The activity we did for lab on Tuesday was different, yet fun. It was interesting that random actions and movement can make things collide, get in sync, or create a perfectly timed rhythm. This activity also allowed for people to get out of their shell and become unique in the surrounding space. Awkwardness, laughter, blind decision making, and much more was involved. I would like to see another activity similar, but not identical, to this in the future.

We are speaking to our classmates and to those who are to shy or afraid to step up and speak out about issues they want changed or movements/ideas they believe in. An individual who has changed my outlook on the world is the well-known entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuk. Since I started following his Instagram account, I have become more confident in the way I approach things as I have realized that opinions people have of me are completely irrelevant. He has also opened my mind to the idea that all the failures and terrible things that have happened in the world shouldn’t be shamed or put down, but rather be used to build off and learn from.

Idea 1: 3 Ps stacked on top of each other. We have not decided if we will write what each P stands for or not.

Idea 2: 3 Ps locked together in the shape of a triangle.

Idea 3: 3 Ps put together at their tops with lines extending outward. May or may not have arrows on ends.

The piece of wearable art that I chose was created by Iris van Herpen and is known as Hypnosis. The link can be found here:

https://www.irisvanherpen.com/haute-couture/hypnosis

Hypnosis is an eye catching design that draws you to the center and makes you observe the rhythm waves that flow up, down, and around. The Hypnosis collection has 19 varying styles that not only change between each piece but also maintain a similar intrigue and design. The reason I chose this collection wasn’t just because of my hidden interest in hypnotism. It was what Iris van Herpen wrote about what the collection stands for and the intention she wants each piece to speak.

‘The ‘Hypnosis’ collection is a hypnotic visualization of nature’s tapestry, the symbiotic cycles of our biosphere that interweave the air, land, and oceans. It also reflects the ongoing dissection of the rhythms of life and resonates with the fragility within these interwoven worlds.’ – Iris van Herpen

I never thought about aesthetics in a way of feeling, but always considered it to be visual. Since the time I started buying my own clothing, I have worn what I felt was catchy to my own eyes, not the message it may be sending. An example, for instance, is a shirt that I occasionally wear that says Duck Off. To me, it was something that I read and it made me laugh as it has a picture of a duck with its tongue out following the text (I just realized that I was feeling mirth). Thinking about this more deeply as I write, I have definitely felt the aesthetics of plays like Phantom of the Opera. Even without hearing him speak, I could feel his pain and anger just by how the character looks and represents himself. Other plays use involvement to display aesthetics. Some plays may ask for volunteers (of course they are usually actors in the crowd, but that’s besides the point) while others, like the Mary Poppins play that I saw in New York, actually got people involved (this was done by encouraging dancing, and Mary Poppins would occasionally grab people out of their seat to dance with her). Reflecting on this, aesthetics are everywhere, but I think one thing to keep in mind is that the way an individual interprets aesthetics is entirely up to them. What one may consider trash, another may consider treasure.

The idea that my group and I have decided to move forward with is a shirt that not only filters out chemicals but also removes trash/debris/waste from the water. This item of clothing is for anyone who is trying to make a positive impact on the environment by helping clean up a mess that humans have made. The benefits this shirt will provide will help everyone that lives by polluted waters as well as benefiting the planet. The shirt will be a plain color (of the wearers choosing) and will be made of activated carbon and ion-exchange resin which is magnetized to pull particles that aren’t just metal. Once the wearer of the shirt enters a water source, all the chemicals and trash will slowly be pulled toward the wearer. As the trash makes contact with the shirt it will be absorbed and turned into a picture that will not only show the progress of what is being removed from the water but also add imagery to the shirts appearance. With this new designed technology, we hope to bring awareness to the negative impact we have had on the planet while also striding to reverse the problem we have made. Although the idea is nearly complete, we will still be doing some brainstorming into making the shirt even better. Another small benefit is that one size fits all, which means any person can put on the shirt no matter how small or large it may seem. It will always fit your body.

Kathy discussed her intervention findings about a company that makes clothes out of plants and algae. I discussed my intervention findings about what the UN Climate Change is doing to promote sustainability like the frequently hosted “Green Fashion Week”.

Consignment sites have like The RealReal and ThredUp have definitely made an impact in regards to intervention. These sites allow an owner of old or even new clothes they no longer wear to be sold on their behalf. In the video that compliments this article, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-day-2019-fashion-industrys-carbon-impact-is-bigger-than-airline-industrys/ , it is said that second hand apparel is estimated to be an $18 billion industry. These sites allow for the recycling of unused apparel which helps to reduce waste and lead to a lighter carbon footprint.

Intervention in the fashion industry isn’t just happening in small corners of the world. According to this article, https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon , UN Climate Change has started to take a stance against unsustainable fashion businesses. Although the UN Climate Change isn’t necessarily leading the industry change, they have created, with the help of the Italian Ministry of Environment and others, events to promote companies and fashion designers that are for sustainability. One event in specific is the regularly hosted “alternative fashion show called the ‘Green Fashion Week'”. The strive to tackle climate change in the fashion industry has led to the rise of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion which is co-sponsored by 10 UN organizations.

Levi Strauss & Co. is another fashion company taking steps to cause more intervention. In specific, Levis has a line of jeans that is made entirely from recycled plastic. At a webpage on the Levi Strauss website located here: https://www.levistrauss.com/how-we-do-business/use-and-reuse/ the company informs about ways they have reduced chemical usage and climate change. They also have a list of their Partnerships for Progress and a link at the bottom that takes you to other Sustainability Resources.

It was interesting to learn that Versace did collections for H&M as I considered Versace to be a well-known, high-end brand that stood on its own. The fact that the majority of famous couture houses rely on perfume and bath oil sales for profit was also interesting. I like that the author combined “high fashion” and “high street” fashion into this book as it gives insight into both aspects of class. When really thinking about it, there are no differences between “high fashion” and “high street” fashion. It’s shocking to see how deep the racial divide goes in the fashion industry. I never thought about the amount of work it takes for something to be made, but then only to be used a couple times. This work can also be dangerous to the workers health. Hoskins makes it very clear that capitalism is the big problem the fashion industry faces. The type of fashion someone wears plays a big part in how they are viewed and the “power” they have similar to Queen Victoria in 1837. I like this line that Hoskins wrote, “the ills of the fashion industry are the fault of the consumers.”

The documentary River Blue really shed some light on many points I never thought to consider. For awhile, I never realized how damaging to the environment the clothes I wear on a daily basis can be. In the beginning of the film, it is mentioned that 97% of the water on this planet is saline, 2% is frozen, and 1% is fresh. Sadly, it takes fresh water to make the apparel many of us enjoy. Even worse, many of the fresh water rivers located in countries like India, China, and Indonesia are so toxic that they are considered dead. It’s absolutely disgusting. Near the end of the documentary, the appearance of some Fashion Heroes was shown and they talked about what they are trying to do to be mindful of the environment and the clothing we wear. Although I am drawing a blank as to the Fashion Heroes who came up with these ideas that will follow, I still find what they are doing to be an incredible change to the way we treat our environment. Two things I found extremely interesting, and quite frankly brilliant, were the use of light and air to distress denim which lowers the carbon footprint immensely. The use of shell fish exoskeletons to help hold the dye in the strands of the denim was also an important discovery. With so much damage the human race has started to cause our planet since the Industrial Revolution, I want to be a person who is more mindful of where I get my apparel in the future. If change doesn’t begin to happen, I may end up living through a war that is not focused on control of people but focused on the control of the only fresh water left for us to drink.