The Cultural Agenda In Sustainable Fashion

We as a generation have great ease, access and convenience when it comes to buying fast fashion products. Looking for a simple white T-shirt? You can just get it from a Primark or order it from Shein for less than 5 Euros, use it for 6 months, dump it and repeat the whole cycle again. For a price that low and a convenience that high, no one stops to think twice how long the product will last or where it was made. Fashion, even though it highly relies on Nature and Humans for all its raw materials and processing, rarely takes these two factors into account in its production, consumption and waste disposal.

I grew up in a middle-class Indian family. Where I come from, hand-me-downs isn’t just a practice but a strong part of my culture. Using the hand-me-down clothes and toys of your elder brother or sister, or your cousins was a “Rite of passage”. This recycling/upcycling habit has been a part of my culture for generations, and now because of the changing consumer habits and attitudes, these age old traditions are dwindling. Now under the pretext of “individuality” and “personal style”, wearing hand-me-downs isn’t cool anymore and you get to shop for new clothes every 2 weeks because that is how fast your “personal style “goes out of fashion.

Where I grew up has had a huge impact on how I look at Fashion. I remember buying the most exquisite hand-woven fabrics for Diwali with my family to get them customized and sewn into a beautiful frock or a salwar suit, or using my mother's or grandmother's 10-year old saree to make a beautiful top. I remember the fashion, where everyone from the Weaver to the Tailor was appreciated in the garment that you adorned proudly and maintained for generations to come. The fashion that we see and wear now is just a hollowed out shell. It has largely become a cycle of endless reproduction, marketing, and mass consumption rather than a genuine expression of creativity, craftsmanship, or cultural significance. 

In the past, fashion was largely tied to cultures, each with its own unique style, identity and ideology. Today, thanks to social media and rapid trend cycles, these subcultures have been diluted into aesthetic categories, cherry-picked and repackaged by brands without the cultural depth they once had. After the industrial revolution, traditional craftmanship and hand-made couture have taken a back-seat, True artistry in fashion—meticulous tailoring, hand embroidery, unique fabric treatments—is rare and often inaccessible. Many luxury brands that once prided themselves on their heritage and craftsmanship have also succumbed to mass appeal, prioritizing logo-driven hype over artistry.

To quote Alex MacIntosh, the course leader of the Fashion Futures master’s program at London College of Fashion, “In essence, I'm questioning the dominant aspect of current fashion culture, the role of brand and branding. Celebrity endorsement, digital influencers, product placements, targeted advertising. If it were possible to strip away all of these layers from our cultural experience of luxury fashion, what would be left? Without Jennifer Lawrence on the front row does Dior still shine?”

To challenge the current fashion narrative and drive sustainability through cultural influence, we must first examine our values and ensure they are reflected in the brands we support. Are we uplifting the right ideals? Is funding and attention being allocated where they can make the most impact? Are those in positions of power truly committed to change? By addressing these fundamental questions, we can begin to reconnect with our heritage and harness the wisdom of longstanding traditions to reshape the fashion industry in a more sustainable and ethical direction.