RJTA Vol. 17 No.

1 2013

Fashion Activism
Evaluation and Application of Fashion Activism Strategies to Ease
Transition Towards Sustainable Consumption Behaviour
Anja-Lisa Hirscher*
Department of Design, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland

ABSTRACT

This study discusses emerging design activities in the fashion industry and their implications
for motivating sustainable consumption. The paper provides an insight into the broad
opportunities of fashion activism for designers. As the basis for discussion and evaluation of
the research questions, the author has compared the applicability of the bespoken strategies
with selected findings from her own empirical case study. The case study entails two
participatory clothing design workshops with ‘half-way’ products. The main research
question elaborates on whether fashion activism can be considered as a tool for designers to
help consumers defeat their desire to constantly consume more. This involves three
sub-questions. First, how effective is fashion activism as a tool in raising awareness for
sustainability issues in the fashion industry? Secondly, do participatory design processes and
enabling solutions help the consumer gain new skills and develop a greater appreciation
towards his/her products? This implies that the user can become his/her own designer and
maker, and thereby possibly change his/her own behaviour and attitude through a deeper
understanding of the production process. Therefore, and thirdly, can fashion activism ease
the transition towards sustainable consumption? The final discussion will focus on the
evidence gathered by the comparison of fashion activism strategies and the author’s own
research. The empirical case study has offered insight into the objectives of fashion activism
specifically through half-way products. The findings positively confirm the expected
advantages of half-way products. The half-way garments seem to ease the first step for user
involvement. In addition, the research highlights the importance that consumers understand
products and production. This understanding is a key factor for sustainable fashion
consumption.

Keywords: Fashion Activism, Open Design, Sustainable Design, Participatory Design,

Person-product Attachment

1. Introduction defined as creation and production of garments

The fashion industry is an important part of the
current economic system. The industry’s supply
chain is complex since it combines skilled
handicraft with high technology. Besides the
design phase, raw material harvesting, spinning,
dyeing, weaving, cutting, sewing and global
transportation are part of the long journey until a
garment reaches its owner (Boone, 2010).
The United Nations Environmental Programme
has stated that the fashion sector, which they
* Corresponding author. Tel.: (00358) 465756540
E-mail address: anja.hirscher@aalto.fi (Anja-Lisa Hirscher)
23
and textiles, is the second largest economy in trade.
It was valued at $1.44 trillion in 2010 (Boone,
2010).
Every year, the fashion industry runs between 30
to 50 trend-driven fashion seasons, which result in
a high resource depletion (Siegle, 2012). ‘Fast
fashion’ emphasises low unit prices, which usually
entails poor product quality. The garments often
lose shape or colour already during the first wash
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012). Product life cycles are
thus shortened and consumers are motivated to
purchase new items every season. These
fast-changing fashion cycles are encouraged
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
through planned and aesthetic obsolescence
(Burns, 2010).
Fletcher and Grose (2012) claimed that this
inferior product quality makes consumers more
likely to purchase several similar items, but form
no personal relationship with them. As expected,
tonnes of landfill waste are created every year
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
This business strategy is not sustainable in the
longer term. Already in the 1970s, the limits to
industrial growth became shockingly obvious
during the energy crisis (Thorpe, 2010). A report
by Meadows et al. (1972), ‘The Limits to Growth’,
presented frightening scenarios that illustrate the
challenges for global sustainability. Among others,
Victor Papanek’s book Design for the Real World
(1984) brought industrial manufacture and design
into critical focus. Since the 1980s, the
expressions ‘sustainable’ and ‘environmentally
friendly’ production have gained greater attention
(Niinimäki, 2011). For the textile and fashion
industry, this has mainly implied a reduction in the
toxicity of production (Kaiser, 2008). A change
happened during the 1990s, when Esprit launched
their first Eco-collection (Thomas, 2008).
Consumer awareness was rising, and producers
started to experiment with organic materials and
natural dyes, and focused on corporate social
responsibility (Niinimäki, 2011).
1.1 Aim of This Study
Since the seventies, even though criticism has
been targeted towards the fashion industry,
changes are happening rather slowly. Fletcher and
Grose (2012) stated that the recycling of textile
waste and more eco-efficient production alone do
not solve the problem of an unsustainable industry,
because the problem of overconsumption is not
addressed at its core. Recycling textile waste does
not question the amount of apparel consumed and
consumer behaviour by implication (Fletcher and
Grose, 2012). For true change, design has to focus
on “sustainable lifestyles instead of ‘sustainable’
products” (Rissanen, 2011). Therefore, new ways
of thinking and using design need to be explored.
As Fletcher stated, the current system “...uses
yesterday’s thinking to cope with the conditions of
tomorrow” (Fletcher, 2007).
Thankfully, new ways of approaching consumers
24
are appearing. The challenge is to reach the critical
mass of designers and consumers to be powerful
enough to start change on a larger scale (Fletcher
& Grose, 2012). Here, designers can have an
impact, as design and consumption are interrelated
(Niinimäki, 2011). For a more sustainable
production system, the general relationship
between product–producer and end-user must shift
towards slower cycles, more local production and
a much more valued product-person relationship
(Niinimäki & Koskinen, 2011).
With regards to this shift, Fuad-Luke (2007) stated
that the role of the designer needs to be redefined.
Currently, a designer’s job is the design of
appealing and user-friendly products which
stimulate a purchase (Fuad-Luke, 2007). The
average product or garment design does not aim
for close product attachment or the possibility of
change and adaptability over time (Chapman,
2009). The current goal of the design industry is
short-sighted financial profit through overly
user-friendly design (Fuad-Luke, 2007).
