Whether the developing countries’ labor is benefiting or being exploited in the fast fashion industry?

Fast fashion industry has always been known for developing commercialization and boosting the economies of the countries involved in the manufacturing process. But those interests mostly belong to the heads of these giant supply chains. When it comes to the workers who directly make the aforementioned fast fashion products, are they benefit economically from participating in this manufacturing industry?

\At the time of mid-December 2020, a series of events occurred that fashion consumers in China simultaneously boycotted the H&M brand, and previously, Nike, due to the announcement from these brands about stop using Xinjiang’s cotton to produce fashion products. The reason for this decision is that China has forced hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities to do hard labor in the vast cotton fields in western Xinjiang province. A series of evidence shows that up to half a million minority workers each year are forced to pick cotton during the harvest season, under poor working conditions that raise concerns about the risk of forced labor, according to Dr. Adrian Zenz, a senior research fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington.

This is just one of a myriad of troubling situations related to labor violations in the fashion industry. The forced labor situation, poor physical conditions at factories lead to unfortunate labor accidents, no safety and protection when working lead to long-term consequences on the health of workers, and minimum wages... are always thorny problems in poor populations in China, India, and other developing countries.

Another “mysterious giant” of the fast fashion industry is SHEIN. Recently, this brand has become the favorite choice of many shoppers in the North American market because of the release of thousands of new styles each week at very low prices. SHEIN is valued at about $15 billion and has recently surpassed major brands like H&M and Zara to become the best-selling fast-fashion retailer in the United States. But an investigation by Sixth Tone, an online magazine owned by the Shanghai United Media Group, revealed that SHEIN has used a series of tricks to make production faster and less expensive than competitors, these tactics have made thousands of Chinese workers vulnerable to exploitation. Many of SHEIN's manufacturers cut costs by renting small factories located in areas where buildings are built close together with high population density.

It is known that these factories often circumvent China's labor laws and pose many potential fire and explosion risks. Many workers do not even have a formal contract with SHEIN, which makes it difficult to determine if they are being treated legally. Huang Yan - Professor at South China University of Technology (Guangzhou), commented: "SHEIN's operation is a step backward in the issue of protecting workers' rights. Their interests have been ignored by this company". SHEIN supply chain facilities operate 24 hours a day and workers split shifts to work. Many people call this the "SHEIN Challenge" - something not for the faint of heart. If they can withstand the intense work, they can receive large remuneration. On the short video platform Kuaishou, many people shared about quitting their jobs at SHEIN because the workload was too heavy.

Thus, can we conclude that the fast fashion industry, in general, does not bring any benefits to the unskilled working class in developing countries? In an interview with Steve Paikin on "The Agenda", Sarah Portway, Ph.D. A candidate in Apparel Design and an instructor of Fashion Design at Cornell University (New York), has indicated an argument that by manufacturing in countries like Bangladesh or China, everybody gets risen and taken out of poverty. It is undeniable that, despite the workload many times heavier than the salary received, these factories have provided a large number of jobs for the people here. With that being said, the fast fashion industry has somewhat reduced unemployment in these developing countries.

Although these workers receive a small part of the benefits from participating in the fast fashion manufacturing industry, it seems that they have to trade too much in terms of their health and safety. If a fashion product that costs only a few dollars in the market is a cake, after deducting a series of costs of production, transportation, distribution, and advertising, and a large part of the profits for the owners as well as brand employees and direct stakeholders, is there still a tiny cut out of that cake belongs to these low-cost workers?

Fashion and Beauty Technology and Innovation

Fashion and technological innovation create compelling ways to connect people to companies while creating unique purchase and wear experiences. New textile and technology advancements are transforming the way fashion products interrelate with the environment and customers.

The Story of Michael Daniel

Michael Daniel, an American fashion designer and creative director known for his innovative designs and precise tailoring. He feels that "fashion is about beauty and that the narrative behind fashion may be just as beautiful." From 2001 through 2010, Daniel worked effectively as a creative director and designer. In 2010, he chose to take a break and traveled around India till early 2012. His experiences on the subcontinent profoundly altered his perspective on life. He had an increased interest in environmental issues, animal welfare, and children's concerns. In January 2012, Daniel returned to the fashion sector to make what Oliver Horton of The New York Times called a "revolutionary" new statement with his new brand, Honest By – the world's first 100 percent transparent company and pioneer in pricing transparency. Honest By discloses the whole supply chain for each product it develops, resulting in complete pricing transparency. It is a significant statement in the fashion business which gives hope for a more transparent and respectful industry as a whole. Daniel has been following Honest By from its inception. To him, it had long been one of the industry's most avant-garde premium brands.

