<p> This thesis addresses the inherent tensions in discourses of sustainable fashion and explores how several individuals in the fashion industry attempt to reconcile these issues. In addition, it looks at the role of discourse in the socialization of ethical perspectives. The study draws on theoretical and methodological perspectives from linguistic and cultural anthropology, sociology, as well as fashion theory to analyze how fashion industry professionals discursively negotiate notions of sustainability and the tensions that emerge between ideals and practices. Data collection for this thesis included semi-structured interviews with fashion professionals in Southern California, along with participant observation within a university-level fashion textile course. Documenting socialization practices and noting the varying discourses of sustainable fashion in use by industry professionals highlight the challenges designers face in bridging eco-sensibilities with design aesthetics, and the complexity of individual agency in being able to participate in the culture of sustainability. The theoretical framework of this thesis demonstrates how linguistic anthropology can contribute to studies of sustainability in fashion design, and, in particular, how language use can be analyzed to better understand the ways in which a new generation can be socialized to new or changing ideas and perspectives.</p>

No description available.

Motivated by studies of dress and the importance that it has on identity formation and expression of self, this research tries to answer the question of how can an interactive tool create greater means for self-expression of the dressed body through the design of textiles? The goal of pursuing the question is to ultimately promote a more sustainable fashion culture that relies on the creation of long-lasting products. Employing Research through Design as the main methodology, this research went through a series of sequential design experiments – namely workshops and prototypes – with the ambition of generating knowledge in the context of the design space, and in order to inform the design of the interactive tool proposed by the research question. The main research findings suggest that the direct engagement with the painting of textiles through ruled self-reflection tasks, in collaboration with a machine, provides great means for the creation of long-lasting products – showing, therefore, a fruitful path towards fashion sustainability. In addition to the conception and building of a final artifact, this research resulted in a set of guidelines that aims at advising the creation of other future artifacts.

Driven by an envisioned potential of merging theories and practices of play with studies of fashion sustainability, this research went through a play-centric design process to explore the question of How can play and games help reduce fashion waste? Seven design experiments investigated different game impact goals that could have a positive effect on the pursuit of fashion sustainability. The main research findings show that games can create a safe space for players to challenge their own conceptions of fashion. The results also show that games have great potential to assign meaning to garments through shared memories, secrets, stories and meaningful words. Furthermore, the study shows that modular clothes designed as games have the potential to playfully engage their wearers for long, sparking social interaction and inspiring new playful ways to engage with fashion. Additionally, beyond the design process results and actionable insights, this research considers the exposure of its framing to be a crucial contribution. Fashion sustainability is, therefore, a pressuring topic that needs people to be engaged in what they do and know best, in order for transformation to happen. Can games save fashion? The answer is probably no, but this research has proven that play and games offer a fruitful path to start trying.

The fashion field has been called out for its involvement in social, cultural and environmental sustainability issues which range from animal and human exploitation to the pollution of ecosystems. Conversations on fashion and sustainability – on what the issues are, who is responsible, and what can be done to resolve them – have grown exponentially over the past decades, sparking actions that, although significant, are not committed or drastic enough to drive lasting change. In this thesis, I highlight fashion professionals as a key population within the fashion field with the potential to engage with sustainability by caring, acting and changing or driving change. I interviewed nine fashion professionals from different parts of the world who shifted their careers to tackle sustainability issues. These are individuals who are conflicted about working in a field that has negatively impacted people and the planet, but who have responded to this by engaging with as opposed to detaching themselves from sustainability issues. Their insights helped identify factors that impede or facilitate fashion professionals’ engagement with sustainability, unlocking answers and possible solutions to sustainability issues through caring, acting and changing.

The work called Fashion as a Differend presents the demands of critics of fashion and shows that they are in decomposition with its definition as defined by J. - F. Lyotard in the context of a postmodern condition. It argues that discourse overriding the demands of fashion critics is asymetrical with discourse within which fashion is defined. It turns out that there is a logical paradox with regard to the essence of fashion, which is transience or rapid change (at least as fast a change in society) and the floating demand for slowing down, stability and other criticisms that are linked to its transformation.