Design for social and environmental benefit
implies a larger responsibility for empowering the
consumer with knowledge, skills, ideas and
awareness. To support sustainable consumption
patterns, product perception and the satisfaction of
needs have to be reconsidered (Cooper, 2000).
Chapman stated that the “sustainability crisis is a
behavioural issue, and not one simply of
technology, production and volume” (Chapman,
2009).
This paper will discuss new emerging movements
in the fashion sector, namely fashion activism. The
paper provides an overview on existing initiatives
and compares them to an action research project
conducted by the author. The emphasis is on
evaluating possibilities to encourage behaviour
change through better product understanding. The
empirical data specifically focus on a strategy
termed ‘half-way products’.
1.2 The Meaning of Fashion and Clothing
Fashion in the social context can be seen as a
visual tool for self-projection of our social status
and individual style (Fletcher and Grose, 2012).
“Fashion at its creative best is one of the most
powerful and direct expressions of personal
aspiration, individuality and belonging” (Fletcher
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
& Grose, 2012). Fashion symbolises the meaning
of an object in relation to cultural and societal
presence (Kaiser, 1990). Kaiser (1990) described
the role of fashion as having symbolic meaning
versus clothing, which is material production to
fulfil physical needs.
However, clothing can become fashion and gain
symbolic meaning if it represents a certain period
of time. Clothing then not only satisfies our
physical needs, but also represents to society an
image with which we want to be identified. At that
point, fashion is able to satisfy several needs at the
same time (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
These two concepts are often intertwined or
interchangeably used. If clothes become fashion,
they act as a ‘synergetic satisfier’ (Fletcher &
Grose, 2012). “Synergetic Satisfiers are those that,
by the way they satisfy a given need, stimulate and
contribute to the simultaneous satisfaction of other
needs” (Max-Neef, 1991, 33). At its best, fashion
is able to satisfy physical, social and ego needs
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
1.3 Valued Person-Product Attachment
According to critics, the fashion industry is
abusing this psychological need for individuality
and belonging to create an artificial desire for new
products, expressed through different forms of
planned obsolescence (Burns, 2010). People need
to develop a valued relationship with their
possessions if they are to decrease the desire for
the new. Increased product attachment is therefore
a driver of behaviour change through changed
habits and attitudes (Cooper, 2005).
Consumer-product attachment represents the
emotional bonding experienced between a product
and its owner. There are a variety of dimensions
implied. Schifferstein and Zwartkruis-Pelgrim
(2008) defined these dimensions as enjoyment;
memories of persons, places and events; support
of self-identity; life vision; utility; and reliability
and market value, and state that only positive
experiences and memories positively support
attachment. In the long run, increased
product-attachment can eventually also
subconsciously change consumer behaviour
(Chapman, 2009).
In order to achieve an optimal product life span,
25
each design process should examine the
opportunities for developing a valued
product-person relationship.
Design for a valued person-product relationship
requires a deeper understanding of the drivers and
personal reasons for purchases by consumers, use
and product satisfaction as well as disposal
behaviour. Over and above this, understanding the
general position of consumption and meanings of
products in society is essential to fully understand
consumer behaviour (Niinimäki, 2011).
Objects need to be able to create a story together
with their owners over time. The more that a user
can engage with a product means the tighter the
emotional bonding through experience. A base of
trust and intimacy between object and owner can
be developed (Chapman, 2009).
Designers and researchers can, for instance, focus
on the symbolic meaning of a product related to
the past. This implies embedding memories, which
is a design challenge. It is easier to design
products that offer the possibility of capturing
present or future experiences, memories and
emotions over time. Thus, the personal value and
meaning of the product will increase (Schifferstein
& Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, 2008).
This meaning distinguishes products from their
competitors and eventually makes them more
valued by their owners (Niinimäki, 2011).
Consumers create a bond with the product, which,
in the case of damage, will cause real emotional
loss (Mugge, 2007).
According to Marchand and Walker (2008),
consumers prefer high quality products that allow
interaction and require active ‘doing’ on the part
of their owners, in order to understand and be able
to repair the products. This supports the idea of
improving well-being by consuming less.
Consumers provided with knowledge and skills
are able to adapt and change these items over time,
so the product can be adapted to their changing
needs (Manzini, 2006).
2. Fashion Activism
2.1 Design Activism
When designers become active in using their skills
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
to improve and change a current situation for
social and/or environmental betterment, they can
be called design activists (Thorpe, 2011). Thorpe
pointed out that design activists use
unconventional methods to encourage change in a
problem or case that has been otherwise ignored
(Thorpe, 2011).
Design activism can be expressed through a
variety of methods. Working as a design activist
implies that the designer is willing to delve into
the unknown to support sustainable system and
business strategies. This will redefine the
designer’s role (Fuad-Luke, 2009). Fuad-Luke
defined design activism as: “design thinking,
imagination and practice applied knowingly or
unknowingly to create a counter-narrative aimed
at generating and balancing positive social,
institutional, environmental and/or economic
change” (Fuad-Luke, 2009). A design activist,
furthermore, is a “non-aligned social broker and
catalyst; a facilitator; an author; a creator; a
co-author; and a happener (someone who makes
things happen)” (Fuad-Luke 2009, under ‘Preface’
xxi). Under the umbrella of design activism, we
can find other design movements: slow design,
co-design, metadesign, universal design, critical
design, participatory design and several others
(Fuad-Luke, 2009).
Design activism gives designers the opportunity to
invite the user to work with their products and
customise them to fulfil his/her own personal
needs (Fuad-Luke, 2009). Fuad-Luke (2011)
stated that making together can result in learning
new skills, which can be identified as the creation
of human and social capital.