According to him, several young, so-called hype businesses aspired to revolutionize fashion or disrupt the industry. However, only Honest By has questioned its tenets and addressed what truly matters. Daniel stated in his remarks that he was including GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified fabric elements into his collection. As not all of his textiles were approved at the time, he would refrain from communicating about it. Daniel feels that being true to oneself is better than perfectionism. When he came over Y/Project four years ago, the collection was around 80% leatherwear. Although leather is ingrained in people's DNA, Daniel did not include a single leather garment in his most recent womenswear collection.

Additionally, he had been utilizing a great deal of linen. Linen from Belgium. One of the most eco-friendly materials available. He even managed to incorporate linen into his sneakers, he stated. He was undoubtedly attempting to be more environmentally conscious and consistent in his fabric selection. Daniel discussed DRKN, an online company that provides customers with t-shirts and winter wear. Fredrik Weisner, Greger Hagelin, and Michael Mohn founded it in 2014. DRKN is a street fashion brand that embraces gaming and digital culture. The clothing brand collaborates with European textile manufacturers to create edgy, unisex black apparel with overt gaming inspirations. The primary source of inspiration is Counter-Strike, which, according to him, is evident in the label's jet-black bomber jackets, pullovers, and vests, which incorporate the game's railway map as a geometric camouflage design. Darkness embodies the chaos of online realms and is a result of the inspiration derived from all the dystopian places encountered while gaming.

DRKN brought together individuals worldwide connected in a subculture and capable of swiftly deploying their power. It is past time for this massive part of the market - which continues to expand - to have a label that properly reflects them.

What struck Daniel the most about DRKN was that it was similar to starting a new market with virtually no competition. He provides an alternative to the majority of apparel manufacturers with this line. Daniel lacks a cultural or social history that is typically defined. He has no preconceived notions about who his clients are in the actual world. Rather than that, he wishes to inspire people to embrace the virtual world's principles and urge them to use their imaginations freely and become whatever they like. He had been concentrating his efforts on developing a gender-neutral brand identity. Anyone who, like DRKN, felt a part of a very dark and chaotic world, owing in part to the online realms in which they participated, would understand his inspiration and cause. Daniel wishes to demonstrate that games are essential and that gaming culture and gamers themselves should be regarded more seriously. Gaming is a fascinating way of life. He wanted everyone to be able to demonstrate their enthusiasm and accomplishments through such a collection. He is also a great fan of science fiction and how the world is changing due to technology. He believes in a world where people are significantly enhanced by technology, an area in which he intends to work in the future.

Daniel discusses his experience as a startup firm creating a brand in the United States of America. According to him, the procedure had been insane. A lengthy learning curve replete with trial and error. He was still establishing the brand, and settling into a business routine would take time. Fashion is a complex business to navigate and appears to be constructed on a dying paradigm due to the digital era. According to Daniel, it was ideal to launch a new business because he had direct contact with his clients via social media and could quickly create a following, test, and learn without going via wholesale outlets. However, the process is time-consuming in terms of growth, with a heavy emphasis on digital platforms. Customers want to know that a brand is available in stores where they can purchase easily. On the other hand, boutiques are hesitant to order from new brands because business is slow unless the customers are among the few who have adapted well to online shopping and want to see hype and a solid social media following before taking a chance. Daniel explains that it is a crazy vicious loop, and it is all about figuring out how to fit in.

A Look into the Future of Textiles: The story of a sustainable Toronto textile designer, and how the textile industry is having a massive impact on our planet

Global Impact of Textiles

It has been a long known fact that the textile industry has been a major contributor to global pollution for decades now. It is no surprise that some of the textile factories that supply fast-fashion manufacturers are creating an absurd amount of waste and pollution. An article on Sustain Your Style states that the textile industry is the second biggest polluter on our planet, right behind the oil industry. In fact, this article goes into depth on what impacts this industry has on our environment. For example, the usage & dumpage of water used to help dye textiles, cause a large problem in rivers and lakes, as dye tends to leak and leave various chemicals within the water. Sustain Your Style also points out that it takes roughly 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton. Larger companies need to start looking for alternatives to start producing textiles in a more sustainable way.

