🧵Fast & slow fashion

Over the last few years, fast fashion companies like Shein & Temu have taken over American clothing markets.

These companies sell clothing — typically made in China — for dirt cheap prices.

The term “fast fashion” first appeared in the 1990s, as brands like Zara offered what the LA Times' Stephanie Yang called:

Here are some surprising facts about how the global garment trade:

• The global fashion industry is estimated to be worth $1.7T 

• Global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014

• Global clothing & footwear consumption, which hit 62 million tons in 2019, is estimated to reach 102 million tons by 2030 

• Roughly 3 out of 5 pieces of clothing end up in landfills or are incinerated

‘Slow fashion' is a self-conscious movement to reject ‘fast fashion’, where the desire to sell clothes for as little as possible leads to worse quality and more negative social & ecological outcomes.

Slow fashion promoters want clothes that are:

• built to last

• created by workers whose rights are protected or who even have an ownership stake in the clothing maker, i.e. as part of a co-operative

• created in a sustainable manner

• composed of organic & bio-degradable materials, rather than synthetic fibers that degrade into environmentally harmful microplastics

As part of the slow fashion trend, people are also thinking more about repairing and restoring old clothes.

In doing so, they’re re-discovering centuries-old clothing restoration practices.

One fascinating example is the Japanese clothing restoration practice known as sashiko.

For over three hundred years, the Japanese have been developing and refining the practice of sashiko.

Derived from the Japanese words "sashi" (to pierce) and "ko" (little), sashiko is a type of decorative reinforcement stitching that has evolved from a purely utilitarian function into a celebrated art form.

This elegant practice doesn’t just serve as a means of mending and strengthening fabric.

It also offers a window into Japanese culture, history, and aesthetic sensibilities.

Sashiko's origins can be traced back several centuries to rural Japan, where it served as a practical method of extending the life of worn-out garments.

Japanese peasants used sashiko to mend and reinforce their clothing, giving it both an aesthetic appeal and enhanced durability.

The stitching patterns varied across regions and had distinctive motifs that reflected local traditions & customs.

Sashiko is deeply rooted in the Japanese philosophy of "mottainai," a concept that encourages the respectful and mindful use of resources. 

Instead of discarding damaged or worn textiles, the Japanese consciously valued the opportunity to repair and preserve them.

Sashiko, with its focus on visible mending, transforms flaws into features, celebrating the history of the fabric and the skills of the artisan.

Sashiko's resurgence in popularity in recent years can be attributed to its unique blend of nostalgia and modernity.

Many individuals worldwide have embraced the art of sashiko as a form of slow living, an antidote to the fast-paced, disposable consumer culture of the 21st century.

Here’s another example of visible mending:

Young people who grew up in the U.S. and Europe are used to a world where clothes and other consumer goods should be thrown in the trash once it becomes more convenient to buy a replacement. 

Repairing clothes with sashiko-inspired techniques and styles has both environmental and aesthetic value in a world where we are increasingly conscious of the wastefulness and destructiveness of fast fashion.

And it looks pretty cool, too.

ART OF THE DAY

Print by Utagawa Kunisada during the Edo period (1615-1868).