In other words, in the context of clothing
consumption, design activism can direct the
attention of consumers to production
circumstances or the care phase of their garments,
but it can also imply interference with the current
system by encouraging consumers to become
makers and producers of their own clothing.
According to Fuad-Luke, the consumer can
thereby be repositioned within a matrix of
self-design vs. professional design, and mass
manufactured vs. made by the user (Fuad-Luke,
2009).
The challenge for design is to find the trigger to
raise awareness, activate and communicate with
26
the user. To reach out to a broader variety of
people, the level of involvement needs to vary.
People who have already considered changing
their lifestyle towards sustainability are more
likely to become deeply involved with their
products and their production (Marchand and
Walker, 2008). The consumer needs to be able to
choose how much s/he is willing to do and capable
of doing.
2.2 Fashion Activism Strategies and Projects
Fashion activism is coherent with political
activism and the participatory approach to
empower the consumer with the tools, information
and knowledge to become an active and
independent individual. Fashion activism has the
goal to criticise and work towards improving the
current fast-fashion system (von Busch, 2008).
When fashion designers become activists, they
offer and use their skills for improving the
industry towards more transparent and sustainable
practices. Fashion activism aims to redefine a
profession and its possibilities to support a
sustainable system and democratise knowledge
(von Busch, 2008). This definition will be
illustrated to the reader with detailed descriptions
of selected fashion activism strategies.
Fashion activism is a multifaceted practice. It is an
umbrella term for various political, social or
environmentally-driven activities related to the
fashion industry, fashion consumption and fashion
design (Fuad-Luke, 2009).
Possible fashion activism strategies include open
design, fashion hacking, co-design, slow fashion,
modular clothing, craftivism, do-it-yourself
clothes, upcycling, consumer education, and
participatory fashion workshops as well as
‘half-way products’ (von Busch, 2008).
For the analysis described in this paper, the author
has chosen a selection of strategies which are
linked to the empirical case study. For creating a
deeper understanding of the term fashion activism
and all its applications, the author will describe
several real-life enterprises and projects that
employ these strategies. Thus, a later evaluation of
advantages and opportunities, offered by those
diverse strategies, will be enabled.
As previously mentioned, designers need to
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
discover the unknown, in order to explore new
opportunities for design that encourage sustainable
consumption. These projects are keen to do so.
They all approach the sustainability challenge with
a different focus to approach the current fast
fashion industry, by, for example, allowing
transparency in fashion brands, encouraging
changed habits of consumer product care and
repair to support the longevity of garments.
The empirical case study described in this paper
uses a selection of these strategies to explore the
possibilities of design for value creation. By using
the ‘half-way approach’ in combination with open
design and participatory design influences, new
ways of engaging the consumer should be
elaborated. The fashion activist strategies and
examples are described in the following sections.
2.2.1 Open Source Fashion
Design is no longer to be understood as an
exclusive profession performed behind closed
doors. It needs to become a more open and
participatory practice. New business models strive
for a closer relationship with the end user and
enforce a change in the design profession
(Fuad-Luke, 2009).
Authors in the book Open Design Now claim that
design may not remain exclusive – designers and
users are asked to collaborate. This should result
in a more open design approach that involves and
motivates the consumer to become an active
member of the production and design process
(Open Design Now, 2011). Similarly, Open Source
Fashion is a major step towards transparency, a
shared understanding and enabling the consumers
(Openwear, 2010). Open Source Fashion can
involve downloadable patterns, including sewing
instructions, which are gaining in popularity.
The internet offers a clear benefit in being able to
spread knowledge and information to drive these
practices. It is a useful platform to raise awareness
and share activism ideas. It offers direct contact
and exchange between wearer and designer
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
In 1949, Aenne Burda founded a fashion magazine
in Germany, Burda Mode. The magazine was the
first fashion title that included actual sewing
patterns, in addition to seasonal trends. This
allowed people to sew and wear fashionable
27
clothing even on a small budget (bourdastyle,
2012).
Slowly, young designers have rediscovered the
idea of selling their patterns alongside the finished
products. This form of openly sharing clothing
patterns can be called fashion activism, as the
designer gives the consumers the space to change
the design according to their own preferences, in
terms of fabric and personal additions.
For example, the French brand SANS offers
downloadable patterns with some collection pieces
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
Another example is ‘diy-Couture’ from the UK, a
label that provides an entire collection that can be
remade with the help of illustrated diagrams and
images. The label claims that no former sewing
skills are needed, as the pieces do not even require
the use of a sewing pattern (Martin, 2011).
The newly founded brand ‘Fashion-Hackers’,
based in Germany, also promotes a downloadable
collection. Sewing tips and instructions can be
found on the company’s blog. Moreover, in the
creation of designs for the next season,
‘Fashion-Hackers’ invites everyone to participate,
vote and contribute with personal wishes, ideas
and sketches through social media
(Schmuckermeier, 2012).
Exemplary in this area are also the Openwear
Foundation, supported by the European Union,
and Sharewear (shrwr). Openwear Collaboration
and Sharewear freely share their designs under
Creative Commons licences (Openwear, 2010;
shrwr, 2010).
2.2.2 Fashion Hacking
The expression, fashion hacking, is the idea of
hacking something existing by freeing or
modifying it from its original shape and giving it a
new meaning. Fashion hacking borrows the
language of computer hackers. Hacker
interference does not have the intention of
destroying the existing system, but rather seeks to
democratise it for improved functionality (Fletcher
& Grose, 2012).