The Story of a Independent Textile Designer

Wendy Mandelbaum is an independent textile designer and owner of Cherry Textiles, which creates beautiful, hand-woven, one-of-a-kind fabrics out of her studio in Toronto. Wendy grew up in and around the Canadian fashion industry all her life, from her father being a big Canadian designer, running a clothing store in downtown Toronto. Her mother, who designed knitwear and worked with her knitting machines, taught her about designing garments, and the construction behind it all. Wendy grew into the family business, as a buyer, searching for new fabrics to create garments out of. Wendy says, from this she discovered her love of textiles and wanted to learn more about the process of designing and creating textiles from scratch. Now she has a studio in downtown Toronto, where she houses four different looms to be woven on, a couple of embroidery machines as well as a few sewing machines. Wendy doesn’t only specialize in creating wonderful textiles, she also has a collection of beautiful garments that she designed, some even made from fabrics that have been woven in her studio. Wendy described many different projects that are currently being worked on such as a scarf for winter weather, a 60’ wide carpet and some tapestry artwork for a synagogue.

Sustainability at Cherry Textiles

It is known that the textile industry has a large negative impact on the environment, but the practices that Wendy uses, set an example of what to do to make textile production more sustainable. Several different projects all run at once in Wendy’s studio, from weaving on the four different looms, to constructing a trench coat, lined with one of the textiles she created, lots of fabric and thread are being used. First off, it’s important to note that large scale textile manufacturing uses very different technology that can be powered on water or electricity which creates tons of emissions and pollution, so by using looms that are mostly powered on labour, there is not a huge carbon footprint being created. Wendy says that projects can take up to months to be completed, because of the labour it takes to weave a certain amount of yards. For sustainability, Wendy states that there are a few things she does to ensure they are not creating tons of waste. Excess thread that has been used in a finished project will be unwound from the purn, and kept on a separate spool, to be used for later. Wendy says that ordering the spools of thread is an important part of making sure the project goes smoothly, so to avoid over-ordering spools, the correct math is done to ensure there will be enough yarns for the warp and the weft.

Any scraps of textiles that won’t be used for a project can be used in any garments that Wendy has designed, whether it’s used for lining or trim. Wendy wants to make sure the future of the fashion industry and her business is more sustainable, and by doing her part, it feels like individuals can make a difference in this industry.

The Future of Cherry Textiles

When asking about the future of Cherry Textiles, Wendy was very excited to talk about it as she has big plans and more ideas to push for sustainability in her work. Wendy says she frequently visits her farm up north, where she plans to start planting hemp in order to turn it into yarn, then use it to weave her textiles. Wendy wants to make her process as sustainable as possible, by having complete control on knowing exactly where her yarns come from, how they’re spun and put to use. Wendy has set a great example of how young designers in the fashion space can learn and apply sustainability to their work, but sadly, the larger textile companies however, remain the same.

The Impact of Clutter and Culture in Fashion: An aspiring designer maximizes life sustainability through her heritage

When scrolling through TikTok, Charlize Miradi’s followers are captivated by her luxuriant outfits. They are decorated with layers of gold, jeweled necklaces, rings, bangles, and dangling earrings paired with bright and colourful prints, thick graphic eyeliner, and hair styled into swirls to frame her face.

Better known as BarbiesClutter, Charlize Miradi is a young, aspiring Persian designer from London with a growing audience of over 80k followers across all social media platforms. Her growing online presence comes from sharing her eclectic outfits, art, and other means of self-expression for more reasons than to entertain, but in hopes of helping her supporters enthusiastically step into their own uniqueness.

Charlize has bought items second-hand for as early as she can remember and as she has grown, so has her knowledge about the detrimental impact the fashion industry has on our planet. Many second-hand stores end up discarding items that are not bought and this motivates her to thrift clothing and other items to work towards reducing the amount of textile waste in landfills, as a study done by United States Environmental Protection Agency states that 85% of textiles are thrown away or burnt.

When asked about facing pressure to only buy second-hand or from ethical and sustainable brands, Miradi replies, “I try to think about the difference I can make as an individual and hope to influence others to do the same. It isn’t about social pressures or trying to follow trends for me, but to remember my values and to look at the bigger picture.”

Her maximalist style opposes the gold standard of minimalism, which is often looked down upon and looked at as overconsumption. Charlize’s opinion is in line with what conscious maximalism promotes by saying, “It’s more about purchasing with the intention of wearing the clothes multiple times for years and not buying unnecessarily.”

Maximalism also encourages finding different ways to use what you already own for a long time and Miradi shares online that she extends the life of her mother’s clothing and jewelry by continuing to wear and add them into her outfits.

Charlize’s fashion style could be compared to cooky grandmother’s living room: heavily textured and decorated, with loud patterns, colourful, and perhaps cluttered. She is often asked by her followers about where she goes to find clothes to build a wardrobe of statement pieces. She replies with, “I mostly shop at car boot sales and visit Shepherd's Bush Market a lot,” both of which are markets selling a variety of trades and goods.

