Style Industries London: Soulful Shopping

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Soulful Shopping - A Fashion Revolution?

Holly Top
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While catching up on some Huffington Post features last week I came across an article by Diane Osgood "Shop Like You Mean It - Why Ethical Fashion Matters."

She talked about "the soulful economy already being here and that its driven by the belief, that we can evolve to an economy that champions the importance of self, rather than the principles of selfishness."

Saying "research shows that an individuals happiness increases when they connect, contribute, give, create and share".

So does making authentic purchases from brands that have a strong story; whether it be about who made the clothes, the charity they are affiliated to, how the item was made or what techniques are used to make the item sustainable; really make the consumer happier?

At DCA we believe it does and agree with Diane Osgood. And during Fashion Revolution week this week, it is even more pertinent to ask "who made my clothes". Fashion Revolution was founded by Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers a not for profit organisation set up to ask the question to brands "who made my clothes" to raise awareness of the dangers of producing cheap fast fashion in the wake of the Rana Plaza factory collapse on the 24th April in 2013 killing 1134 people and injuring 2500 people.

However Rome was not built in a day and patience and persistence are needed for brands like (DCA) who are endeavouring to be the change. And what do fledgling brands need to do to encourage change? A brand needs early adopters that know buying into throw away fashion is not sustainable on many levels. The knowledge of what is best practice being passed through to early adopter consumers enables them to make valued authentic choices and then pass it on to their friends.

There are so many reasons why practices are not sustainable such as the impact on women's lives who make cheap fashion, wages are very low, hours worked are long and in some cases poor dangerous working conditions are the norm, this is no way to treat a fellow human.

The planet is suffering due to excessive water consumption needed to produce garments especially those containing cotton. Chemicals are used in dying and printing that pollute rivers and the surrounding countryside in the countries where the majority of the worlds clothes are made. Is this acceptable?

We can turn our heads and say, "oh well I cant do anything to help, it's just the way it is". By choosing this path we are fooling ourselves and making it very tough for future generations. We have a duty to stop how we consume and create a better way. The circular economy is here, we must develop new ways of making, using and recycling or re-using. We have no choice as we cannot continue to plunder the planets resources and treat people with the indignity of working like slaves.

Authentic purchase and the soulful economy are here to stay, lets be the change we wish to see in the
world.