According to social researcher Anne Galloway,
fashion hacking implies free access to technology
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
and providing knowledge about it. This enables
the consumer to create new and limitless design
explorations (Galloway cited in von Busch, 2008).
Some notable pioneers in fashion hacking are Otto
von Busch and Gina Pilar González. von Busch
facilitated various fashion hacking workshops
related to his doctoral research. These projects,
available online, deal with the subject of
redefining fashion by enabling the consumer with
skills and knowledge (Fletcher & Grose, 2012;
von Busch, 2008).
In his dissertation, the word ‘hacktivism’ is
defined as the following: “hacktivism is the
merger between political activism and hacking. It
is the modification of systems, programs or
devices to give more users access to action spaces
that were otherwise unavailable. These new
passages and spaces are shared within the
community for others to build upon” (von Busch,
2008).
Gina González, a fashion designer from Panama,
encouraged users to hack existing clothing
patterns within her participatory workshops. With
her project ‘Hacking Couture’, González
reinterpreted the fashion codes of large brands,
such Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. In her
workshops, she provided participants with
materials and identifiable patterns from various
brands that can be hacked, opened up and hence
democratised for the public (von Busch, 2008).
2.2.3 Co-design and Participatory Design
Co-design implies a collaborative design process
together with the users of the product (Fletcher &
Grose, 2012). Co-designing as well as
participatory design aim to reduce top-down
hierarchies and thus challenge the current
structures of the fashion industry (von Busch,
2008). New perspectives on the current economic
system are offered through “greater democracy,
improved empowerment and less domination”
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012). Therefore, it is
important that the future user has a say in the final
product appearance (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
Consumers are taught a better understanding of
products and even gain the ability to change them
when they desire something new. An evolving
story can be created, and the products do not bore
them due to predictability (Chapman, 2009).
28
One emerging practice is the facilitation of
co-sewing spaces or participatory sewing
workshops. Workshops with post- or
pre-consumer waste introduce techniques of
upcycling and redesigning clothes. Participants are
supported by ‘professional’ designers in the
practical and conceptual phase of making and
redesigning clothes. The designer slips into the
role of an enabler or facilitator for the users.
Generally, the process becomes more important
than the outcome. During this collaborative
making, a relocation of the roles designer versus
consumer is inevitable, as both are a part of the
process. Through this collaborative process, new
skills and deeper understanding of the products
can be created. The maker will be able to develop
a deeper emotional connection to the garment, and
the story of the production will be captured and
worn as a personal achievement and sign of
change (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
As examples, the co-sewing and swapping event
‘Fashion reloaded’ took place in Berlin
simultaneously with Green Fashion week in 2009
and 2010 (CUT, 2010). ‘Swap-o-rama-rama’, a
workshop concept developed by Wendy Tremayne
in 2005, can be freely adapted for any other
community. At a Swap-o-rama-rama event, people
bring their own old clothes to swap or update them
in a connected co-sewing event (Tremayne, 2005).
In general, a workshop setting offers opportunities
without which a single user may be restricted.
Sewing machines, patterns, material and advice
can all be found in one space. If the entry level is
easy to reach through achievable goals, the fear of
mistakes can be reduced. For this reason,
co-sewing spaces such as Nadelwald in Berlin
(www.nadelwald.me) or SweatShop Paris
(http://sweatshopparis.com/) offer an opportunity
for beginners or occasional sewers.
2.2.4 Half-way products
The enhancing of co-design through products such
as ‘half-way items’ offers great potential. A
half-way product is intentionally unfinished by the
designer and thus leaves an open space for the end
user to customise and finalise. The consumer is
invited to participate and create items according to
his/her own needs. The piece is created in a way
that allows the user to interfere within the original
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
design (Fuad-Luke, 2009).
The consumer thereby changes his/her position to
that of an active participant, and this participatory
experience is likely to result in a closer
product-person attachment. In comparison,
ready-to-wear garments do not encourage any
involvement and force the consumer into the role
of a passive recipient (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
Half-way products and the co-design approach do
not intend to produce rare and unique design
objects. Their qualities lie more in enhancing the
understanding of users on products and forming a
common ground for knowledge exchange between
designer and maker. Through the half-way
approach, designers are challenged by skilled
users who can question their ways of making
things (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
2.2.5 DIY and Kits
If products are handmade, they are more likely to
become a person’s favourite garment. They are
able to fully express personality and individuality
and become an important part of the person’s
wardrobe. Through their own personal influence
on self-made clothes, the consumer can gain
greater benefit (Fletcher, 2008).
In the same way, customisation of products is
more likely to generate an emotional bonding. The
more the user is able to be actively involved in the
production process, the more likely s/he will
emotionally attach to the products (Chapman,
2009).
Mugge et al. (2005) also discussed the possibilities
of emotional product bonding through product
personalisation. They claimed that toolkits offered
by companies provide a “satisfactory balance
between the product’s self-expressive value and
the complexity of the personalisation process”
(Mugge et al., 2005).
Through self-assembly kits with detachable pieces,
users are able to gain a deeper understanding of
the product. This will allow better care, even in
the case of product repair. For garments, this
means personalisation of the products and a lower
environmental impact during care or maintenance,
as it is possible to wash only single parts
(Niinimäki & Hassi, 2011).
29
The ‘Local Wisdom’ project in London enables
people to document and develop the stories of
their garments online. The project was initiated by
Kate Fletcher in 2009. She stated that homemade
clothes are like a ‘work in progress’ as it is always
possible to repair or adapt them and their
functionality is thereby deeply understood. ‘Local
Wisdom’ celebrates user skills and helps to satisfy
needs in a thoughtful way. The participants learn
about their products with the help of each other
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
2.2.6 Craftsmanship
‘Craftivism’ uses handcrafting as a tool for
political activism. Designers can use traditional
crafting techniques to involve consumers with
materials and the process of making (von Busch,
2008; Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
For example, guerrilla knitting or yarn bombing
used in the urban environment can draw attention
to certain places or social statements.