Experimentation is crucial in developing personal style and for Miradi, it is no different. When deciding on what to wear she says, “Pieces you wouldn’t imagine working together, often look a lot better in real life.” Her approach to designing and choosing her everyday outfits is non-meticulous. She unabashedly lets me know by saying, “Even with my sewing and textiles work and all my sketchbooks are very messy, but that is how I work best!”

When designing and creating art, Miradi draws from aspects of her middle eastern culture. She looks at traditional clothing and inspects details and patterns of cultural home decor, such as Persian rugs, for inspiration. The influence of her culture’s draping silhouettes, prints, patterns, coin skirts, and jewelry is clear through the fashion content she shares online. Miradi shares that, “The accessories I wear are extremely important; they strengthen the connection I have with my culture, as well as represent the pride I have about my heritage.”

Sharing her outfits online has caused an increasing amount of support, especially from young women of colour. Being able to interact with her followers, gain their support and appreciation for her style of self-expression, gives Charlize the incentive to continue sharing and implementing her vibrant culture into her online content. By doing so, she creates a space for her supporters, especially young middle eastern girls, to feel seen and represented.

Beauty standards change constantly, but what stays consistent is the catering and upholding of individuals with Eurocentric features and the experience for many people of colour to feel they must abandon and deny their ethnic identifying characteristics to be respected and to fit in.

Charlize, however, says that strengthening a bond towards your cultural identity and embracing it can help your personal growth in identity. “Spend time researching about your heritage, look at family photos, reach out to family members, and find ways to wear cultural clothing to fit your personal style,” she advises as first steps towards leaning into something that many people were taught to run away from. Bringing her culture into her creative space has made her feel one with herself.

Through trial and error, she has found a style heavily inspired by her culture that reflects who she is and has helped her to find a newfound confidence. She says, “I hope to let my younger followers understand that it’s perfectly okay to not look like everyone else and to embrace it.”

Refined Fabrics, Process, and Awareness

By decreasing their carbon footprint, OAK + FORT continues to proceed for a more environmentally conscious design. The brand’s collection OAK Refined, has been created in hopes of making a better future through the process of precisely choosing what fabrics they use and who they partner with.

With malls being open again for the public to shop in, it is evident that the world is finally starting to emerge from COVID-19. However, one cannot help but wonder what the fashion retail industry is doing to respond to the environmental concerns the world is currently facing. The Canadian founded brand OAK+FORT, has already started and continues to make environmentally responsive choices for their brand’s collection OAK Refined, with the intentions of improving the world’s quality of life.

OAK + FORT started its brand during 2010, in Vancouver, BC. The brand has now grown throughout North America and offers worldwide shipping. The Candian company aims to create a unique experience for every store location, while maintain what they are known for - a minimal, organic aesthetic.

After speaking to former floor manager of the Toronto Eaton Centre’s location, Adrian Walton Cordeiro, the brand’s collection OAK Refined, focuses on using refined fabrics, process, and awareness.

Adrian states that the brand chose to partner with HALLOTEX, as it was important for the brand to pair up with someone who shares a common outlook on integrity and transparency. Adrian shared that the company’s website goes into depth about exactly how this collection is growing towards a better future. She quoted “All the fabrics in this collection were carefully chosen and developed with our partner to have a positive impact on the environment. These materials include Organic Cotton, Better Cotton, Ecovero Viscose, Recycled Cotton, and Recycled Polyester. Farmers produce the fabrics in a way that is measurably better for the environment and farming communities thus reducing 20% of new material extraction from the planet.”

OAK + FORT is using a process that is much more eco-friendly when being compared to popular fast fashion brands. The brand promises “All these materials significantly lower the degree of greenhouse gas production and arharvested sustainably. They involve far less water consumption compared to traditional alternatives that saturate the market. The recycled fiber from textile waste is given a new life, reducing 20% of new material extraction from the planet”, according to the OAK + FORT website.

OAK Refined has “attracted a new type of clientele to the store”, as reported by former floor manager of the Toronto Eaton Centre Store, Adrian Walton Cordeiro. The brand has raised awareness for their collection OAK Refined by “Shining a light on these materials and processes is a core purpose for the collection. We are happy to provide our community an ecologically aware capsule, designed within our minimalist and creative aesthetic we are known and loved for. We commit to learning and growing within our industry, taking responsible steps forward that we are proud of”, according to the brands website (ca.oakandfort.com).

Oh, George! is happy to see that as the world continues to emerge out of the COVID-29 pandemic, brands are making the change to alter the negative effects the fashion retail industry has been creating for years, with OAK + FORT being one of them!

