Some themes

Problems of definition

How new a concept?

Class and slow fashion

Slow fashion and globalisation

Problems of definition

Tendency to define in terms of an antidote to ‘Fast Fashion’

‘Slow is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism’ Kate Fletcher

Defining Slow fashion as the opposite of Fast Fashion Overconsumption

High volume low price – impact on working conditions

Throwaway culture

Poor quality

Landfill

Landfill

Defining

‘Slow fashion is about designing, producing, consuming and living better. Slow fashion is not time based but quality based. Slow is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism.’

Kate Fletcher

So if it is not about speed should we call it slow?

How new is ‘slow fashion’ as a concept?

Historical concern about so-called slop shops

Rationing

‘Make do and mend’

Charles Kingsley – Clothes – Cheap and Nasty

‘For at the honourable shops, the master deals directly with his workmen; while at the dishonourable ones, the greater part of the work, if not the whole, is let out to contractors, or middle men - "sweaters", as their victims significantly call them - who, in their turn, let it out again, sometimes to the workmen, sometimes to fresh middlemen; so that out of the price paid for labour on each article, not only the workmen, but the sweater, and perhaps the sweater's sweater, and a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, have to draw their profit.’ (Kingsley, 1850: vii)

RationingOf Clothing, Cloth and FootwearFrom June, 1941

Rationing has been introduced not to deprive you of your real needs, but to make more certain that you get your share of the country's

goods - to get fair shares with everybody else.

When the shops re-open you will be able to buy cloth, clothes, footwear and knitting wool only if you bring your food ration book

with you.  The shopkeeper will detach the required number of coupons from the unused margarine page.  Each margarine

coupon counts as one coupon towards the purchase of clothing and footwear.  You will have a total of 66 coupons to last you a year; so go sparingly.  You can buy where you like and when

you like without registering.

More recently:

Carlo Petrini 1986 - the slow food movement

Defends biodiversity

Opposes standardisation of taste

Promotes transparency for the consumer

Advocates protection of cultural identities connected with food

Class and Slow Fashion

Is it about "chic du chic“ – classic and timeless tailor made products for the select few who can afford it?

Pradamark – fashion for all?

Or doe we re-educate the masses to engage in ‘Investment Dressing’

Investment Dressing

Two key components - the Wardrobe Capsule. This is a grouping of clothes that can be mixed and matched and worn together with minimal effort : Gok’s Fashion Fix

Cost Per Wear. – calculating the relative cost of a purchased garment in relation to its quality, timelessness, and compatibility with other items in the capsule

Globalisation and Slow Fashion Is it about fair trade - village based , hand work

with natural dyes which maintain local traditions?

Or welcoming the shake out currently underway in which 12 million workers have a lost their jobs worldwide with a further 3 million expected to go through consolidation

How do we achieve slow production in global apparel supply chains under cu8rrent buying practices?

The Real challenge:

Making a shift from quantity to quality.

Allowing suppliers to plan orders , predict the numbers of workers needed and invest in the longer term.

Recognising that quality is going to cost more.

Principles of Slow Production:

Transparency

Simplicity

Changing Consciousness

http://www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com/index.html