What is Slow Fashion and When Did it Start?

 

The large boom in the fashion industry over the past three decades has given birth to a new way of thinking about and purchasing clothes. Before the movement of clothing manufacturing to developing countries and the new developments in technology - fashion, or style had always been 'slow'.

This movement of slow to fast fashion began in the 50's and 60's with consumer culture really starting to take shape in the post war world. This however, was still something enjoyed by the wealthy and production was still relatively small scale and local. It was by the mid 70's that the blueprint for fast fashion culture started to take place with the 'democratization of fashion'. Brands that are now the worlds largest retailers began to copy the styles seen on the catwalk and mass produce them. 

This process sped up rapidly in the 90's and one of the first uses of the term 'Fast Fashion' can be found in the New York Times article announcing the move of Zara to New York. They declared that it would take only 15 days for a garment to go from a designers brain to being sold on a rack. This process sped up again in 2005 when the WTO replaced the quota system that many countries including the UK has to limit imports on foreign made goods that this industry boomed again. 

After less than 2/3 decades however, the issues with the global fast fashion industry have become very apparent to the point where disasters in factories and health crisis's associated with fabric production are commonplace. We are now expected to except the fast fashion model of cheap labor and even cheaper clothing as if these were normal.

The term 'slow fashion' was first mentioned by Kate Fletcher in 'The Ecologist' in 2007 where she wrote:

“Slow fashion is about choice, information, cultural diversity and identity. 

Yet, critically, it is also about balance. It requires a combination of rapid imaginative change and symbolic (fashion) expression as well as durability and long-term engaging, quality products. Slow fashion supports our psychological needs (to form identity, communicate and be creative through our clothes) as well as our physical needs 

(to cover and protect us from extremes of climate).”

Much of this mode of thinking derives from the 'slow food' movement of the 80's and built on this concept of consumerism that was more measured and conscious. Both movements focus on not only the environmental impact but the social impact that production has within communities and the impact of a garment or food has on the end consumer. 

The concept of 'slow fashion' is seen as an alternative to the fast fashion movement, promoting a more ethical and sustainable relationship to fashion and the planet. It is about slowing down consumerism and promoting more meaningful, local artistically clothing that the consumer can enjoy for a lifetime not just a season. 

 After the collapse of the Rana Plaza Factory in 2013 in Bangladesh we saw the global 'Fashion Revolution' Movement really start to take off and blogs and books started appearing regularly online pushing back on fast fashion. The slow fashion movement which takes its inspiration from some of the early romantic writings and environmentalist moment really started to take shape. The 2012 publication of Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline brought the conversation about slow fashion and being a 'conscious consumer into the mainstream and the movement started to gather steam. 

With the development of slow fashion, it is easy to see the movement as a whimsical and nostalgic movement focused on the past; but the fast fashion model of clothing production only really appeared and gathered steam in the 90s. The fast fashion model is so unsustainable and exploitative it won't even last for half a century and after 20 years of very high levels of production it has become the second most polluting industry on the planet. 

Slow fashion and the sustainable fashion movement is therefore not something which is 'trying to take us into the dark ages' but is more of a 'back to basics' movement that is simply highlighting the failings of the global fashion business. Clothing should be locally sourced, durable and support the local labor force and fabrics and materials should not endanger the health of the producers or the consumers.