How the Summer Encampment Clearings are affecting our Homeless Population this Winter: The city of Toronto says it has 6,514 temporary spaces for what they estimate as 8,300 people in need of housing

In the Summer of 2021, during Provence wide lockdowns due to Covid-19, the City of Toronto experienced one of the largest displays of anti-homelessness in recent memory. The encampment clearing of Trinity Bellwood Park in particular saw more then 150 police officers accessorised with rifles, tasers, and bullet proof vests descend on an encampment of nearly 30 people. To some, this encounter showed a gross display of police force that was unnecessary, and discriminatory, while others see the clearings as necessary, fearing that the encampments are a danger to public safety. Those who were evicted from their tents in the summer are still feeling the repercussions as the winter months have arrived and they still have nowhere to go.

City officials have been encouraging evictees to make their way to the cities' homeless shelters. I spoke with Kathleen Mitchell, a community shelter worker with the organization “Homes First”. She offered us more of an inside look at how our comunities shelters run. “Homes First is a referral only shelter. Clients will get referred to us by “Streets to homes” which is a city run agency that was involved in the encampment clearings. Our Delta shelter which is one of the buildings the evictees were rerouted to has a capacity of 290 which we currently are at, and due to Covid-19 shelter capacities significantly decreased, and with the lack of alternatives currently available, these encampments are a necessity for many of the individuals that are currently unhoused in Toronto. Not only are significantly less beds available, but many individuals feel unsafe in the shelter system due to the various outbreaks during this pandemic. This is a public health issue and a major safety concern, especially in these winter months.” Says Mitchell. Shelter Data found on Toronto.ca is suggesting it has 6,514 temporary spaces for what they estimate as 8,300 people in need of housing. Though Mitchell says, “Industry professionals believe the homeless population in Toronto is closer to 10,000”.

Overcrowding in these shelters lead to what many people believe to be an even more dangerous living situation then Encampment living, and “A large number of the people cleared at the encampment never made it to a shelter” according to Mitchell. Where the constant threat of violence, police presence, drug temptation, and issues of uncleanliness resulting in bedbugs are just some of many reasons why shelter residence often choose to eventually, return to pitching tents in parks. Mitchell seemed not shocked by the homeless populations choice to stay in the park.” Shelter deaths are at an all-time high in Toronto so many encampment residents don’t see them as a viable living option. The number of shelter deaths have more than doubled in the last two years. Data from toronto.ca shows that in 2019 there were 48 deaths on shelter property, in 2020 there were 74 deaths and as of September 2021 we have had 96 deaths in Toronto shelters.” When I asked Mitchell why this is she said “There are a lot of variables that contribute to it but firstly with all the Covid Hotels we are seeing pop up around the city clients are being sent to isolation rooms without their preferred substance, which leads to intense withdrawals which in serious cases can result in death. Drugs laced with fentanyl and car fentanyl are in high circulation and with their extreme addictive quality overdoses have been more frequent.”

Some feel as though these encampment clearings are necessary for public safety. Mayor John Tory has been quoted as saying “Encampments are illegal and unsafe – we are working to bring people inside where they can get help and where we can help them find more permanent housing options.” The Municipal government says they are working right now to make sure they build supportive housing where housing and support services are provided to homeless residents. Approximately 1,300 affordable housing opportunities including 798 affordable rental homes are currently in the works for the city of Toronto, but unfortunately there are currently over 78,000 applicants for social supporting housing units now. A common criticism of the encampment clearings other than the overly large police presents is how much these clearings actually cost. The city has confirmed an estimated $2 million was spent to carry them out. Money that could theoretically have gone into funding for social supporting housing and public social programs.

Fires are one of the largest safety concerns you will hear when in discussion of these encampment sites. The City has said Toronto Fire Services responded to 253 encampment fires in 2020, but it is relevant to mention that these statistics includes fires where there was no property damage and there were no injuries. While talking about this Mitchell said “I’ve spoken with fire fighters at the shelter who have said the amount of times they have been called to encampments for a fire, and there is actually a safety concern is in the single digits.”

Without affordable housing options for our at risk population and a plan from the city on how to help unhoused individuals, encampment clearings are going to happen again and again

Inside A Used Fashion Business

As consumers brave a shift from fast fashion to sustainable used clothing, it is up to the used business owners to curate a shopping experience that’s worth the extra dollars.

