Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management 5-28-2020 The Dangers of Fashion The Dangers of Fashion Sara B. Marcketti Iowa State University, [email protected]Elena E. Karpova University of North Carolina at Greensboro Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/aeshm_books Part of the Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, and the Industrial and Product Design Commons Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Marcketti, Sara B. and Karpova, Elena E., "The Dangers of Fashion" (2020). Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books. 1. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/aeshm_books/1 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Transcript
Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management
Elena E. Karpova University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/aeshm_books
Part of the Art and Materials Conservation Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and
Weaving Arts Commons, and the Industrial and Product Design Commons
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Marcketti, Sara B. and Karpova, Elena E., "The Dangers of Fashion" (2020). Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books. 1. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/aeshm_books/1
This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Books by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Sara B. Marcketti and Elena E. Karpova have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. 1988, to be identified as Editors of this work.
Cover design: PhilippaThomas
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.
Bloomsbury Publishing Pic does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any
third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The editors and publisher regret
any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased
to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Marcketti, Sara B., editor. | Karpova, Elena (Professor of apparel, textiles, and merchandising), editor.
Title: The dangers of fashion: towards ethical and sustainable solutions / edited by Sara
Marcketti and Elena Karpova. Description: London ; New York, NY : Bloomsbury, 2020. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019037752 | ISBN 9781350052048 (paperback) | ISBN 9781350052055
(hardback) | ISBN 9781350052024 (pdf) | ISBN 9781350052031 (epub) Subjects:
LCSH: Clothing trade—Moral and ethical aspects. | Clothing trade-Environmental aspects. | Fashion—Moral and ethical aspects. | Fashion—Environmental aspects.
Classification: LCC HD9940.A2 D36 2020 | DDC 338.4/774692—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019037752
ISBN: HB: 978-1-3500-5205-5 PB: 978-1-3500-5204-8
ePDF: 978-1-3500-5202-4 eBook: 978-1-3500-5203-1
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk Printed and bound in India
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Contents
List of Figures and Tables
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: The Dangers of Fashion Sara B. Marcketti and
Elena E. Karpova
Part 1 The Moral and Ethical Dangers in Fashion
1 Moral Dilemmas in the Fashion Business Jung E. Ha-Brookshire
2 Sustainability Must Drive Design Elizabeth Bye
3 Stealing Designs: Fashion Piracy and Counterfeiting
Sara B. Marcketti, Jean L. Parsons, and Hallie Erdahl
Part 2 The Dangers of Making Fashion
4 Fibers and Materials: What is Fashion Made of? Huantian Cao
5 Fashion: An Unrecognized Contributor to Climate Change
Kim Y. Hiller Connell and Melody L. A. LeHew
6 The Dangers in the Fashion Supply Chain: Offshore vs. Domestic
Sourcing Ting Chi and Sheng Lu
7 A Look at Labor Issues in the Manufacturing of Fashion through
the Perspective of Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery
Marsha A. Dickson and Hayley Warren
8 Exodus to Elsewhere: Exploring the Effects of Fashion Industry
Globalization on Local Communities Nancy Hodges
Part 3 The Dangers of Consuming Fashion
9 Taking Offense: A Discussion of Fashion, Appropriation, and
Cultural Insensitivity Denise Nicole Green and Susan B. Kaiser
Vll
ix
1
7
19
35
53
71
87
103
125
143
vi Contents
10 Striving to Fit In Kelly L. Reddy-Best
11 Pain from Fashion Ellen McKinney and Eulanda A. Sanders
Part 4 The Dangers of Caring for and Disposing of Fashion
12 A Consumer Perspective on Clothing Care: The Economic,
Environmental, and Social Costs Pamela S. Norum and
Rachel LoMonaco-Benzing
13 Disposing Fashion: From the Ugly ... Jana M. Hawley and Elena E. Karpova
14 Disposing Fashion:... To the Good Elena E. Karpova and
Jana M. Hawley
Conclusion: Creative Solutions to the Dangers of Fashion
Elena E. Karpova and Sara B. Marcketti
Index
Figures and Tables
Figures
1.1: Fashion occurs on and off of the runway.
1.2: A commercial building named Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh,
collapsed on April 24,2013. The search for the dead ended on
May 13,2013 with a death toll of 1,132.
