**Collaborative Feature
2020 has been a year like no other with a global pandemic, subsequent lockdowns and civil unrest. By 2021, the world would have changed in a big way. Art imitates life. Fashion is art. It is birthed in a designer’s sketchbook and after a childhood spent being refined and made, enjoys life on the backs of the consumer, artfully matched with accessories.
Fast Fashion
Lockdown has changed our perception on life and what really matters. Low quality of disposable fashion is out. Called ‘fast fashion’, consumers are waking up to the social and environmental harm this causes. There have even been rumours of copyright infringements with some brands stealing social media posts and printing them on tee shirts, without permission, let alone pay for the poster.
Cheap, low-quality clothing has to be made by someone. At times, these workers are exploited with poor working conditions and even worse pay, whether it is happening in international sweatshops or a bit closer to home.
The most obvious environmental cost of fast fashion is the consumer binning something after wearing it once because it ripped and there’s no point in paying more than the actual cost of the garment to have it repaired. Nor will hand stitches hold together the flimsy fabric. So the consumer goes to buy another item, or has more low quality items stashed in the wardrobe in a cycle that is finally ending. Millions of consumers worldwide have been guilty of this, filling up landfills everywhere. That’s only part of the environmental cost. The actual manufacturing process is even more damaging, but out of sight, out of mind, unless you are unfortunate enough to live somewhere near the supply chain.
High Quality Designer Fashion
With a more conscious consumer base, high-quality designer fashion is in. The myth is that not everyone can afford high-quality clothing from brands that can be trusted. Hush Style proves that untrue with a range of authentic high quality designer fashion made to last the entire season and not just the weekend. All at prices you can afford. The clothing won’t split at the seams on first wear, nor will it split the bank. Without costs of running a physical shop, savings can be passed to the consumer without skimping on the welfare of employees or the environment in any part of the supply chain.
Something New
Be on the lookout for new designers. Lockdown brought out the boredom in us all. Some relieved that by turning to their sewing machines. Some were even good at it.
Be Bold
As fashion imitates life in the same way a painting hanging in an art gallery does, a bold approach to this brave new world is in. You can’t do that in fast fashion. It won’t last the social distanced day at the office, let alone a day at the protests. Practice what you preach and show you care with your fashion choices. The hypocrisy will be splitting from the seams rather literally otherwise.