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FA S H I O N<br />
Slow down<br />
IN AN EVER INCREASINGLY FAST-PACED WORLD, IT’S HIGH TIME WE SLOW DOWN AND<br />
TAKE A MORE ETHICAL, SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO FASHION, SAYS AMY NORBURY<br />
DAME Vivienne Westwood summed it up perfectly<br />
back in 2017 when she stated consumers should “Buy<br />
less, choose well, make it last.” Speaking backstage<br />
at her London Fashion Week Men’s show - where<br />
she paraded a circus-themed collection featuring<br />
recycled plastic bottles as shoes and aluminium cans<br />
pinned to tights as a campaign against fashion waste<br />
- the legendary designer urged the fashion industry<br />
to move away from producing so many cheap<br />
clothes, and for fashion fans to make more conscious<br />
decisions about the life cycle of their purchases.<br />
And so comes the rise of ‘slow fashion’.<br />
In a backlash against the rush of ‘fast fashion’ which<br />
has saturated our high streets thanks to budget<br />
retailers and expanding supermarket fashion aisles<br />
where you can pick up a whole new wardrobe<br />
alongside your weekly shop, more and more<br />
designers and brands are taking a good, hard look<br />
at their ethical credentials and working to provide<br />
consumers with an alternative way of thinking and<br />
shopping.<br />
As consumers are becoming ever more conscious<br />
about their ethical and environmental impact, it’s<br />
time to embrace a more sustainable approach to your<br />
wardrobe choices.<br />
In stark contrast to the high street’s disposable<br />
fashion ethos - with its ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’<br />
mantra - slow fashion is all about taking a long-term<br />
view; shopping sustainably, opting for quality over<br />
quantity and timeless pieces rather than transient<br />
trends.<br />
After all, if you invest in a high quality, well made<br />
classic winter coat which will last decades rather<br />
than buying cheaply every season for something<br />
which won’t last you the year, not only will your<br />
environmental impact be significantly less, but you’ll<br />
actually save money in the long run on a cost-perwear<br />
basis.<br />
Focusing on designing, producing, consuming and<br />
living better, slow fashion is a more sustainable<br />
approach by which designers, buyers, retailers<br />
and consumers are more aware of the impacts of<br />
products on workers, communities and ecosystems.<br />
Set up in 1991 by social entrepreneur Safia Minney,<br />
BROOKLYN DENIM DUNGAREES,<br />
£119, PEOPLE TREE.<br />
WWW.PEOPLETREE.CO.UK<br />
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