What is “Slow-Fashion”?
Inhale. Take a deep breath. Smell the flowers (… and take your allergy meds). Along with the buds of this spring season, give yourself permission to reset – both physically and emotionally. With new blooms, spring breeds new hope (and animals), especially as we experience a revival of life, post-vaccine.
Unlike our planet, historically, the fashion industry has only had two seasons: spring / summer and fall / winter. However, over the past decade, many parts of the fashion industry have shifted to a “fast-fashion” business model, sometimes even creating new collections every other week!
Can you envision the amount of waste this new paradigm creates? How do these clothes get made so quickly? Is the quality the same? The answers usually lead down a dark well of human exploitation and cheaply made clothing. Sacrificing artistry, craftsmanship, people, and the environment, the disposable clothes we are sold unfortunately bear a true cost.
The tides are beginning to turn. Pioneering brands have taken a stand and reverted to slower, artisanal methods. Buying slower, sustainable fashion means an investment in higher quality clothes, longer-lasting designs, decent wages for labor, better working conditions, and a reduction of harm to our planet. The next time you shop, vote with your dollars and wear the change you want to see.
Local Nomad embraces the slow fashion movement and we pride ourselves on passing along the stories behind our goods. Have you checked out our sustainably made and ethically block-printed MIRTH dresses, crafted in a biodegradable cotton/silk blend? They are inspired by wildflower fields – floral, flowy and unburdened by artificial timelines. MIRTH employs weavers from India who handloom and block-print by hand most of their fabrics, relishing the fine art of slow-fashion.
p.s. To stroll the extra mile, check out Good on You app’s sustainability ratings (it’s fun … we promise!) that take into account people and the planet, including our furry friends.
-
Kinari Patel, Local Nomad's newest employee, enjoys learning how to live more sustainably -- from the clothes she wears to the products she buys to the places she eats. She loves researching and sharing what she discovers along the way. You can find her experimenting at home at @sustainablykinari or uncovering sustainable hidden treasures around Phoenix @sustainablyphoenix.