UCA graduates challenge fast fashion practices

University for the Creative Arts (UCA) graduates have challenged fast fashion practices and have instead come up with sustainable business ventures such as making new clothing out of waste materials, producing garments with sustainable materials and developing apps and concepts to support consumers to become more sustainable.

Mary Carson, senior lecturer for fashion business in UCA, announced in a statement: “Our student’s interest in sustainability and the environmental impact of the fashion industry has grown hugely since 2015 with a really big shift in the last three years.

“The Greta effect from 2018 has been a huge driver for this – leading Gen Zs around the world as climate change activists. And, we have now reached a point where our students are no longer being taught sustainability because it has become second nature to them.”

Graduates’ create sustainable business ventures

CJ Hammond has created a clothing brand called ‘Workroom’ and he stated: “At the core of Workroom is the consumer-brand relationship. by presenting our practices and being transparent. Our ethos lies within up-cycling unwanted materials or clothing and remaking them into new and exciting designs - giving a whole new life to the garment.”

Sián Lewis has produced a sustainable sneaker brand, she added: “That’s why I developed a plant-based, biodegradable sneaker brand that takes environment and ethics into consideration. With the average sneaker thrown into landfill and taking thousands of years to decompose, my sneaker will decay in just 20 years!”

Mimi Earle has produced a retail concept called ‘Seven Fourteen’, which demonstrates how to provide an alternative to fast-fashion through the second-hand clothing market, she commented: “My research shows that there is a gap in the sustainable fashion market for second-hand /pre-loved clothing. By using online resale platforms like Depop, Vinted or eBay we can challenge the dominance of fast-fashion brands and help create a more circular industry.”

Additionally, Chanél Jordaan developed an app called ‘And Ever’ that allows the consumer to consider their buying habits through the help of wellbeing practices, she said: “My work promotes a slower, more considerate and meaningful lifestyle. Being sustainable is not something to be bought, but rather it is in our being. I explore simple ways to live resourcefully or have a sustainable relationship with fashion without having to spend.”

Photo credit: University for the Creative Arts