Inclusive Fashion—an Oxymoron—or a Possibility for Sustainable Fashion?

Abstract

Cheap and accessible fashion from large retailers has, over the last decades, been thought of as a “democratic” form of consumerism. While embraced by masses of people with substantial environmental costs, many designers and researchers have questioned this mode of fast production and consumption. Designers try to create more sustainable models of consumption, often combined with ideas of other forms of consumer “inclusion” than cheap accessibility, yet they seldom define exactly what kind of inclusion is meant and what kind of desires they tap into. Using the example of nightclubs, this article asks some fundamental questions about the relationship between inclusion and exclusion in fashion, exclusivity and ability, and how to help cultivate a deeper interrogation of the dynamics these poles.

KEYWORDS:

• democratic fashion
• inclusion
• sustainability
• ethics
• social design

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Otto von Busch

Dr. Otto von Busch is associate professor in integrated design at Parsons School of Design, The New School (New York). In his research and practice, he explores how design and craft can be reverse engineered, hacked, and shared among many participants as a form of civic engagement. Many of his projects prototype how design can mobilize community capabilities through collaborative craft and social activism for social sustainability, peace, and ultimately justice. [email protected]