ROOTS, the fourth volume of ALTR Magazine, explores the inner workings of the fashion industry as we understand it today, delving into the history, culture, and experience that has shaped the way we a
100 pages · tap a page to read its text
VOL IV
SEPTEMBER 2025
CEO, U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce Head Editor, ALTR Magazine riya khetarpal alexis emch anna mowris caiti swearingen declan fonesca dhanya kolisetti joelle koh karen su kayla palmer mark asch melinda enkherdene cover illustration by alexis emch, photography by riya khetarpal
Independent Collaborators amy o'brien grace nachreiner raveena khetarpal
ROOTS
Featuring dani frank jonne hellgren, RePack stephanie fraser anonymous collaborators
2025 U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.
if you followed your roots, where would they lead?
When you think of a root, images of mighty, grounding branches may come to mind. In nature, though, roots are more than just protective anchors- they are used as tools of communication, sharing, and connection. Tree root systems, for example, are well-known for being the epitome of collaboration and community. They utilize their woven networks to share water, nutrients, and even information.
Human roots are not much different. From birth, we are rooted in our family tree infrastructures, bridged by blood; but what makes humans special is the opportunity to cultivate our own unique roots, continuously connecting ourselves both to where we came from and where we are going. As we meander through our lives, our roots twist outwards, planting themselves in new soil while interlacing with those sprouted by others. Roots can find homes almost anywhere, creating connections that span flesh, history, identity, lineage, and memory.
ALTR Magazine's fourth issue, ROOTS, traces the root system- both those inherited and those emerging-of our contemporary fashion industry. We approach this task with the knowledge that societal roots inform our individual ones, aiming to dissect our relationship with consumption, heritage, and style within the context of fashion from a multi-level & multi-cultural perspective. This topic was explored with the desire to guide our current rootwork system towards a more sustainable and equitable future, while highlighting the obstacles that may prevent us from doing so.
Our roots ground us from the beginning, and are the common vehicles through which we become ourselves as we move forward- if you look closely, you may just recognize fractals of your own in ours.
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
about us.
ALTR Magazine is a digital publication that aims to bring forth a new vision of how we see and interact with fashion. Like a traditional fashion magazine, we provide fashion news, style inspiration, and lifestyle tips. However, we push beyond fashion as simply an aesthetic concept or a consumer industry. We ask challenging questions about sustainability, ethics, and social and environmental justice. Questions that are not discussed frequently enough in the mainstream fashion industry.
ALTR is an open resource for anyone and everyone who wants to learn more about Sustainable Fashion. We invite you to challenge traditional perspectives of sustainable fashion that think it's all about leggings made out of recycled plastic. Sustainable fashion is a growing movement and an ever-changing philosophy. There is no such thing as "perfect sustainability." We are truly all just figuring it out together, and this magazine is more a collection of musings, discussions, and discoveries than a strict handbook or manual for sustainability.
There is a lot to learn about the environmental, social, and economic issues of the fashion industry, and as we discover the solutions we want to share and discuss them with you. Our hope that you will feel empowered to ask these tough questions too, and confident in your ability to interact with fashion consciously.
ALTR Magazine was born out of the recognition that fashion has been mistreating the planet and the people on it for a long time. And while we love fashion, destruction and exploitation is not a trade off we are willing to make. "Sustainable fashion" is a remedy to this standard of operation. While it is a complex term, at its core it calls for a fashion industry that confronts its negative social and environmental impact, and tries to reduce and make up for the damage caused.
ALTR is the brainchild of the Fashion Team working on behalf of the Global Climate Pledge, an organization that works globally to bring sustainable solutions into the private sector. We are a group of individual consumers, just like you, who recognize fashion's higher potential, and we are committed to working together to make that potential a reality.
ALTR Magazine
One of the things I have learned at my ripe old age of twenty-two is that nothing in this life is static-even when we're certain we are planting seeds somewhere deep and permanent, our innate tendency to grow never truly disappears.
If you asked me four years ago what I would be up to now, I can guarantee you I would have described a life much different from the one I am leading now. My roots branched out in ways I never could have possibly predicted, demonstrating to me firsthand how our potential exceeds what the capacity of our imagination permits us to envision for our futures. My love of the environment, styling, photography, and especially my role at a sustainable fashion magazine were not things that I had planned, but are rather opportunities that presented themselves when I needed them. I don't think this is an experience unique to me. In fact, unbridled change is a canon event for most of us, for better or for worse. But this is the beauty of it- while we must learn from the past, it does not have to define our future.