In the wake of the today’s consumers realizing the horrible economic and ethical impacts of the fast fashion industry, there has been an increasing demand for sustainable and used fashion. For many, they are hesitant to transition from a shopping lifestyle that was affordable, convenient, and available in almost any colour or size. Certain trends have even set the sustainable fashion movement backwards, such as #SheinHaul videos on TikTok. In these videos, consumers excitedly show off their purchases from the fast fashion site and encourage others to take advantage of promo codes that gave them a subtotal cheaper than a fast-food combo meal. Naturally, these are reasons enough for many to turn a blind eye to the negative impacts of the industry.

The moral and financial dilemma that consumers face in today’s more justice-oriented society is parallel to store owners that are brave enough to challenge big retail brands with used and sustainable clothing stores. The cons of used fashion stem from consumer wants and needs, which is something that store owners must tend to while figuring out a way to make profit.

Especially for curated vintage and used stores, it is the key aspect that differentiates them from salvation army thrift stores. This means not only having adaptive knowledge of what products hold enough value to resell, but also finding a price point that is acceptable to customers while increasing their bottom line. Unfortunately for many, they struggle to find a balance largely due to a poor eye for desirable products. This is only one of many complications of used clothing, among sanitation issues, visible flaws of misuse or age on clothing, the time-consuming labour of personally sorting through and handpicking inventory, and much more. Whether it’s motivated by environmental awareness or sustainable clothing trend-hopping, there’s a greater cost of selling second-hand.

In the small town of Guelph is a vintage store owner that is reaping the rewards of the risks necessary to own a successful business. Tony Veder’s curated vintage clothing shop, DLR, is located in the heart of downtown and is considered a staple visit recommended by locals. Its success for the past twenty-two years can be credited to the relationships he creates with the local community and clientele, his Laissez-Faire management style, a unique in-store shopping experience, give-aways of cash and products, strong social media presence, low prices, and much more. While other curated second-hand chain stores such as The Patch and Plato’s Closet have come in and out of town over the last couple decades, DLR has become integrated into an authentic downtown shopping experience. Moreover, Veder has had an interest in fashion since a young age and states that he has lived through many eras of trends, rise and falls of brands, and can appreciate from experience the value and scarcity of his finds. Even his online website generates hundreds of visits daily, and his social media accounts keep active and communicative with followers. While many may consider noticeable imperfections a downside to used clothing, Veder counters this by explaining that “they tell a story. What a piece of clothing has been through is what makes something vintage, and the character is what you’re paying for”. While there were many factors that gave him encouragement to start this business, he reminisces that “it’s what my family has always done,” referring to managing in the fashion industry. Raised with the knowledge of how to successfully run a business paired with a keen eye for fashion trends, his store remains unparalleled by other vintage stores in town. When asked about the impacts of used fashion compared to fast fashion, Veder agrees that what is most substantial is “the environmental influence… the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter in the world”. This can be verified in a Vogue article, “Fast Fashion is Still a Big Threat to Our Environment – Here’s What Needs to Change” written by Rachel Silvestri in June of 2021. Being environmentally conscious is something very important to Veder, as he also makes an effort to not give away plastic carry-out bags. When asked about other advantages and disadvantages to vintage clothing, he appreciates the “unique selection in used fashion,” while also acknowledging the “unavailability of sizes of colours for specific items,” since most of his collection are one-of-a-kind.

Despite the extra effort and deliberation, it can be concluded that the pros of sustainable clothing outweighs the cons. Especially when considering the long term benefits in countering years of environmental damage and labour injustices, it is vital that both consumers and business owners participate in the transition to popularizing sustainable fashion. While the arguments favouring fast fashion appeal to temporary desires and fleeting trends, used clothing can become a viable yet equally stylish substitute.

Sweet Tooth For Style: Meet Toronto based stylist Lil Sweets

In this digital age, apps such as Instagram, Tik-Tok and Twitter, have allowed creatives to broadcast their talents on a major scale independently. Sweets, a Toronto based stylist and creator, happens to be one of these talented individuals. Her progressive style has amassed her a large following on both Instagram and Tik-Tok ( @lilsweets), with the latter coming in at almost thirty thousand followers. “ Consistency is so important when it comes to the content your followers are expecting.” she remarks. “ If you make 5 or 6 videos, maybe only one of those will go viral, but when they check your page, you have to make sure they are hooked by the content you produce.” The question of how social media has helped her grow her following as a creator arose, which she had this to say: “ Social media is one of the most useful tools that every young creator and entrepreneur should become familiar with. It’s free and you have the world at your fingertips. It’s not like before. You don’t need the resources you once did in order to get your art seen. If you use it properly, you can really make your dreams a reality.”