1.1: Making a deal with others to achieve self-interest is one of the
main characteristics in stage 2 of moral development. 10
1.2: How to devise the best way to satisfying everyone's needs and
wants is a complicated and challenging task. 15
2.1: 3D virtual sample, c. 2017. 28
2.2: Winsome Studio, c. 2017. 33
3.1: Counterfeit shoes at a Beijing clothing market, 2004. 36
3.2: A Mary McFadden designer dress on the left and a close copy
by the Joan Leslie Company on the right, both from 1993. 42
4.1: A field of cotton. 54
4.2: Carpet made from triexta fibers. 59
5.1: Global human-made greenhouse gas emissions by sector. 74
5.2: Manufacturing stages of the fashion industry. 75
6.1: The social and environmental impact of inexpensive fashion
products is often ignored. 90
6.2: International logistics and supply chain activities have a
significant economic impact on todays global economy. 93
7.1: A Bangladeshi girl picking up plastics at a wasteyard in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 2013. 105
7.2: A photograph of children sorting plastic for recycling in Vietnam. 115
8.1: Spinner at the Picket Yarn Mill, c. 1941-2. 127
8.2: Spinning—Saco-Lowell machine, c. 1941-2. 128
9.1: A model coiffed with payot in Jean-Paul Gaultier's fall/winter
1993 collection Chic Rabbis. 150
viii Figures and Tables
9.2: In the foreground, a sweater with thunderbird motif, made
by a Cowichan First Nation knitter, c. 1975. In the background,
two thunderbird sweaters that were manufactured in China for
Ralph Lauren and sold as Cowichan sweaters.
10.1: Woman pictured wearing a Spanx bodysuit.
10.2: Chest binders produced by FLAVNT STREETWEAR.
11.1: Shoes. Silk, metallic. Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection
at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
11.2: Emily wearing a corset she made.
12.1: Outdoor laundry facility in India.
12.2: Vintage drying rack.
13.1: Sorting categories of post-consumer waste based on volume.
13.2: Bales of used fashion are shipped all over the world. Here a
bale is waiting to be opened on the streets of New Delhi.
13.3: Proposed Zero Waste Hierarchy.
14.1: Linear clothing lifecycle.
14.2: Circular clothing lifecycle.
Con.l: Fashion is an expression of creativity.
Con.2: Moving from problem to solutions in the fashion business.
Tables
157
165
167
180
184
194
199
213
215
217
223
235
242
246
1: Strategies to reduce the environmental impact of fashion.
2: The path forward—finding solutions to the fashion dangers.
224
247
Notes on Contributors
Elizabeth "Missy" Bye, Ph.D., is a professor in Apparel Design and the Head of
the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel at the University of Minnesota,
US A. Bye co-directs the Wearable Product Design Center, which is an innovative,
synergistic "think-tank" that allows researchers to explore methods and
technologies that will change how we design, produce and wear clothing. Current
projects include the co-design of culturally appropriate athletic wear and
Minnesota Apparel manufacturers.
Huantian Cao, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel
Studies, University of Delaware, USA. His research interests include sustainable
design and development of textiles and apparel, functional apparel, and
functional textiles. Heconductsapplied scientific research with a multidisciplinary
approach to reduce environmental impacts or enhance functions of textile and
apparel products.
Ting Chi, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Apparel,
Merchandising, Design and Textiles at Washington State University, USA. His
research focuses on strategic supply chain management and marketing in the
textile, apparel, and retail industries. He has published more than eighty peer-
reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. His research has been
funded by the USDA, the EPA, the California Agriculture Research Initiatives,
the Walmart Foundation, Cotton Inc., and private companies.
Marsha A. Dickson, Ph.D., is Irma Ayers Professor of Human Services in the
Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware, USA.
She is recognized globally for her pioneering and prolific scholarship
and impactful professional service on topics of social responsibility and
sustainability.
Hallie Erdahl is a graduate of Iowa State University's Apparel, Merchandising,
and Design Program where she received a Louise Rosenfeld Undergraduate
Research Internship from the College of Human Sciences. Hallie is currently an
Area Coordinator and Director of Student Activities at Waldorf University, Iowa,
USA, and also a certified health coach and fitness instructor.
X Notes on Contributors
Denise Nicole Green, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the American Indian and
Indigenous Studies Program and the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel
Design at Cornell University, USA, where she also directs the Cornell Costume
and Textile Collection. Her research investigates the cultural significance of
clothing, textiles, and the fashioned body by triangulating anthropology,
curation, and creative design scholarship.
lung E. Ha-Brookshire, Ph.D., is professor in the Department of Textile and
Apparel Management at the University of Missouri, USA. She teaches global
sourcing, global supply chain management, and the capstone course for retail
marketing and merchandising students. Her research interests include the moral
responsibility of corporate sustainability, the global supply chain and sourcing
strategies, and the sustainable production and consumption of textile and apparel.
