As a fashion designer I am inspired by textiles, sustainability and costume design. I push boundaries with experimental silhouette and fabric use. Death By Denim is an unrestrained commentary on the denim industry which leaves the viewer questioning if they really need another pair of blue jeans. As the fast fashion industry becomes cheaper, the production costs and quality suffer. Worker health within denim factories is drastically declining due to the use of harmful bleaches, sandblasting and dying. Workers are often not given appropriate protection and many develop respiratory issues and fatal diseases such as silicosis. As consumers, we never see any of these issues. My goal is to raise awareness of these issues with the hope that this may kickstart change in the denim industry. Through this collection I am portraying the two sides of the denim industry. This is shown through a beautiful model juxtaposed against the two dishevelled workers. All three garments are hand made from 80% recycled materials in order to avoid adding to the consumption of denim.
The Denim industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world and is riddled with ethical and sustainable issues. As the fast fashion industry becomes cheaper and cheaper, the production costs and quality suffer. These low production costs mean that factory workers are not paid a fair living wage and are often working in hazardous conditions. Worker health within denim factories is drastically declining due to the use of harmful bleaches, sandblasting and dying. Sandblasting is a cheap and quick method that often increases the products value dramatically, which is why many companies prioritize profit over worker health. Workers are often not given appropriate protection and many develop respiratory issues and fatal diseases such as silicosis (Muller 2013). The chemical fumes and run off from these chemical processes is usually not treated and goes straight into the waterways. These waterways are used by the surrounding villages as drinking water (Yurichism and Johnson 2010). This means that the factories themselves harm both their workers and those in the communities surrounding the factories. Many workers in fast fashion factories are forced to work fifteen hour days just to make a living. Although sandblasting has been banned in some countries, it is never enforced with companies often continuing the practice in secret. As consumers, we never see any of these issues. The supply chain is often not transparent and we never see the names or faces of those who create our clothes. I aim to address these concerns highlighting the true face of the denim industry. My goal with this project is to raise awareness of these issues with the hope that this may kickstart change in the denim industry. I am targeting both consumers and industry professionals as the change needs to begin at home before change can occur at production.
Through this collection I am portraying the two sides of the denim industry. As consumers we only see what the media and companies choose to show. The reality is not as pretty. This concept is shown through a beautiful model juxtaposed against two dishevelled workers. All three garments are hand made from 80% recycled materials in order to avoid adding to the consumption of denim. The models dress is hand rug tufted using scrap fabrics and lined with hand printed toxic symbols representing the harmful underside to the denim industry which is hidden until you look closely. Both worker garments are made from denim straps and have been distressed and painted by hand using safer and less toxic methods. The workers clothing is more dishevelled and damaged representing the damage done to worker health from the denim industry. Death By Denim is an unrestrained commentary on the denim industry which leaves the viewer questioning if they really need another pair of blue jeans.
