The Rise Of Slowness In Fashion: Case Studies Of Its Growth In South East Asia

In a decade, South East Asia has grown to become a global hub for fast fashion, where garments are mass-produced and standardized. Economic growth has been a fundamental force in the shrew line of over-producing textiles and garments to accommodate millennials into purchasing clothing deemed “fashionable” for a particular season at a lower price. However, consumers are blindly unaware that fashion in the context of economic priorities comes with sociocultural and environmental consequences. Slow fashion, an alternative to fast fashion, promotes principles such as good quality, clean environment, and fairness for both consumers and producers. The word “slow” put in a context of fashion today could not be associated with the notion of speed. It advocates for change and transformation towards sustainability and transparency within the industry. With a growing awareness of the harmful consequences of fast fashion, this dissertation will exemplify how different designers from different parts of South East Asia administer various forms of slowness within the fashion climate. Case studies done on three brands from Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand will be conducted to produce evidence on how South East Asia is moving forward to a more sustainable practice.

Literature review

In an article titled “Slow Fashion: An Invitation for Systems Change, ” Kate Fletcher wrote that “high speed is not in itself a descriptor of unethical and/or environmentally damaging practices but a tool that is used to increase sales and deliver economic growth with attendant ecological and social effects. ” This statement highlights that due to the increase in retail, corporation has yet to condoned the mass-production of apparel for the sake of fast financial expansion. It becomes apparent that fashion disregard the damages brought to our environment in order to appeased consumer’s desire for the latest trend when in fact the fashion industry has the ability to control consumer mind-set that in the context of South East Asia, a trend does not have to occur as often as it does in the West.

The second literature review, “SLOW + FASHION – an Oxymoron – Or a Promise for the Future…?” written by Hazel Clark, analyses how the idea of slow fashion can be practiced through a modern form of visualization as well through the adaptation of existing techniques and practices that could be found locally. With this context, it provides many “sustainable ways of approaching fashion, and concentrate on the implication of fashion as actual material garments. ” Clark’s article opens the conversation on how South East Asian designers and critical players are channeling the idea of slowness while maintaining regional aesthetic.

Method(s) of inquiry

Observations on South East Asian brands and their method of execution on slow fashion practices will be critically analyzed. This will be done through visual analysis of images and stills showing a designer’s approach in the context of garments and other tangible commodities. Another approach is to analyze a brand’s conceptualization, design, production, and marketing strategy that encompasses the slow fashion believes. Secondary research to support or argue case studies in forms of books and articles will be credited. I will also conduct a survey by interviewing fashion students at Lasalle College of the Arts on their understanding of slowness as well their input on how brands that been chosen as case studies select their strategic course of action regarding the practice(s) of slowness within the industry as well as how culture and geographical attribute comes into consideration.

Case study/studies

Matter Prints

Matter Prints is a brand founded in Singapore that promotes rural Asian artisan and their craftsmanship. Their garments are fairly-made and promote sustainability within their production practices to re-introduce old techniques into a modern wear garment that highlight traditional Asian textile works. Blogger Paola Mathe is seen wearing a lunghi made by Matter Prints and pairing the pants with a loose striped button-up shirt. The image shows her in a cafe setting, sitting on a bar stool, pairing the garments with bright red headwrap and earrings as well as a white mule. This assessable in a present-day setting is deemed suitable for a smart-casual everyday look that could be worn for work or for going out. How Mathe paired the lunghi, a sarong traditional from the Indian subcontinent, shows how Matter Prints managed to produce an artisanal piece that can easily be styled and worn on a day-to-day basis.

Fbudi, “Buangan”

The second case study would be the Indonesian fashion brand Fbudi, founded by Felicia Budi. Fbudi promotes garments produced by local dressmakers and are “considerately constructed into clothes”. On May 2018, the brand held its first exhibition called “Buangan, ” an Indonesian word which translates to waste. Here, Budi “explores the complexity/simplicity of fashion design within the boundaries of textile waste” by “showcasing ten looks from her new collection along with the textile waste under some of the looks”. The garments showcased at the exhibition are not pre-designed compared to her previous collections, they are finalized within the cutting and constructing processes of producing a garment. To generate less waste, Budi applied methods such as adding and subtraction by “adding cuts on negative spaces of a pattern for details of the garment, while subtraction means experimenting with a whole piece of fabric with almost no cuts” (2018). Figure is a means to show consumers in Indonesia how garments could be made by leaving fabric waste up to 12% or less to zero without having to relinquish style or trend. Fbudi also practices other forms of slowness such as versatility within a design, creating long-lasting garments, as well as promoting fair and equal employment for Indonesian dressmakers. These methods will be explored further.

Taktai

Taktai produces a variety of handmade items from clothing, shoes, to handbags using 100% natural and organic fabrics from the likes of bamboo, banana, hemp, pineapple, water hyacinth, and water lilies. The brand’s concept lies in simple garments made in classic cuts that leave versatility for consumers to stylized pieces with other clothing to fit the current trend. This promotes the notion of longer-lasting clothes. Together with the former aspect, Taktai also produces garment made with organic fibers that create a cleaner and healthier living environment for farmers cultivating the plants used for this production.