Hand-embroidered messages on clothing or
accessories have become a tool to communicate
certain issues (von Busch, 2008). For instance,
Lisa Anne Auerbach provides an online knitting
pattern for mittens that visualises how many
soldiers have died in the Iraq war, as of a certain
day (von Busch, 2008).
2.2.7 Modular and Updateable Clothing
One of the only ways to design sustaining
products is to accept and work with the constant
change in the desire of consumers (Chapman,
2009). Products have to be designed with the
ability to adapt and reflect the current emotional
state of the owner (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
The desire for certain products is found in the
meaning that consumers assign to that specific
product. Through the act of purchase, consumers
wish to inherit this meaning or lifestyle (Chapman,
2009). As this captured moment will vanish
quickly, clothes should be updateable by the user.
This offers new ways to consume as well as new
opportunities for business and service creation
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
Products that are updateable and fit for
multi-purpose, such as the self-couture garments/
bedding by Diane Steverlynck, offer new areas for
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
creative design (Steverlynck, 2002). Garments that
are modular can be refashioned according to the
owner’s daily wardrobe. These garments are more
likely to last in spite of the fast changing desires of
consumers (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
The ‘5 ways’ research project by Kate Fletcher
and Becky Earley (2003) developed an updateable
T-shirt. The researchers invited designers to
co-work with users. The designers reinterpreted
fashion trends into do-it-yourself instructions
which were sent by mail to the owners. The t-shirt
could thus stay in fashion by applying the redesign
instructions. The product thereby inherits more
than one meaning: it captures several and
functions like an “ongoing movie” (Fletcher,
2008).
2.2.8 Upcycling
Another angle to fashion activism takes the
upcycling and redesign approach. Already in the
nineties, haute couture brands such as Maison
Martin Margiela were experimenting with
‘deconstruction’ fashion. The collection was fully
based on post-consumer waste garments. These
garments were ‘upcycled’ by re-cutting and
combining them into high fashion pieces. The
important difference between fashion hacking and
fashion upcycling or deconstruction lies in the fact
that fashion hackers intend to share the
information with other hackers (von Busch, 2008).
Reet Aus, an Estonian fashion designer, is tackling
the issue of clothing and textile waste by
upcycling in fashion design. In her doctoral
dissertation, “Trash to Trend. Using Upcycling in
Fashion Design”, she explored the area by using
pre- and post-consumer waste to generate several
case study collections (Aus, 2011).
2.2.9 Slow Fashion
Slow fashion, inspired by the Italian slow food
movement, claims that “one way to initiate slow
fashion is to develop personal style” (Gwilt &
Rissanen, 2011, 153). If the consumer follows a
personal style, s/he is free of the dictates of fast
fashion.
Slow fashion encourages a change in the system of
manufacture and distribution towards slower
production cycles and reduced material throughput
30
(Fletcher & Grose, 2012). Slow fashion benefits
from local craftsmanship, high quality and locally
produced garments, which will be kept and loved
by their owners for years. The uniqueness through
traditional manufacturing is in focus and this
defends their mass production (Fletcher & Grose,
2012)
For instance, Alabama Chanin, an Italian fashion
designer, uses traditional embroidery and local
labour and resources in her collection. These
garments benefit from the handmade, original
technique that develops each piece’s sense of
place and belonging. The owning of a locally
produced, handmade piece is likely to instil a
special meaning in the garment and emotional
bonding with it (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
2.2.10 Consumer Education and Communication
Consumer behaviour can be influenced through
the way garments are made. Beyond that, clothes
can work as a communication tool to express
personal concerns. This does not only refer to the
well-known slogan T-shirt. Fashion design can
provoke a discussion on habits of wear and care
and through the way clothes are created (Gwilt &
Rissanen, 2011).
The “No-wash” t-shirt by designer and researcher
Kate Fletcher raises the issue of product care and
the perceived pressure of over-hygiene in the use
phase. The research project “5-ways” designed a
shirt to be worn over several months without
laundering. The textile design was created to resist
and hide stains as well as having underarm
ventilation materials to prevent odours (Fletcher &
Grose, 2012).
Visual communication in care labels can help to
educate and change consumer behaviour in the use
phase. The “green label” uses the same icons as
common care labels, but adds instructions on
sustainable clothing care practices, such as
laundering at low temperatures and reusing,
recycling and repairing the garments if necessary
(Gwilt & Rissanen, 2011).
Communicated transparency of fashion brands can
create deeper understanding, trust and value of
garments and manufacturers. The NGO
consultancy ‘Made by’ focuses on consumer
education as well as guiding companies towards
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
sustainable and transparent practices. Through
labels and an ID number attached to the garment,
the pieces can be tracked and traced back to the
origin of the fibre (Made by, 2004).
The fashion brand ‘Honest by’ communicates the
same message: the garments are sold with the
information of where each part was made.
Performance artist Alex Martin wanted to
challenge perceived external pressure by rejecting
the expected behaviour of dressing herself ‘new’
every season. With her project “Little Brown
Dress” (2005-2006), she not only made a strong
statement about the over-consumption of garments,
she also tried to satisfy her own needs for variety
by restyling a single piece of clothing every day.
The year-long project was documented with a blog.
