To be a part of systemic change, fashion designers should model values that promote a shift away from short-term thinking.
How does that look like in practice?
Fast fashion focuses on excessive production, which creates exploitative conditions for workers who have to toil in unsafe environments for long hours with low pay. This system brings about severe consequences in the form of social, economic and environmental impact.
Availability of cheaply produced and lowly priced imports for example, has continued to devalue our country's currency in that there are too many imports coming in compared to our exports. It also leads to a rapid decline in local production, which slows down the rate of poverty reduction.
Slow fashion model on the other hand is conscious of the impact of products on communities and ecosystems. It puts society at the centre stage and that's really what is at the heart of my fashion business.
Fertiti Asili is focused on improving the livelihoods of communities in order to create a richer society. Join me on the 9th of March at the Nairobi design week 2024, which will be held at the opportunity factory in Karen and get to explore our beautiful ethical pieces.
4 comments
Good work 👏👏
Hello Lisa K
Thank you for your contribution in the textile and fashion sector to promote the establishment of an industry that cares about protecting the environment and the people involved.
While majority of workers in fast fashion brands are forced to work long hours and paid derisory wages, I do acknowledge there are efforts made to ensure that the people lead a decent life.
However, it is important that these fast fashion brands are more transparent about what goes on behind the scenes so they can be held accountable.
Additionally, consumer education is important to ensure informed purchasing decisions so as to avoid overproduction or excessive demand. This will help reduce fashion waste .
What about local and EPZ fast fashion brands that offer good working conditions and pay decent wages??
Well said. I tackle fashion from it’s root. Regenerative Fashion Collaborative Exchange (REFACE) is an agritech-led social enterprise that addresses the negative impact of the global fashion industry on climate change, biodiversity, and the environment. We monitor, discover, develop, and process regeneratively grown grain crop fibre into textile yarn and support businesses within the African textile value chain to sustain a regenerative, traceable, and transparent fashion ecosystem.