Whether it’s the “theory of abundance” or the focus on “scarcity,” whether it’s “consumerism” that’s the issue or “sustained consumption” that needs addressing; we are all smack in the middle of this cycle where we continuously add.
Add to homes, add to our wardrobes, add to the environment, add to the burden of energy requirements, add, add, add, add and then we add some more.
Cotton, for example, a key input to the apparel industry, is responsible for approximately 2.6 per cent of the global water use.
An estimated 17 to 20 per cent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. These figures and growing apprehension towards a consumerist approach has lead to a new wave in thinking fashion.
Sure, fashion in its innate nature is about the new and fresh. It’s about refreshing looks and embracing the human form, accentuating it with fabric and accessories. So who says you can’t put your best foot forward, look like a million bucks and not add more weight to that scale screaming scarcity.
By definition, upcycling is reusing (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.
Propagating a “Green Carpet Challenge” celebrities all over the world are taking their responsibility as fashion icons seriously and more so- responsibly. So much for the assumption that fashion is packaged vanity.
This wave of “upcycling” while glamorous on the red carpet events isn’t limited to couture. Across “off the peg” and ready to wear apparel, we’re seeing some really creative examples of “upcycling.” It’s a new wave in fashion I’m happy to embrace!
There you go, join the new wave, sport your next upcycled piece- DIY or branded. Guilt free fashion. Till next time, keep it sharp!
A fashion aficionado, film maker, script writer, stylist and marketing junkie. The writer indulges in the latest fashion and currently drives marketing for youth fashion brands in Indus League —A division of FLF..