She stated that after this project, she was not
willing to go back to a mainstream produced
wardrobe (Fletcher & Grose, 2012).
3. Empirical Study: Half-way Products
Based on the literature review and the examples
described above, the hypothesis emerged that a
more meaningful person-product bond develops
through user participation in the product design.
“The Design and Emotion Society claims that:
The concept of experience, where the subject and
object meet and merge with one another, is a key
issue in designing emotionally meaningful
Table 1. Comparison of different fashion activism strategies.
Fashion Activism Strategy Experience User-
involvement
Open Design X X
Fashion Hacking X X
Slow Fashion
Modular Clothing X X
Craftivism X X
DIY X X
Upcycling Fashion by Designer
Consumer Education
Participatory & Co-Design X X
Half-way X X
31
products” (Chapman, 2009).
Personal meaning and emotional attachment are
difficult concepts to design for, especially with
regards to the personal history with a product.
Nevertheless, for the present and future of new
products, we can assume that the process of
making can have a strong emotional value for
product-attachment. In this empirical case study,
therefore, the author has focused on exploring new
tools for creating emotional product attachment
through the process of making. The aim was to
provide a strong base for emotional attachment
through participatory experience.
Based on a chart that compares the possibilities of
evolving product experience and creating a strong
emotional attachment (Table 1), it was decided
that the methods of do-it-yourself, fashion hacking
and co- or participatory design as well as half-way
products would offer the greatest potential.
The evaluation was based on a matrix where
various fashion activism strategies were compared
in order to identify the most beneficial and
interesting approaches to explore: i.e. the
strategies were evaluated according to how much
they foster the key desired benefits of positive user
experience, user involvement, personal
achievement, a sense of belonging, adaptability
over time, and the creation of knowledge .
Achievement Belonging Adaptability Gained
over time knowledge
X (X) X
X X X
X (X)
X
X X
X X X X
X
X X X
X (X) X
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
The assumption was that product attachment
would be facilitated by experiencing several of
these activities, since they offer uniqueness in
design and can therefore be associated with
building self-identity and forming memories of the
making. As clarified by Schifferstein and
Zwartkruis-Pelgrim (2008), only positive
experience and memories support positive
attachment. Therefore, failures in production and
overly complicated designs would need to be
avoided.
3.1 Project Description
As described earlier, half-way products are
designed to encourage user participation.
Essentially, the item does not function without the
engaging of user with the product. Successful
design of a half-way product is better ensured
through a participatory clothing design workshop,
which provides the user with the necessary tools,
materials and advice. This should build the base
for a positive experience of the making process.
The key benefit will be a deeper product
understanding and the possibility of gaining new
skills. Through an open design methodology, the
half-way clothing pattern can be shared online on
a blog, including modularity potential and
redesign suggestions for the future.
The applicability was tested through two
participatory clothing design workshops. The aim
was to explore the research question on whether
creative user participation would stimulate a
stronger emotional bond and a more valued
relationship with the product. Moreover, if so,
could this act of participation change the
behaviour of the consumer in the longer term?
3.2 Methodology
The case study used qualitative research methods
to explore the possibilities of using half-way
products as a design tool for better user
satisfaction and value creation. The study was
conducted in Helsinki in 2012, and data were
gathered through the two workshops.
The research method can be defined as
participatory action research (PAR). The study
benefited most from close collaboration between
researcher and participant (Kidd & Kral, 2005).
With this research, the author wanted to explore
32
tools for activism and include possibilities for
behavioural change. This implied a strong focus
on the process rather than the outcome.
Furthermore, the researcher’s own observations as
well as those of other designers during the
workshops provided the basis for later reflection
upon the general feelings, emotions, situation and
presence of the facilitator and participants. The
data were gathered via questionnaires and a
follow-up by email.
The workshops provided the basis to test half-way
clothing under real social and physical conditions.
This allowed the author to broaden her experience
and evaluate hypotheses made based on theory.
Through interaction between user and designer,
the user could get deeply in touch with the
materials, design processes and manufacture of the
garment.
3.3 Questionnaire
In a small-scale setting of two workshops named
“Make{able}”, the target group of female
participants in the age group of 20 to 35 were
provided with half-way tunics (Figure 1). Of all
the participants at the workshops, 18 subjects in
the target group filled out the prepared
questionnaires. Through a follow-up questionnaire,
the same respondents were asked about their
experience with the product and whether they felt
their behaviour towards the garment and their
consumption habits had changed. The aim was to
gain insight into how the half-way product was
perceived.
The first questionnaire was structured into sections
to evaluate their current understanding of the
current system: general experience, perception of
the fashion industry, and their relationship with
their clothing. In addition, the questionnaire had a
general section about the experience with the
workshop setting and the half-way garment. The
final question dealt with the expected value of the
tunic. This question was also compared to the
email follow-up. The questionnaire contained free
form and multiple choice answers which allowed
suggestions among various items.
For hypothesis verification, the follow-up survey
was sent by email to the participants after two
months. Fourteen out of the eighteen participants
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
responded to the follow-up questionnaire. It
comprised ten questions, collecting information on
the perceived value of the half-way garment and
emotional attachment to it in comparison to a
purchased product. Some questions probed how
participants felt after the workshop, to evaluate
their enjoyment of the making process and if they
connect that positive feeling with the tunic. Of
great interest were the experienced emotions about
gaining new skills and if participants felt any
restrictions or discouraging factors. Finally, the
participants were asked if they felt their
consumption habits or perception with regards to
purchasing clothes had changed because of their
involvement in the making of the garment.
Fig. 1. Half-way Tunic made by a participant
3.4 The Matrix
The strategy for the tunic-making workshops was
created according to a matrix that mapped the
level of technical difficulty in comparison to the
level of user-design.
