Local designers and vintage buyers offer 'fast fashion' options

ST PAUL, Minn. We call it fast fashion. It's the latest trend in the fashion industry that focuses on producing clothes quickly and cheaply, think of brands like Shein or Temu to cater to every consumer whim.

But from landfills to air quality, designers and scientists warn that the latest fashion trend is having a dangerous impact on our planet.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Fashion Alliance, the average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago. At the same time, the agency said each item is kept for only half as long.

The agency also notes that the fashion industry accounts for between 2 and 8 percent of global carbon emissions.

We were failing. We're not doing a good job of sustainability at all, said Dr. Missy Bye, a professor of clothing design at the University of Minnesota's College of Design.

Sitting in an office filled with photos and fashion memorabilia, Bye frequently references a list of facts that represent the scale of this fashion crisis.

We have enough clothing manufactured or imported that each person can buy about 90 new articles of clothing per year, which totals 28 billion articles of clothing, Bye said, noting that the statistic only takes into account clothing manufactured or imported in the United States. United.

We overconsume, but more importantly we overproduce, she added.

And this simple imbalance, Bye said, creates a disastrous imbalance for our environment.

We are depleting our resources on earth. All synthetic fibers come from fossil fuels, which we already know is a big concern, she said, adding that natural fibers like cotton also carry a burden, given that they require both plenty of soil and water to grow.

And while production alone can contribute to waste, Bye also pointed out that clothing returns and donations also add to waste piles.

Only about 10 percent of that is resold, she said, noting that the rest is packaged to be shipped overseas, mainly to West African countries. And what they don't end up selling ends up in their waste stream, much of it in their water.

Add to that pollution from dyeing and finishing processes and the fact that some high-end designers burn their clothes rather than see them end up on the second-hand market. Bye sees many reasons to be discouraged.

But she also sees hope in future designers committed to sustainable fashion.

One of my students works with zero waste, Bye said, noting that he avoids the 10 to 20 percent waste that results when waste ends up on the cutting room floor by: Trying to examine design concepts where you use every square inch. fabric.

“I have another student who is working on designs that are meant for longevity and can transform,” Bye said, noting that designs could include pants that become shorts.

And yet another Byes design student is tapping into both her own talents and the wisdom of her Native American elders for sustainability advice.

In her doctoral thesis, Anishinaabe Dress Values, Sage Davis seeks to capture the wisdom within her own community.

I interviewed four Ojibwe language speakers about their clothing practices, she said, adding that the goal was to learn how we can be more sustainable in our use of clothing.

Among the practices Davis documents is an Anishinaabe appreciation of the full cycle of clothing, from production to actual use. According to Davis, it's an appreciation not shared by most fashion consumers.

As consumers, we just walk into the store and we see all the beautiful clothes and we don't see, you know, all the work that goes into it, Davis said, describing the current reality.

Beyond the practical understanding of what it takes to create clothing, Davis also says Anishinaabe designers focus on details, “exquisite” touches that she says also invite sustainability.

Because of all the work involved, it's not something people throw away, she said.

And Davis notes that Anishinaabe designers also demonstrate a keen awareness of the materials used in their designs.

How do we obtain these materials? We must proceed in a respectful manner, she said.

Essentially, Davis believes that Anishinaabe designers practice sustainability by understanding the relationship between materials and the earth and even between consumers and themselves.

If we understood each other better, we would understand our styles better. And then it would start to limit what we buy, Davis said from her workshop filled with brightly colored ribbons and photos of her grandmother, aunt and other family members who taught her Anishinaabe traditions .

We need to listen to Indigenous people, she reflected.

Leave it to the ladies of Lula Vintage to represent yet another option for sustainable fashion.

On a cool weekday, the St. Pauls Selby Avenue store was filled with loyal Lula customers trying on clothes from years past, even decades past.

Fashion is a trend, style is eternal, said one of the excited customers who looked dressed in head-to-toe couture.

I like history. So I like this side which is unique in this sense, which also had a life before and which continues, declared Génie Castro while sifting through a patchwork of beautiful vintage jackets.

The store itself has been around since 1992. But the St. Paul treasure also marks a new era when it comes to its growing appeal to customers.

More and more teenagers are coming here. More and more young people are buying their prom dresses here, said Hayley Bush, owner of Lulas, who added that she opened the store because, “I love vintage clothes, and I always have.” .

And while Lula's loyal and quirky customers also continue to flock to the store's color-coordinated shelves, Bush believes this new, broader interest will only boost his business while helping the environment.

The more normal it is, the more people will participate in it, and the less likely it will be fast fashion, she said. Why would you get something new when we already have enough in this world? »

The United Nations is helping to lead the fight against the harmful consequences of the fashion industry on the planet. Through the United Nations Sustainable Fashion Alliancethe organization coordinates sustainability efforts across countries and industry.

But Professor Bye believes that individual consumers can also play a role in the fight against fast fashion.

Be thoughtful in the process, Bye said.

Specifically, Bye and others recommend the following for consumers striving to become more sustainable:

Buy from a vintage or second-hand store.

Buy fewer high-quality items (similar to Anishinaabe beliefs that clothing is valued).

Swap clothes with a friend.

Consider renting clothes.

Shop your wardrobe, since Bye notes: we only wear seven percent of what's in our wardrobe.

Ultimately, Bye recommends a little self-reflection before embarking on a shopping spree.

Think before you buy, she said, before suggesting you ask yourself a simple question: Do you really like it?

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