Sustainablity.

This semester, I Stefanie O'Dea second year Fashion Design student of QUT, am being introduced to an awareness of differing approaches to design practice and issues surrounding fashion and sustainability...

When briefed with the requirements and theme of this semester, i was instantly made aware of who i was in regards to sustainability, and how i was contributing to the impact being made on the environment, both as a designer and a consumer. The question was simply stated :

Q. Would you consider yourself to be an ethical consumer? what about an ethical designer? why/ why not.

I was blissfully unaware until responding to this question that i was not at all an ethical consumer nor was i an ethical designer. I do not and never have based a purchase around the 'behind the scenes' information of a garment (i.e Natural Resources used in production, Pollutants emitted and the Social impacts, such as oil spills and slave labour), i purely make the purchase due to a' love at first sight experience' and an examination of the quality and fit of the garment. As a designer, before this brief i was aware of issues surrounding fashion and sustainability but did not understand the enormous impact the industry had on the environment. Therefore I never considered the issues surrounding the production of textiles, the life of the garment, the waste of fabric, the breakdown of the materials and how i would be contributing, when designing a garment and choosing the fabrics and finishes i would utilise.

I aim to ask myself this very question at the end of this semester, hoping to hear through it my increased awareness of the issues surrounding sustainability and fashion.