This matrix was applied in two ways.
33
First, it built the base on how to design the
garments, allowing different levels of difficulty
and user involvement. The design and sewing
steps of the tunic were prepared to be very easy,
even for beginners. It was critical to consider the
opportunity for participants to work independently
and not to frustrate them with too difficult tasks or
excess influence by the designer.
Secondly, the matrix functioned as a research tool
for measuring the skill level of the users and their
satisfaction before and after the workshop (Figure
2). Based on the matrix, the participants and the
researcher could ascertain whether the
enhancement of skills or interest was successful.
Fig. 2. Matrix to compare skill level before and
after the workshop
3.5 Value and Attachment
After finishing their garments, the participants
were asked to fill out a ‘value{able}’ label (Figure
3) which they could sew onto the garment. The
label was intended to remind the maker about the
time and effort put into finalising the piece. It
should work as a visual reminder of the person’s
experience and interaction with the tunic.
As stated earlier, product attachment can be
created through user involvement with this
product. The attachment is facilitated through the
aspect of uniqueness and special meaning.
Through the own making of a garment, a story
will be created. Thus the garment has an
embedded meaning. This story will emotionally
link the participant to the garment.
Beyond this story, the physical experience of the
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
required time and dexterity has the potential to
support a more value-based and ethical mindset
towards purchased garments, and the emotional
value connected to garments may shift through the
experience of making. This is because participants
are able to judge their own time and effort in
relation to industrial production, and this
comparison helps them to identify the real value of
products and differentiate quality from fast and
cheap production. The making experience can thus
foster a better understanding of what a fair price
may be for higher quality produced clothing.
Fig. 3. Value{able} label to indicate its maker and
the creation date.
3.6 Analysis
It is a truly challenging task to design products
that gain emotional value for another person. The
aspect of participation in design nevertheless
offers an opportunity, as the user has an impact on
the final outcome. The greatest challenge for the
designer is then to involve the user in the earliest
stages.
The do-it-yourself approach is not a step that
everyone will take by themselves. Therefore, the
concept of half-way clothing/products represents a
design opportunity to ease this critical entry step.
As one of the participants confirmed, “Now I dare
to start; sewing patterns look so difficult.”
This research project collected data from 18
workshop participants and can therefore only be
seen as an estimation of future possibilities.
For all the participants, the concept of half-way
products was very much appreciated. All 18
participants agreed that they esteemed the fact that
the garment was half-ready. It made it easier to
accomplish something within a shorter time, while
maintaining the chance to design it according to
34
their own preferences. According to one
participant, “It was easier than I thought; good
instructions made it really fun!”
Another important factor was the positive feeling
of happiness and satisfaction during or after the
making process. As mentioned earlier, these
positive emotions can be captured as a memory
connected to the garments. All 18 participants
agreed that they gained a feeling of happiness and
satisfaction during the making process or
afterward, seeing their results. They were proud to
create a garment themselves. In addition, everyone
stated in the follow-up questionnaire that they had
worn the piece either regularly or up to five times
within the past two months.
The creating of garments that gain value is key to
creating deep, emotional person-product
attachment. In the workshop, 15 out of the 18
participants ranked the expected value of their
garment as ‘high’ or ‘very high’. The main reasons
stated were that they accomplished the piece
themselves, which gave it a unique touch. This
result confirms the hypotheses and illustrates the
possibilities that should be further explored.
The participants had a very diverse perception of
the fashion industry and its influence on them.
However, they all seemed to enjoy creating
something unique and will have a positive
memory of the making process. Nearly everyone
mentioned having one or more favourite pieces in
their wardrobe that make them feel especially
pretty and self-confident or that are comfortable.
Most of them stated that they feel attached to this
favourite garment, as it embeds a memory of a
place or a person. Hence, if this idea of a ‘story’
can be linked to a garment, the making aspect is
certain to have an impact as well. One of the
participants stated, “The cloth (tunic) has more
value in my eyes, because I was also making it. It
has a story now.”
The feedback from the participants, gathered with
the follow-up questionnaire, generally reflected
positive feelings towards the made garments.
Although the expected value level with regards to
the garment was partly re-evaluated to be ‘high’
rather than ‘very high’, all of the participants
agreed that they either “love” or “somewhat value”
their self-made piece more, in comparison to
purchased garments. Everyone also agreed that
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
they enjoyed the workshop setting and would
appreciate regular workshops or similar sewing
opportunities. This represents an opportunity to set
a starting point for applied fashion activism.
Compared to other bespoke strategies,
participatory clothing design workshops, for
instance with half-way garments, offer realistic
opportunities to involve consumers with garment
making.
With regards to the question of whether it is
possible to change consumer behaviour through
the process of making, the results did not yet show
a clear tendency. A true change of behaviour that
involves learning new habits and new
sustainability-oriented preferences would need
more time as well as further data collection.
Moreover, sewing is not a skill that can be learned
in one afternoon. For a behavioural change
towards more personal active making, a variety of
workshops, with different topics over a longer
period of time, would be necessary.
Nevertheless, about half of the participants agreed
that the workshop and making process influenced
their attitude on fashion and clothes shopping.
They claimed to be more aware and wished to act
more responsibly since this experience. This
finding reflects that the attitude was affected, but
it is not yet proven whether the behaviour changed
as well.
The other half was either already aware of the
issues or did not have the time or energy to
become more deeply engaged with the subject. For
those with a high level of awareness, the subject
seemed to fit well with their current way of life.
