage you posses. Where consumers are not treated or seen as a massive cattle herd but as judges, that will have a say and impact on our work and life.

Our lives have become the anti-Disney reality, where meeting the perfect prince or princess is actually impossible due to your expectations and your current reality.

This is the time to take a moment, to think about your own footprint, your personal, individual purpose as a memeber of the society. Take this moment to redefine your return to consumption, and how you can actually create larder impact and a happier reality with being more conscious and living for yourself and your loved ones.

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