A new study from the University of Exeter and the University of Wolverhampton claims that learning how clothes are made has a “transformative” effect on people’s relationship with fast fashion.
The research was part of the University of Exeter Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Research Council “S4S: Designing a Sensory Project for Sustainable Clothing”.
Experts from the University of Exeter and the University of Wolverhampton asked people in Cornwall and the West Midlands how they felt about clothing and when they shopped, and whether the workshops would have an impact on their feelings, thoughts and actions. As part of the study, they collaborated with community settings, consultants who held workshops, videographers and the NGO, Fashion Revolution.
The study, published in Journal of Material Culturesays to encourage more sustainable behaviour, people should be given the space to learn rather than being taught what is described as ‘accepted values and behaviour’.
“We found the driving factor for avoiding fast fashion is the realization of the clothing and the materials it is made from are precious and embody work and time. After the workshops, people expressed a desire to reduce their wardrobe by either buying fewer, better quality goods that they expected to last longer or choosing not to buy anything for a long time,” Dr Joanie Willett from the University. says from Exeter.
Professor Clare Saunders from the University of Exeter adds: “We found that inviting people to immerse themselves in the materiality of clothing enabled potentially transformative emotional encounters which, like seeds, could be nurtured and fostered. The workshops supported participants to become more ‘fluent’ as people who create with textiles and to find their satisfaction in undertaking these activities.
Earlier this year, the European Commission’s independent advisers, Eunomia, urged the European Commission to get tough on fast fashion.