With this case study, a starting point for further
evaluation is made. The creating of emotional
bonding with an item needs time and use of the
product. Based on the literature review, the
researcher has determined that a close
person-product attachment evolves over a longer
period of time and therefore cannot be fully
measured within this case study. The same applies
to the evaluation of a behavioural change among
the participants. Regardless, the data from this
study can be used to evaluate the success and
possibilities of half-way clothing.
3.7 Future Prospects
In spite of the positive feedback on the workshops,
35
the question about implementation should be
evaluated, i.e. whether half-way clothing and
half-way products have a real chance on the
market. Similar to other design or fashion activism
strategies, they tend to be the subject of design
research, but do not seem to become established in
the course of action of consumers and producers.
Based on the positive feedback, the question
emerged if it would be possible to reach the
critical mass with an open and participatory design
approach as the half-way product.
In 2000, for instance, Droog Design created the
‘do create’ line in cooperation with the publicity
firm KesselsKramer. They created a brand that did
not include products, but rather experiences
through co-creation with the consumer. The
project’s results were shown in several fairs, but
were not intended to be sold to the masses
(drooglab, 2000).
Half-way products in (online) stores, especially as
a sewing kit, can rarely be found. Besides three
small brands in Germany, a Slovenian brand was
found that sells ready-cut garments plus supplies
and instructions in one package. This idea
combines slow and local production with
consumer agency and independence.
Interviews with two designers who use open
source, fashion hacking and half-way products in
their business strategy also revealed that the
subject is too new for conclusive results. Both
brands, ‘Fashion-Hackers’, as described earlier,
and ‘PaulMalina’, a Slovenian brand, have
recently started their business and are therefore
not able to give sufficient proof whether fashion
activism can fully incorporate a sustainable
business. Nevertheless, Fashion-Hackers stated
that already within the first two months, the brand
received a tremendous amount of positive media
and client feedback.
Due to this beneficial feedback, as well as the
positive research results, it can be assumed that
further research and practical implementation
should be promoted.
4. Conclusions
This paper has described the multifaceted aspects
of fashion activism and its implications for
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
designers, consumers and others involved. Fashion
activism is a method to raise awareness with
regards to fundamental problems in the fashion
industry and activate consumers to support a
change. By questioning the status quo of the
fashion designer, it challenges the current system
structures and advocates for transparency as well
as democratising knowledge and information. This
could enable greater awareness in consumers and
break their dependency on mainstream fashion.
Fashion activism ideologies envision a fair
balance between economic, social and
environmental responsibilities. They strive for a
future where design becomes a tool to encourage
sustainable consumer behaviour.
The empirical case study drew a connecting line
between the given theory, strategies, and an
exploration of the gap between consumer needs
and the understanding of designers about these
needs. Consumers and designers were involved in
the design process and questionnaires evaluated
the emotional and physical experience of this
experiment.
Based on the project evaluation and the literature
review, one key finding is that the appreciation of
clothing can be enhanced by involving the user in
the design process. This assumption could also be
justified through follow-up research. The case
study has confirmed that fashion activism through
participatory design can be a key factor in creating
higher product value. The skills gained during the
process will help to take better care and redesign
the product if desired.
By designing and creating their own garment,
people become aware of how difficult the
production process can be. Thus, participatory
design processes and enabling solutions can help
the consumer create a deeper product
understanding. This personal experience will help
to develop critical thinking with regards to the
garment’s history. ‘Do-it-yourself’ clothing not
only allows the user to break free from the
industry, but also to better evaluate product
quality.
The future goal of sustainable consumption is to
create a long-lasting product that will adapt to the
changing needs of a user. The positive feedback
offers the assumption that this goal could be
reached by implementing fashion activism
36
methodologies during the design process.
However, shifts in behaviour and attitude need to
be evaluated over a longer period of time.
Fashion activism needs to be explored more and
also implemented within the design education
curriculum. Designers need to become aware and
comfortable with this ideology, to shift away from
the solely seasonal-driven design approach.
Eagerness to discover new things is innate to
human nature. Designers need to perceive it as a
welcome challenge to reach a broader group of
interested citizens. The goal should be to offer a
variety of good options for more freedom in
sustainable consumption behaviour.
More challenging is the question of whether
fashion activism strategies are able to reduce the
desire to consume and thus change consumption
behaviour. As mentioned earlier, this desire may
be reduced through a valued person-product
bonding. However, this bond is created through
differing attitude and behaviour rationales. This
puts the designer in the highly complex situation
of understanding a person’s connection with their
products. The value placed on garments differs
depending on a person’s interaction with their
clothes, their functionality as well as implied
symbols and emotions.
We as designers must accept the consumer’s
desires for change; as soon as one need is fulfilled,
another will occur. Designers who keep these facts
in mind can create designs that will endure beyond
the fast paced fashion cycles.
Garments have to provide users with a feeling of
well-being and create a positive attitude towards
the garment. Users prefer intelligent products that
they can influence, as with multifunctional and
modular clothing.
Adaptable products will evolve with the
ever-changing needs and desires of users.
The goal for the future is a sustainable fashion
industry. Therefore, sustainable consumption
needs to become an easy to accept habit. To reach
this goal, a multifaceted approach through a
variety of solutions needs to be explored and
applied. This offers the designers a chance to use
RJTA Vol. 17 No. 1 2013
their specific skills in their personal area of
interest. By offering different levels of
engagement, the user and the industry can choose
accordingly. Thus, sustainable consumption
behaviour can be made easier, as it will be more
accessible and affordable. Fashion activism, with
all its approaches, offers diverse methods for
designers to share the theory and experience of
others, in order to evolve new ideas and projects.
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