Jana M. Hawley, Ph.D. serves as Dean of the College of Merchandising,
Hospitality and Tourism at the University of North Texas, USA. She is a
Fulbright Scholar to India, a HERS Fellow, ITAA Fellow, SEC Administrators
Leadership Fellow, and a Kemper Fellow for Excellence in Teaching. Hawleys
scholarly works focus on international craft development, textile recycling, and
fashion industry sustainability. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri.
Kim Y. Hiller Connell, Ph.D., associate professor, Kansas State University, USA,
completed graduate studies related to apparel and textiles, environmental science
and policy, as well as international development. Her areas of expertise are
sustainability within the fiber, textile, and clothing supply chain and consumer
behavior. She has published in consumer behavior and sustainability education
related journals and has received funding for research related to understanding
and encouraging sustainable apparel consumption. She also teaches
sustainability-focused courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
Nancy Hodges, Ph.D., is the Burlington Industries Distinguished Professor and
Head of the Department of Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies at the
University of North C.arolina, Greensboro, USA. Her research interests include
examining the role of industry dynamics within community contexts.
Susan B. Kaiser, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Departments of Gender,
Sexuality, and Women's Studies, and Design at the University of California,
Davis, USA. She is also active in the campus Textiles and Cultural Studies
Notes on Contributors xi
Graduate Groups. Her research focuses on the interface between fashion
and cultural studies, with a current interest in issues of time, place, and
subjectivity.
Elena E. Karpova, Ph.D., is Putnam and Hayes Distinguished Professor in the
Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies at the University of North
Carolina, Greensboro, USA. Research interests include trends in the global
textile and apparel industries, trade, and markets; sustainability; and creative
thinking. She is a co-author of Going Global: The Textile and Apparel Industry.
Melody L. A. LeHew, Ph.D., professor, Kansas State University, USA, completed
graduate studies related to retail strategy and consumer behavior. Her research
program is focused on sustainable behaviors at all levels of production and
consumption as well as sustainability in higher education. She has received
several federal grant awards for integrating sustainability knowledge and skills
into the curricula. Dr. LeHew served as Project Director on a multi-institutional
grant to create a professional development program to enhance educators'
understanding of climate change. She also teaches graduate courses related to
sustainability.
Rachel LoMonaco-Benzing, Ph.D., is an NTT Assistant Professor in the Fashion
School at Kent State University, Ohio, USA.
Sheng Lu, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Fashion and
Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware, USA. Dr. Lus research focuses on
the economic and business aspects of the textile and apparel industry, including
international trade, trade policy, and governance of the global apparel value
chain.
Sara B. Marcketti, Ph.D., is director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and
Teaching and professor in the Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management
Department, Iowa State University, USA. Co-authored books include Survey of
Historic Costume, with Phyllis Tortora, and Knock-it-Off: A History of Design
Piracy, with Jean Parsons. She is the recipient of the International Textile and
Apparel Association Teaching Excellence Award and is a Fellow of the Costume
Society of America.
Ellen McKinney, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Department of Apparel,
Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, USA. Her work is
primarily in creative and functional worn product design, with specializations in
patternmaking, creative design process, and wearable technology. She also
X l l Notes on Contributors
engages in cultural exchange through apparel design, expressed in written and design-based forms.
Pamela S. Norum, Ph.D. is professor and Department Chair in the Department
of Textile and Apparel Management at the University of Missouri, USA.
Jean L. Parsons, Ph.D., is professor in the Department of Textile and Apparel
Management at the University of Missouri, USA. A recognized scholar in both
design and history, her research includes digital textile and apparel design and
the history of the apparel industry. She is co-author of 20th Century Dress, with
Jane Farrell-Beck, and Knock-it-Off: A History of Design Piracy, with Sara Marcketti.
Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in Apparel, Merchandising,
and Design at Iowa State University, USA. In her research she examines the
socio-cultural aspects of appearance, specifically the interrelationships of
identity, clothing, and inequality for stigmatized populations. She teaches courses related to the social/psychological and cultural aspects of appearance.
Eulanda A. Sanders, Ph.D., is the Donna R. Danielson Professor of Textiles and
Clothing at Iowa State University, USA. She is also the Department Chair of
Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management. Her scholarly activities are in the
areas ol apparel and textile design processes, fashion cultural studies, and wearable technology.
