Swapping, mending and lending create the perfect recipe for waging a war against fast fashion, recommends co-founder of Sustainable Fashion Dublin, Taz Kelleher.
Since the rise of fast fashion in the early 2000s, our environment has been crying out for change in consumer trends. The fashion industry is currently ranked as the fifth largest polluter in the world, according to a report compiled by The Global Fashion Agenda.
The aim of Sustainable Fashion Dublin is to educate people on the detrimental effects the fast fashion industry has on our environment, while equally highlighting the multitude of pre-existing alternatives at our disposal, sustainability activist Kelleher said.
“It highlights the accessibility of using what you have and beating the throwaway trend that has become so unanimous with clothing nowadays,” Kelleher added.
Since co-founding Sustainable Fashion Dublin with partner in crime Geraldine Carton a year ago, Kelleher has noticed a positive shift in attitude towards addressing the climate crisis.
The events they organise such as swap-shops, charity shop crawls, upcycling workshops and panel discussions are “doubling in attendees” while major corporations such as Facebook, Innocent Drinks and Guinness have collaborated with the duo for sustainable advice.
“I think what makes us different too is that we provide people with a fun, inclusive approach. It’s not a doom and gloom option to be more eco-conscious,” Kelleher said.
The 2013 collapse of the eight-story commercial building in Bangladesh, known as the Rana Plaza, spurred Kelleher’s activism into motion. This building housed garment factories for labels such as Zara, Primark and Mango. The collapse killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500, according to The International Labour Organization.
“I think that was the first time that I linked my consumption and my consumerism with fast fashion; with people actually dying because of my habits,” Kelleher remarked.
The industry emits 1.2 billion tons of CO2 per year, equating to roughly five per cent of global emissions. That is more than the emissions created by air travel and international shipping, according to 7billionfor7seas. People cannot simply throw a “blind eye” at the situation anymore, Kelleher added.
The goal of Sustainable Fashion Dublin is to prove that “sustainability is for everyone,” you don’t need an expensive Chilly’s water bottle, or a Keep Cup to prove your eco-conscious awareness, Kelleher said.
It’s not about a small group of people giving one hundred per cent and doing everything perfect, it’s about everyone doing things imperfectly, she added.
“No matter your size, age, gender, your socio-economic background, your income…sustainability is accessible and it is for you and it is easy,” Kelleher concluded.
Sustainability might just be the crusader we need in combating the humanitarian crisis that is climate change.