Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox

By Sandy Black
Black Dog, £24.95/$39.95 (paperback)

Reviewed by Julius Pasteiner

At a time when environmental disaster seems omnipresent, Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox follows a trend in publications that tackle the thorny issue of greening our wasteful industries. For the world of fashion, Sandy Black proposes that the paradox of eco-chic – the problematic reconciliation of the 'transient and inherent obsolescence of fashion's constant change' with the 'imperatives of sustainability and social justice' – is ready for reevaluation. Paving the way to a cleaner, fairer industry, Black insists that fashion can be 'conscience-free' yet still deliver 'fast', 'credible' and 'novel' clothes.

Playing on the initial assumption that fashion is deeply rooted in our psyche and that 'buying things that have been made more considerately is a choice we are prepared to embrace', the familiar finger is left pointing towards big business' unwillingness to jeopardise sales for greener options. Black laments not, preoccupied with illustrating the positive measures taken to address eco requirements in the face of such reluctance. But fearing the fickle attention span of fashion, Eco-Chic is a document in a hurry, intent on bashing out the progress that has been made so far, before the current upsurge in eco sentiment loses momentum.

A noble cause, perhaps, but in grasping for generalised analysis, broadening the eco stamp to encompass environmental, ethical and social dimensions, Black struggles to tame an already complex, global problem. As such, a confusing array of detail is laid out without any geographical, economic or political topography on which to ground it. Regarding cotton cultivation, Black informs us that it uses vast quantities of water and agro-chemicals, but counters this negative by saying it is an important employer in the developing world. She praises organic cotton, but warns of the difficulties of rolling it out, noting that subsidised Western cotton plantation has damaged non-Western economies. Later she identifies Fairtrade cotton as a way to deliver a better deal for small-scale farmers, but with its limited supply, large corporations such as Nike blend it with other cotton and claim its status. Presenting layer on layer of generalised problems and partial remedies, she fails to construct a coherent synopsis and reaffirms the paradox she wishes to tackle.

What we do get is a throwing out of baggy-hemp-and-sandals ensembles and the positioning of eco-fashion, where all things green must go, at the cutting edge of design and manufacture. Black excitedly examines the many echelons of fashion – from bespoke and couture to fast fashion (H&M, Topshop) and value fashion (Primark, Tesco) – lucidly demonstrating the role designers, speciality fabrics and reused clothing can have in reducing environmental impact by choosing appropriate materials and slowing down the production–consumption cycle. Colourfully interjected with brief company and designer profiles, lavishly dressed-up with photos, a sexy green future appears suddenly tangible. Yet again, as soon as we applaud Katharine Hamnett's classic long-lasting T-shirt designs, we hear about the collapse of her shortlived venture with Tesco and how eco-lines introduced by green-conscience companies reflect negatively on the rest of their fashion offerings. And we're back up against the paradox, rather than overcoming it.

In hunting down the fashion paradox, Black ultimately justifies it rather than making it less paradoxical – a peculiar idea in itself. Calling it something more amenable – dilemma, say – would help, and a less compartmentalised look at particular issues might produce a less overarching, more persuasive argument. Big business, after initially being sent to the corner of the room, is never really questioned, getting a clip round the ear occasionally for inconsistencies, yet accepted for doing what all commerce does – pursuing profit. It all begs the question of how we – as consumers – are supposed to make a choice about what we want and how we consume it: fast, disposable fashion, or something more lasting?

IN PRINT: Issue 24, July/ August 2008