Sustainable Fashion and Young Fashion Designers: Are Fashion Schools Teaching Sustainability?

Abstract

The fashion Industry is one of the major polluting industries globally, and it has become a hot topic of debate. Thousands of people participate in climate change marches and attend seminars worldwide, but sadly most of them usually wear fast fashion products due to the lack of awareness. This pilot research investigates how well freshly graduated fashion designers know sustainable textiles and fashion as fashion designers are the ones who lead the fashion industry. We used a qualitative research method, and focus group discussion was applied for data collection. Twenty-four freshly graduated fashion designers from China, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan participated in this research. The focus group discussions were conducted in Shanghai, China. Topics were divided into three categories:(a) fast fashion, recycling & upcycling, (b) zero-waste fashion, and (c) eco-friendly fibres. Findings disclosed that the participants were well-aware of techniques like fashion illustration, pattern-making, and draping but comparatively uninformed about sustainable fashion. They were familiar with the term „sustainable fashion” but completely unaware of details and their sustainability responsibilities. Suggestions to rectify this important issue are provided in this study.