COMPETE for the GREEN

What does our economy thrive on? When I try to answer this question myself, numerous things come to mind because the world we live in is such a fast paced environment there is not just one answer. The color green is evidently relevant. This could mean many things depending on your standpoint. For starters, money is what people these days invest their life in and what makes their world go round. Money to buy the latest fashion no matter where it came from or what the cost, it seems these days that “money” is at our fingertips for disposal. However, many should start to consider what another kind of “green” could do for them and the earth we live in.  

We push the term “green” because it is what we all hope our economy will learn to put into action, whether it be through recycling or another issue that will be mentioned later on. In terms of Armstrong and LeHew’s article, Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant, people are consumed with owning the “what is in for now” trend and in return the economy is suffering waste, child labor, and placing heavy reliance on technology to try and turn over outrageous material demands. Materialism and consumerism are a large part of why our planet is so dysfunctional in the demand of goods. There is no light at the end of the tunnel of when this will be put to a stop permanently. So until then there are things Americans should try to implement that are mentioned in Armstrong and LeHew;s artcicle. Instead of having a clothing style for every season, introduce one line for the entire year. This idea demonstrates a way to slow down our economy growth and could possibly slow the change. We see how it is today when the “must have” chevron patterned dress comes out, but by next week a better one comes out that is plain and simple, but is now the “must have.” I myself am guilty of it, just like everyone else of wanting that item that will essentially complete my wardrobe, but in reality it will NEVER be complete and we don’t often think about what process was under gone in the making of that product.

If there was something that could be done to slow down the change process, it would take time to implement. What people should start to ponder is, how is consumerism starting to affect the environment and how much longer can it last? Armstrong and LeHew’s article discusses the “pink elephant” and how it is broken down for our understanding. Our society has evolved into a greediness that has reliance upon materials, technology and energy to power. What does it matter if in the end the world can’t continue to keep up with our fast paced lifestyle?

Sustainable products should be put into affect for a number of reasons. In the Fashioning Sustainability article, there are eight key issues that are pin pointed and elaborated upon. “To make sustainable clothing mainstream these must be tackled.” To summarize their words, fashion consumption, cotton production, working conditions, fashion miles and animal welfare just to name a few, all play a vital role in the broad scheme of things. Even if we were to hone in on a couple of these world wide, it could start to make a difference. Becoming an eco-friendly society doesn’t have to be next to impossible, but it may be hard to take the first step since this is all we have ever known. It will however, be difficult if our economy does not start giving back what it has already taken, and soon. As an interior design major and seeing how our designs can utilize resources that we have on hand to better preserve our environment. Reusing materials and taking the old and making something new and purposeful can be a wonderful thing. Throughout our book readings it defines sustainability and the "direct affects on environmental conditions by using natural resources." We all know as designers that the look and price of something is what matters in the grand scheme of things and, "balancing the needs of humans, machines, and commerce gets more complex when we add ecological concerns." Becoming more mindful of our environment could be the first step in this recovery plan. 

There is article after article that can be found all over the Internet on just about anything imaginable. This makes it easy for people to believe just about anything. So why not use that to maybe say a designer’s advantage? Name brands are what people put their faith into, making them believe their product is of high quality and no funny business. What they don’t know is that there was probably child labor (see video below) in order to manufacture your $200 t-shirt. People can talk about this subject until they are blue in the face, but what is the use if it is never acted upon? In research, the University of Delaware has a school paper and they are trying to publicize this down fall and address a type of education that can further benefit us in the future. Educating this generation could end up helping the earth long term. Just by being aware of where a garment was manufactured or how much you wash it can make the slightest of difference in becoming a sustainable society.  Eco efficiency will show us the consequences of this behavior and if it continues like it is mentioned in the notes then our economy will never be able to keep up. The social paradigm either has to change or it will continue to remain the same. It is the backbone to our society and before long something’s got to give.