Fashion Elites have always been admired for their trendsetting sense of style. But what if they could start a new trend ? One that pushes sustainability at the forefront, allowing everyone, from designers, models and consumers, to become more aware of the damage fast fashion can cause on the earth. It is predicted that by 2030, the carbon footprint left by the fashion industry will be as large as 2,791m tonnes. However, even on a global scale today, we accumulate 6000 kilos of clothing and textile waste every 10 minutes ! With this in mind, it is difficult to believe that there is a chance to repair this staggering amount of pollution. However, maybe that is just it. We could literally mend our ways; slow fashion is a new movement that has been promoted by a variety of new wave bloggers, hoping to inspire the next generation to think twice before they throw away clothing. In comparison to ‘fast’ fashion, it is a focus on extended the life cycle of clothes we may take for granted. One of the ways this new found movement has spoken to younger audiences is by adorning garments all found from Op Shops, referring to “opportunity shops”. These thrift stores are all across Melbourne, and even Australia ! They provide second-hand items, particularly clothes, at discounted prices, one of their many appeals. Op Shops are also able to reduce a consistently large portion of potential textile waste everyday ! This is just a huge step forward to put a halt to our unsustainable fashion industry ! As well as something that everyone could partake in.
Hence, why I feel this is an important issue to shed light on, as I capture the street style of Melbourne. As a city, there is a significant number of individuals who wear thrifted items of clothing as part of their daily life, which I believe is due to the fact that we are very conscious of social and environmental issues. It is with this in mind that I searched and captured individuals who were not only a stylish, but also possibly believe that op shops play a role in promoting sustainable fashion and paving the way to a better future.
We already have so many trends for the approaching Winter season, why not be a trendsetter and try thrifting.
