By Carly Shea

Fashion month in St Andrews is rapidly approaching, but this year things might look a bit different. If you have read the news lately you are probably aware of the serious issues caused by climate change. Our world is quite literally on fire. One major player in the game of environmental exploitation is the fashion industry. Fast fashion was a huge buzz word in 2019, but I’m not convinced a lot of people truly understand how complex an issue it is or just how environmentally, socially, and economically damaging it is. The global fashion industry is one of the most polluting and resource-intensive industries, which sends millions of tonnes of waste to landfill annually. And the social costs of fast fashion are just as horrifying; factory workers are subject to disgusting and even deadly work conditions where fires and building collapses are not uncommon.

While many definitions exist and are contested, I consider fast fashion to be the production of any clothing that was not made specifically and explicitly with environmental and social wellbeing taken into account in every step of its production. Today it is on everyone to take part in solutions, and it has been great to see The St Andrews Charity Fashion Show (FS) and DONT WALK taking this seriously. I was curious to find out what FS and DW had to say on the matter, and how they wanted to be a part of addressing these issues. This year, they both announced their charitable partners were environmentally focused. The two institutions have a history of doing work with social change organisations, and it’s great to see global sustainability issues taking a forefront in our town. I sat down with a few committee members of FS and DW to find out more about their efforts this year.

Indigo Jones of FS passionately spoke about their involvement with sustainability this year and in every year to come. With a personal background in sustainable fashion and years of experience in the St Andrews fashion scene, she made it clear sustainability was not the theme for this year’s show, but rather an ethos that will be engrained in their mode of operation for every year to come. Some things to look out for at this year’s show: at least 20% of the designers represented will be sustainable brands, and gift bags this year will be as close to zero waste as possible. Keep your eyes open for their vegan food vendors, organic and low waste beverage sponsors, composting efforts, a partnership with the net-zero carbon Eden Mill Distillery, and an event on Feb 14th with a panel of leaders in the sustainability and fashion spheres, followed by an eco-friendly pop-up shop. The pop-up shop will include sustainable designer, CLAWDI, who’s signature jackets are made out of old blankets. It should also be noted that the pop-up shop will be donating 20% of their profits to the Australian Wildfires. Jones also wanted to stress that they are encouraging guests to embrace this eco-consciousness in their participation with the event as well. In choosing an outfit for the event, consider what is most financially and environmentally sustainable. Borrow from a friend, pick something up from a charity shop, or check out one of the dozens of online platforms like Depop which have awesome second-hand options. Your wallet and the planet will thank you!

Jones thinks it’s great that DW is embracing sustainability this year as well, and hopes to see more student events in the future doing more in this vein. Members of the DW committee reiterated that while FS and DW chose their charitable partners independent of one another, both teams acknowledge it will take everyone on the same page to make the significant societal change we truly need to see. Beth Robertson of DW explained some of the initiatives they were excited to incorporate this year. Something they are being cognisant of is what materials are chosen both in goodie bags and in the clothes for the show itself. They also hoped to partner with eco-friendlier designers, and purchased committee jackets from thrift stores to embellish themselves rather than mass ordering them online. In a partnership with Combini, they also hope to reduce reliance on single-use plastics by switching to compostable packaging.

Living in this small Scottish town, I (and surely others) sometimes feel removed from movements surrounding global issues. And honestly, it can feel hard or insignificant to make a difference. But the issues surrounding fast fashion are all-encompassing. Choices every individual makes amount to collective productivity. It is easy enough to refuse fast fashion brands like H&M, Zara, and so many more when you think about the true cost of that cheap new outfit you will wear once. Sustainability can sometimes be prohibitively expensive, so it’s great to see a recognised effort from student-run organisations. While it is convenient to think ‘we can’t afford’ more sustainable options, I truly think in a deeper sense we can’t afford more unsustainable ones. We have the responsibility to make better choices because we have the ability to do so. As Jones stated, this needs to be more than a one-time theme or a trend. This needs to be a continued effort from here on out, from every organisation, event, and individual.

Photo Credit: Indigo Jones

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