Do the "Green Thing"
Jessica Knapp, London Correspondent
Issue date: 10/2/07 Section: Perspectives
Article published on September 25, 2007.
Another week down, and the differences between American life and British life are becoming shockingly more clear. As I navigate my way through tube station after tube station, I begin to think that I might one day begin to realize exactly where, in the greater scheme of things, I am.
School life here is anything but normal compared to Regis. Two of my classes are actually held in the basement of my building, which make it quite convenient when I am running late. Two of my classes are at the London College of Fashion. One is held every Monday, in a large lecture hall on the main campus. The other is held once a week at a different museum throughout the city. Each class aims to make students' understanding of the city more complete and thorough.
One of the most interesting things I have found about my fashion classes is the way they make students more conscious of the impact they are making upon the world. One of my classes is called The Green Thing: Finding intelligent sustainable solutions for the fashion industry. Although my fashion life back in America circles around the latest and newest fashions, what I am learning here is the way in which the fashion industry is trying to become more sustainable.
What I am shocked to find out is that becoming more sustainable is, in reality, more profitable in the long run. When I talk about sustainability, I use the OED definition which states that sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future.
Sustainability seems something that every company is trying to reach for these days. Not only does it concern the ecological foot print of a company, but an economic foot print as well. "If you are a new clothing line emerging in the market today," Ewa Szczotka, my Green Thing professor says, "You have to prove to consumers that you are a company that is willing to go green." She goes on to explain that 82 percent of the consumers in the UK alone want to buy clothing from a company that is more ethical. "In the past decade, we have seen a great turn as companies are striving to meet the ethical needs of consumers with such things as social responsibility reports. Consumers want to buy clothing that is not made in sweat shops. They want to know that workers are getting paid fair wages in clean and safe environments."
Another week down, and the differences between American life and British life are becoming shockingly more clear. As I navigate my way through tube station after tube station, I begin to think that I might one day begin to realize exactly where, in the greater scheme of things, I am.
School life here is anything but normal compared to Regis. Two of my classes are actually held in the basement of my building, which make it quite convenient when I am running late. Two of my classes are at the London College of Fashion. One is held every Monday, in a large lecture hall on the main campus. The other is held once a week at a different museum throughout the city. Each class aims to make students' understanding of the city more complete and thorough.
One of the most interesting things I have found about my fashion classes is the way they make students more conscious of the impact they are making upon the world. One of my classes is called The Green Thing: Finding intelligent sustainable solutions for the fashion industry. Although my fashion life back in America circles around the latest and newest fashions, what I am learning here is the way in which the fashion industry is trying to become more sustainable.
What I am shocked to find out is that becoming more sustainable is, in reality, more profitable in the long run. When I talk about sustainability, I use the OED definition which states that sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future.
Sustainability seems something that every company is trying to reach for these days. Not only does it concern the ecological foot print of a company, but an economic foot print as well. "If you are a new clothing line emerging in the market today," Ewa Szczotka, my Green Thing professor says, "You have to prove to consumers that you are a company that is willing to go green." She goes on to explain that 82 percent of the consumers in the UK alone want to buy clothing from a company that is more ethical. "In the past decade, we have seen a great turn as companies are striving to meet the ethical needs of consumers with such things as social responsibility reports. Consumers want to buy clothing that is not made in sweat shops. They want to know that workers are getting paid fair wages in clean and safe environments."
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