Industry dialogue: navigating complexity in the future of fashion

ABSTRACT

This industry dialogue, facilitated by Harriette Richards, co-founder of the Critical Fashion Studies research group at the University of Melbourne, is an edited version of an industry panel discussion that took place during the International Critical Fashion Studies conference at the University of Melbourne in February 2020. The panellists, Yatu Widders Hunt, Courtney Holm and Teslin Doud, were asked to reflect on how they approach cultural and material sustainability, think about ethics and responsibility, and navigate the complexity of the often competing or contradictory demands inherent in attempting to run profitable, sustainable businesses whilst remaining true to ethical convictions and commitments to Country and community. In addition to the original conversation, this dialogue also includes reflections from the panellists on how the global Covid-19 pandemic affected their lives and work and how they are sustaining hope in the face of crisis. We would like to acknowledge that this conversation occurred on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and we would like to extend our respects to Wurundjeri Elders past and present. In sharing this event, we hope to continue the tradition of gathering together for the purposes of renewal, knowledge-sharing and celebration.

KEYWORDS:

• collaboration
• cultural sustainability
• ethical fashion
• responsibility
• sustainable fashion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Harriette Richards

Yatu Widders Hunt is a Director at Indigenous social change agency, Cox Inall Ridgeway and founder and curator of the Australian Indigenous Fashion social media community. She has worked in communications for 15 years including for Federal Government, the Koori Mail and the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence.

Yatu Widders Hunt

Courtney Holm is the founder of A.BCH, an independent Melbourne fashion label centred on total transparency. Holm launched her brand in 2016, after completing a BA in Fashion and Textile design at UTS, working for Romance was Born and Strateas Carlucci, and running Article. by Courtney Holm, a sports luxe menswear label, and Menske, a collaborative event for showcasing Melbourne designers of men’s goods and fashion. In 2019, Holm was awarded the Australian Woman’s Weekly AGL Women of the Future award in the Business and Entrepreneur category.

Courtney Holm

Teslin Doud is a sustainable fashion and textiles designer, with expertise in the circular economy, fashion waste management and garment reuse. A California native and a Parsons School of Design graduate, Teslin lives in Melbourne where she runs The Threads, a collaborative consultancy studio and Circular Design e-course.

Teslin Doud

Dr Harriette Richards is a Research Associate in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne working on the ARC Future Fellowship project ‘Modernism, Cosmopolitanism and Consumer Culture’ (2018-2021) with Professor Natalya Lusty. She is co-founder of the Critical Fashion Studies research group and is currently working on projects investigating modern slavery, consumer culture and transparency in the Australian fashion industry and entrepreneurial experience at the digital frontier. Her work has been published in a range of journals including, most recently, Cultural Studies, Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty and Gender, Work & Organization.