Who Made It? Finding value in acknowledging nature of making to increase consumer value perception

Abstract

When one looks at a painting or photograph, the artistry and skill employed are traditionally less likely to be devalued, while the perception of textiles and apparel are more commonly regarded as objects of labour and less as products of artistry. The purchasing audience acquires textile items more as commodities and less as collectables. While fashion may never be fully appreciated as art, the continual devaluation of it being less of a craft and more of a labour is concerning. As the fashion industry has grown to high levels of mass production and consumption, the manner in which these objects are produced is further removed from the consumer, decreasing the ability to find value in the making process. As the system supporting fast fashion grows, consumers continue to see clothing as disposable objects and the value attached to clothing continues to diminish. This paper considers the process of evaluating value in both art and craft and examines if consumer value perception of crafted goods can increase by acknowledging the collaborative and skilled nature of artisanally produced fashion and naming those involved in the creation.