Design
Fast Fashion
Do you recognize the euphoric feeling when buying a new cheap garment? I understand, really. But remember that at that moment someone on the other side is shedding a tear. Our euphoric feeling quickly dissipates, the tears do not. With every piece we buy, a particle of dignity, honesty and happiness moves from low-wage countries to the West. It is not an and-and story, but it shifts unfairly.
"Our euphoric feeling quickly dissipates, the tears do not"
Fast fashion, as the word itself says, is about speed. It relies on and is strengthened by cheap manufacturing, frequent consumption and short-lived garment use. This consumerism translates into pressure on resources, polluting the environment and creating negative societal impacts. All consequences are interconnected and mainly visible in low-wage countries, far away from Western eyes.
1
2
3
Niinimäki et al., 2020
Fast Fashion onderzoek – Ministerie I&W, Nl., 2020
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020
​
1
2
3
Textile waste
1
4
Although there is much more to say, this campaign will focus on environmental pollution, more specifically the tall piles of dumped garments. With more than 92 million tons of textile waste per year, resembling to 20% of global production waste, it is definitely an important topic to discuss. There are two main groups of waste, being pre- and post-consumer. The first involves material that was discarded before it reached the consumer, think of fabric scraps and obsolete inventory. Post-consumer waste includes used products thrown away by consumers themselves. Since this campaign aims to target consumers rather than producers and entrepreneurs, it will focus on post-consumer waste. It is mainly about how we manage our wardrobe, especially in the disposal phase.
​
Weekend Knack, 2022
Maldini et al., 2017
6
COSH!, 2023
7
The Dutch Clothing Mountain tells us that each person throws away an average of 40 items per year , which amounts to about 11 kilograms of textile waste per person per year. Used clothing can be exported outside the EU, but is mostly (87%) incinerated or landfilled . This is equivalent to one garbage truck of textiles per second. Of the remaining amount, less than 1% is recycled within the same product category, meaning they are mainly downcycled into insulation material, for example. These lower-value applications do not close the loop, as they are difficult to repurpose after a single use . We must be aware that this huge amount of waste causes great environmental pollution and social danger and needs to be addressed urgently.
5
1
4
5
Niinimäki et al., 2020
In cijfers - Close The Loop, z.d.
Maldini et al., 2017
The impact of textile production and waste on the environment (infographic) | News | European Parliament, z.d.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020
​
6
7
As a response to the above issue, this campaign focuses on improving the consumer mentality in the last phase of their garment, being the end-of-life. It is based on 3 pillars: shock, memorization and reflection. To make this micro campaign as effective as possible, the form chosen was a personalized memory game. It is generally proven that repetition creates memorization, and that is exactly what we want. This game challenges candidates to find 30 corresponding cards through multiple rounds. The cards contain both shocking facts, as explained above, and relieving solutions to boost morale.
The goal of the game is a more conscious and improved mindset in the end-of-life phase of textiles. Cards turned over for the first time are accompanied by an elaborate explanation. Due to the nature of the game, cards are turned over, read and memorized multiple times. An additional test is added. Candidates are informed that a found pair may suddenly be questioned about its contents after being taken away from the table. This is again to promote conscious game behavior and memorization.
Reflection
​
In the reflection part of the campaign, we use scraps of fabric. Candidates are asked to reflect on the content seen and to note what has stayed with them. This could be a shocking fact, a fun solution, things they were surprised about and so on.
​
​
​
Participants
These scraps were eventually incorporated into an upcycling project. The different pieces are put together in an old jacket that I no longer wear. In this way, I create an emotional garment, saved from his end-of-life. Moreover, it is my way of carrying with me, both literally and figuratively, the opinions and insights of loved ones on this issue. I would like to thank all the participants for their pleasant cooperation.
​
​
​
Participants
13
Games
6
% Shocked
92
Scraps
11
Self
It is interesting how this micro-campaign led me to come up with a creative and playful way to convey the heavy message behind fast fashion to loved ones. They are not from the fashion world, but they consume clothing on a daily basis, which makes them an important group to shock and inspire. I was surprised at how many participants actually already knew they were not doing the right thing. But that idea was rather abstract. Therefore, the exact numbers did provide an additional and confrontational impact. Although the content was given in a playful way, I did have the impression that it left a heavy aftertaste. To reduce that burden and help them in the right direction, I illustrated the upcycling project with their scraps but also organized several clothing swaps. This project may be finished for the assignment, but in reality I continue to pursue my goal of driving myself and my loved ones toward a more conscious end-of-life mentality.