Hay'ey Warren is an industry professional who has worked with NGOs,
academia, and businesses in Asia, Europe and the USA, promoting social
responsibility and transparency within the textile industry. She holds a masters in CSR and BSc (Hons) in Business and Sociology.
Introduction: The Dangers of Fashion Sara B. Marcketti and Elena E. Karpova
Fashion is often perceived as glamorous. A new pair of shoes, a dress, makeup
and perfume can make someone feel like a million bucks (see Figure 1.1). Many
people follow the latest celebrities in their extraordinary and sometimes
outlandish fashions as they walk down the red carpets. The creation of the
newest fibers and manufacturing processes, while not overly exciting on the
surface, can yield opportunities never before dreamed of—such as fabrics that
stop bullets and materials that help premiere athletes excel to the next level. For
all of us as fashion consumers, textile innovation can make everyday life easier
by not requiring ironing your favorite shirt after laundry or having stain-resistant
fabrics. But, if you are a follower of fashion, you undoubtedly also know about
the dangers of fashion. The tragic loss of over 1,000 lives at the Rana Plaza
collapse in Bangladesh in 2013 made public the dubious business practice of
creating clothing in inhospitable and downright dangerous conditions (see
Figure 1.2).
Drawing on both historical and contemporary examples, the contributors to
this book examine harmful and ethically uncertain aspects of the fashion
industry and offer existing and potential innovative solutions for each stage of
the clothing lifecycle, from design to consumption to disposal. From sweatshops
to fur farming, from polluting chemicals to eating disorders, from painful
garments to modern time slavery, the fashion industry has engaged in activities
which have had devastating effects on workers, consumers, communities, and
the planet. This ground-breaking volume provides a framework for examining
the ethical, social, and environmental dangers that arise as fashion products are
designed, manufactured, distributed, and sold within retail outlets, consumed,
and then disposed of.
A team of twenty-two fashion and apparel experts presents original
perspectives on a wide range of topics, drawing on academic research and
industry practices. Through a wide range of chapters, authors analyze fashions
The Dangers of Fashion
Figure 1.1 Fashion occurs on and off of the runway. Photo by Dominique Charriau/ Wirelmage/Getty Images.
Introduction: The Dangers of Fashion 3
Figure 1.2 A commercial building named Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed on April 24,2013. The search for the dead ended on May 13,2013 with a death toll of 1,132. Photo by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
negative consequences for individuals, companies, societies, and the global
community. The Dangers of Fashion highlights the industry's darker side and
provides pointers for more sustainable practices for businesses, individual
consumers, and communities that seek to redefine the meaning and role of
fashion in contemporary society. Readers are encouraged to further ponder the
examined controversies and solutions through case studies included in each
chapter.
Part 1 of the book, "The Moral and Ethical Dangers of Fashion," introduces a
framework of moral development and how it relates to the world of fashion, and
proceeds to explore the beginning of the fashion cycle: the creation of materials
and designs that set the tone for the entire fashion industry as well as the
controversy associated with stealing designs. Fashion is said to reflect the times;
however, anticipating or predicting the future is more critical than ever due to
the impact that current fashion is having on the environment, resources, and our
wellbeing.
Part 2,"The Dangers of Making Fashion," explores the manufacturing process
of fashion. Chapters in this section include the journey of natural and man-
4 The Dangers of Fashion
made fibers throughout the supply chain, focusing primarily on climate change;
the pros and cons of offshore domestic manufacturing; as well as the role of
human trafficking and modern-day slavery in the creation of the cut-and-sewn apparel.
Part 3 examines the dangers of consuming fashion. It begins with a discussion
of fashion appropriation and cultural insensitivity. Next, the personal physical
and emotional costs of striving to fit into a fashion culture that highlights beauty
ideals from a Western perspective are presented. The section concludes with a
discussion of the physical pain individuals endure as a result of the pressure to follow prevailing beauty ideas.
Finally, Part 4 explores the dangers of caring for and disposing of fashion
from a consumer perspective, and the economic, environmental, and social
costs. It presents the less known dangers associated with recycling textiles.
Strategies to minimize the dangers at the end of the life of your old fashion styles are discussed.
We hope that upon reading this book, you will gain greater knowledge of the
controversies and complexities of the fashion industry. While fashion can be
glamorous, fun, and ephemeral, it is also a trillion-dollar global business that can
be impacted by the decisions of consumers and the individuals who enter the
business to pursue careers as fashion buyers, sourcing managers, designers,
entrepreneurs, and historians! You will learn how you can make a difference
through your own consumption habits and by educating your friends and family.