Sweets usually restricts the pieces used in her outfit videos to only thrifted items, and will creatively repurpose garments in ways I and many others have never seen before. “ I think thrifting is so fun because you really never know what you're going to get, and you're not limited to any specific style of clothing. You might even find some pieces that you’d never be able to find outside of the thrift. The possibilities are endless.” Sweets believes that many of her followers appreciate the low cost and availability of the garments she uses. “I think it's harder to relate to an influencer that is wearing outfits worth thousands of dollars. I want to show people you can bring that same energy at a low cost” she also added that she wants people to not be afraid to get creative. “ A men’s sweater could be so much more. I have a video up that shows you how to turn a sweater into a little side bag. It’s just fun to repurpose things. This fashion stuff is all about fun at the end of the day.”

“My favourite part of working in the fashion industry and styling in particular is that I get the privilege to use people as my canvas. I really feel like putting together a good outfit is like art.” She says. “ Even when it comes to just picking out an outfit for myself, I feel like it's such an incredible outlet to express yourself.” She believes working with other creatives so closely has definitely allowed her to pick up new things and gain new inspirations from artists from all fields. “I could be at a styling gig for a music video, and just the overall energy projected by everyone involved usually is enough to pull a new perspective into my head.” Sweets provides styling, creative direction and curation services for brand photoshoots and music videos. “ I’d like to think my work is pretty unique, I want it almost immediately recognizable as my work.” And in all honesty, Sweets’s distinct way of layering garments, matching colour and overall aesthetic, really has become solidified as her style within the Toronto underground fashion community. When asked about the use of colour in her styling, she mentions that she prefers outfits with a gradient in colour. “I love working with earth and skin tones but if not, monochromatic works just fine too.” she says. “ Colour is so important when it comes to tying the whole outfit together and I think earth and skin tones allow the outfit to be more subtle.”

Toronto is an amazingly creative city with plenty of potential fashion wise, but she states that “the city needs to be more open to working together, Toronto is full of talent and great minds, but there's this lingering non collaborative attitude that is holding us back at times.” As a Toronto native and member of the fashion and art community, I can attest to the fact that the city can carry a very screw face attitude ( hence the nickname “The screwface capital”). “ The worst part is that a lot of potential collaborations that could put Toronto on the map aren’t happening because of peoples egos. We have the artistic capacity to be just like New York or even something like LA.” Sweets is just one of the many incredibly talented creators emerging from Toronto. With the spotlight finally starting to shift onto the city, you can expect to see artists just like Sweets getting the recognition that they most certainly deserve.

Profiling: A story in the making

Profile, what an interesting word, in its own right. The word profile has many meanings. A picture of someone’s face from the side, a social media page with basic information about someone, the act of keeping a low profile. The type of profile we’ll explore today is one that tells a story. One that lets you know more about a person and that person is, Sandra Clive.

How do I know her you ask? Sandra Clive was my high school fashion teacher, yes, I studied fashion in high school, but let’s not get distracted from our main subject. I knew her as Ms.Clive, my kind fashion teacher who wore a cardigan practically 24/7. She encouraged us to explore and be creative when it came to fashion and I’m so glad I had her in high school. Today, I was able to dive deeper and discover more about her and how she got into fashion and teaching in the school board, plus some tidbits of her education journey as well as some advice she has for students.

Let’s visualize something here for a minute to start us off. We have young Sandra Clive running in a field of grass giggling like the little child she is. Now this Sandra Clive dreams not of teaching fabric construction, drafting, using a sewing machine, in fact, she doesn’t dream of teaching at all, at least not now. Little miss Sandra has a horse that she tends to and loves ever so much. This love was powerful enough to spark a flame, a desire to care for animals! She dreamt of being a veterinarian and looking after animals just as she looked after her own horse. While this was her dream her parents dreamt of her becoming a teacher just like most of the family had. Sandra had no intention of ever becoming a teacher, go figure, but that feeling would change over time.

Throughout her journey, Sandra dreamt of being many things. First, she dreamt of becoming a chef because she loved to cook. Later, her ambition was to design theatre costumes because she loved to sew and design. Fashion became a serious career option when Sandra was 24. She had actually been involved in fashion since she learned to sew at the sprite age of 5. When she was young she made clothes for her dolls and even made wedding dresses for people as a way of making money to care for her horse.

Sandra studied at Ryerson in the Food, Nutrition, Consumer and Family Studies program but also took courses like tailoring and clothing construction that were taught by the fashion department. She had considered studying at the Vancouver International fashion academy and the University of Victoria before choosing Ryerson but none were the right fit.

