Straw Into Gold: A Role for Craft in Fashion and Development

Abstract

"the way we make things underpins the structure of our society .... Commodities of any kind, their production and consumption, shape the human universe."  (Greenhalgh, 2002: p18) Craft has been defined as 'skill in doing or making something' and crafted 'to make by hand' (thefreedictionary.com). In pre- industrial societies, either consciously or unconsciously, craft has been a valued part of everyday life: objects made with care by hand, may be looked after and repaired when broken rather than being discarded and adjustments may easily be made in design and making to perfectly suit function. If we are to meet the challenges presented by the need for sustainable production methods, as well as sustainable consumption, the way that objects are made and the meaning they hold to us as producers and consumers must change; current relationships with objects should be reappraised in the context of the world we live in. Craft, with its traditional emphasis on the relationship between maker, materials, techniques and environment, as well as the intrinsic value traditionally placed upon crafted objects, must surely have a role to play.

There is a moral argument that in the developed world, we have become too used to buying what we want, when we want it, disposing of it quickly, compromising on quality and disregarding ethical manufacture. Concern raised over the mass-production and mass-consumption of throwaway garments in the fashion industry has incited much debate about the way we make things and patterns of consumption. The conditions in which cheap garments are produced and the unacceptably low wages paid to workers in the developing world- some of them children- have been well documented (Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts, 2008, BBC). Various fashion labels have emerged, such as Edun and People Tree, which provide consumers with wearable garments while ensuring that their products are ethically and sustainably produced. But can we 'change the shape of the human universe' by making and buying fewer and better objects? Can the places and ways in which these objects are made allow the marginalised of the developing world to participate in the global economy?

The impact on world economies of a wholesale change in the way we make and buy goods would be enormous and possibly catastrophic, but questions must still be asked about alternative approaches to production and consumption in the developed world, if any progress towards safeguarding our planet and ending poverty can be made. Craft may be ideally situated to contribute to a process of change and inclusion by providing a forum in which to ask questions about ways of engaging previously disadvantaged peoples in global trade.

Fashion's long history of craft is evidenced by the exquisite skill with which couture pieces are constructed, from Saville Row tailoring to gowns produced in the ateliers of Paris. Haute Couture garments and accessories are handcrafted, with care, to high standards of design and finish, to be preserved and valued over a long period of time. Only a handful of people in the world can afford to purchase these garments and their attitude to consumption is very different from that of the high street shopper: for a few, fashion becomes investment. But what can ordinary people do to change their approach to fashion? Must craft always be equated with excessive expense in fashion, unless a workforce is exploited or quality compromised? Is there a role for craft in lower and mid-range fashion?