Four letters.
NYFW.
Yup, it’s that time of year again.
Designers are scrambling to bring their looks to life–perfect styles, show music and guest lists. Press have booked their calenders silly with launches, catwalks, and parties. It’s all about being seen and who is wearing what. The FOMO bug hits NYC.
But let’s take a step back.
“Our voluntary attire has intrigued us since the day we became bipeds, as we are the only animal that changes are skin everyday,” says Paul Hawken, author of some of the best modern environmental science-meets-industry books like Blessed Unrest and The Ecology of Commerce.
And that’s exactly it. We are are so caught up (especially the fashion world at this moment when I write) in image, either consciously or unconsciously, that it becomes easy to get caught in the rapture and lose sight of how these pieces came to be–I’m talking supply chain. We put a lot of weight on the designers–and the greats, like any artist, should not be overlooked or underestimated in their courage and brilliance–but we often forget the bigger picture.
Hawken goes on to say, “Hyperawareness of style, cut, fabric, color, and design is intense and universal, but it has not included the world behind the rack, the technology behind the cut, the fiber behind the fabric, the land behind the fiber, or the person on the land.”
This is sustainable, eco-, conscious, ethical (whatever you want to call it) fashion in a nutshell, to THINK.
I recently met with one of the greatest couture designers in NYC, and arguably the world. He was curious how he could make his collection more ‘sustainable.’ But he was missing out on a big puzzle piece. He hand produced about ten pieces of each look a season, and by-gosh you know they’ll last generations. What consumers and designers alike that skipped over is that quality is a keystone of sustainability.
So go forth fashionista, enjoy the ride. Remember the joy and fun of fashion. And let’s not forget to elegantly acknowledge the crafts that trails behind the final products.