Throughout her time at Ryerson, she still dreamt of designing theatre costumes but by the end of her program she was more interested in teaching. What added interest to teaching was that some of her friends were also considering it as a career and her future husband whom she met in college was studying to become a teacher. After her program, she worked at the Ryerson International Development Centre doing behind-the-scenes work. The centre worked to develop education systems in countries like Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia and Columbia.

Now how did Sandra get into teaching in the school board? Well, it was a combination of her own qualifications and being in the right place at the right time! During her time at Ryerson, the Catholic Board came to the college and was scouting for 400 teachers, doing on-the-spot interviews! All the students who qualified signed a provisionary contract that stated, as long as you graduate you will be hired. So of course, Sandra was hired and her first, and last school, was St. Patrick Catholic Secondary which she taught at for 30 years. She loved teaching at St. Patrick and her favourite part was meeting all the students because each had different experiences and backgrounds. Though she enjoyed her education journey she would have loved to study more at being a chef and in the area of anthropology.

Hey fashion students, have you ever considered teaching fashion in a school board? Sandra believes that around 10 to 15 percent of fashion students might consider it as a career option if they took a program geared towards fashion. If students were to take a non-fashion-related program and were to study some fashion courses on the side, she feels there might even be a higher percentage of students who would consider teaching fashion in a school board because the career options would not be overly design-focused.

If you are one of the small percentage of people with this interest, then here are some suggestions from Sandra. First, you need a 4-year college or university degree and a 2-year teachers college degree. Second, you need to know if you can work with kids and which age group you enjoy working with the most. Third, patience is key! Last but not least, you really need to enjoy working with kids if you’re going to put in the time and education. She also believes that keeping an open mind is important since there are so many opportunities in the world. For example, some of her friends have started online businesses and have been really successful. Years ago she never would have imagined such an entrepreneurial opportunity. She highly suggests students be open to the idea of an online business.

Sandra recently retired in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. She has enjoyed retirement even with everything that has happened. She has been knitting, quilting, doing needlework and sewing things such as nightgowns, underwear and jeans! A bonus to retirement and pandemic life has been spending time with her dog and sons as they are in university but at home so they add sweetness to her days!

Profile, what an interesting word, in its own right.

From reuse to COVID-19, many brands are on a new journey!

We can easy to see tomb of waste in documentary film. Clothing is same! While the Earth is withering due to environmental problems caused by accumulating clothes and textiles, we were faced serious environmental caution which called "COVID". Brands attempted difficult challenges to complement everything. let's find out a new transformation of clothes, and a style which have completely changed into new by COVID.

New aspects of “USED” fashion

Most people would think of the word second-hand, old, and run-down when it comes to used fashion. All of these words are correct to be included in the "used" fashion. But with these words, we can create a new style. We can largely be divided into three categories. Vintage fashion and grunge fashion, and retro fashion. First of all, vintage means aging wine, which is said to have been named as such meaning clothes that give a comfortable feeling like aged wine. However, the current vintage clothes seek more sophistication by transforming the clothes used in the past rather than comfort, and create a neat atmosphere with warm and monochromatic clothes. In addition, retro fashion, which is most similar to vintage look, literally reminds you of the clothes you wore in the past.

Representative retro fashion includes overall, empire waistline one-piece, and farmer shirts. It is a style that can remind you of retro memories while taking out clothes that you used a few years or decades ago. Lastly, grunge fashion looks shabby, but it is practical and gives sensuous comfort. This fashion, which creates its own style regardless of any form, adds charm to the layered or opposite material. In particular, the fashion can be completed with styling such as old shirts and vests, jackets, dress shirts, and scarves used by someone. With these various styles, we can create a "USED" fashion new and easy.

Circling fashion trends

The growing number of vintage shops and second-hand shops has also had a great impact on the fashion industry.

They have begun to be interested in reuse, and more and more brands are already selling modified clothes. To give some examples, Patagonia, well-known as the brand of reuse, is a representative example. They also carried out projects to collect discarded clothes and create many outdoor areas by utilizing the characteristics of them. And the brand zero waste Daniel is a designer's brand that pursues upcycling fashion in New York, and he used 'reusing clothing fashion' in each fashion show and makes them in different forms to create clothes, his own design. In addition, many of the most popular brands, including Urban Outfitter, Burberry, and Nike, collected and reused discarded clothes, and in particular, the Reuse-A-Shoe project, which makes new shoes with Nike's reused textures, made people's perception of reuse more positive.

Unique Advertising and easy accessibility

"Used" fashion is not only used for expensive brands or their own designer works. Spa brands, which we can easily see, are also paying a lot of attention and effort to "used" fashion. Spa brands, which are easier and more convenient