Which brings us to the fourth issue of ALTR Magazine, ROOTS. In today's rocky social, political, and environmental climate, it's easy to think that the point of no return is imminent. We, at the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce Sustainable Fashion Team, are here to show you that this does not have to be the case. We are not doomed- as a community and a society, we have the collective power to redirect the way our roots branch out, a power that has been proven by time and by history. We still have the opportunity to direct ourselves towards a future that holds promise for posterity, one that prioritizes health and connection over power and profit. But this can only be achieved with a critical understanding of the past, and more importantly, with the determination to understand each other. It is important, now more than ever, to pay attention to not only how we can take action within our own lives, but to how we can help and support those around us. After all, root systems cannot survive in isolation.
And, just like these systems, this issue could not have been cultivated without the collaboration of all of our talented, dedicated staff & individual contributors. I want to thank the entire Sustainable Fashion team for their hard work & dedication on this issue, as well as all of our individual contributors and interviewees. Special shout out to Michelle Thatcher for all of her constant support & guidance.
And lastly but not least-ly, thank YOU for reading. It's only together that we can truly make a change in our current climate, and grow in a direction that will root us in a more sustainable future. We could not have done it without you.
Happy reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue.
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
Reclaiming the Roots by Anna Mowris
56 Oh, for the Love of Retail!
Under The Soil by Mark Asch in experience
the things we keep by Riya Khetarpal
Love Letter to my Past by Declan Fonesca
Woven in Our Wardrobes by Karen Su, Alexis Emch, & Declan Fonesca
Master Bibliography
U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce
Get Certified!
A Program Designed for You Flexible. Accessible. Global.
• 100% Online Start Anytime Work at Your Own Pace on Your Own Time
• NO prior fashion or sustainability experience required!
Gain a competitive edge in the fashion industry:
Stand Out: Gain a competitive edge in the fashion/sustainability industry.
• Advance Your Career: Gain opportunities in design, retail, sourcing, and entrepreneurship.
Build Expertise: Master sustainable textiles, ethical sourcing, circular fashion, and more!
• Network Globally: Connect with like-minded fashion and sustainability leaders worldwide.
WAccomplishment You Can Wear with Pride Upon completion, you'll receive:
•Digital Certificate of Completion as a Certified Sustainable Fashion Professional (USGCC-SFP)!
Official USGCC Sustainable Fashion Certification Logo for email signatures, resumes, and branding.
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
XOX
XOX
The Spiritual Language Of Color by: Dhanya Kolisetti
In the kaleidoscope of contemporary fashion, we've become mesmerized by the shimmer of newness while losing sight of the soul beneath the surface.
Scroll through any digital feed and witness the blur of micro-trends that vanish almost as quickly as they appear. Our closets-once carefully curated collections passed through generations- have become saturated with disposable pieces, each with the lifespan of a weekend hashtag. We purchase in palettes dictated by seasonal forecasts rather than personal resonance, accumulating chromatic clutter that speaks to algorithm-approved aesthetics rather than our authentic selves.
This superficial relationship with what we wear hasn't always been the norm. Beneath the industry's relentless pursuit of the next must-have textile lies an ancient, more intimate understanding of color- one that whispers to our souls, bridges us to ancestral wisdom, and synchronizes with our inner rhythms. The colors we choose to drape ourselves in aren't merely visual statements but silent symphonies weaving between our bodies, heritage, and the cosmic energy surrounding us.
ALTR Magazine
Centuries before designers debated color wheels in sterile studios, the artisans of rural India were fluent in chromatic poetry. Here, color has never been just color -it's alive, breathing with religious meaning that transcends the visual.
At a wedding in Kerala, I watched sunlight streaming through the foliage onto a bride in her crimson lehenga. The red fabric seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat - each sequin catching fire as she moved. "Red is goddess Lakshmi's blessing," my grandmother whispered to me, as she noticed my eyes following the fabric. "When she wears red, prosperity embraces her." The bride's vermilion silk rippled like liquid flame as she circled the sacred fire, carrying in each fold the whispered prayers of generations of women before her.
In the narrow lanes next to a temple (house of Hindu worship), scholars in saffron-yellow kurtas pass marigold garlands, their color an echo of each other. A textile merchant once showed me how he dips cotton in turmeric baths, transforming white fabric into liquid gold. "Yellow wakes up the mind," he told me, his fingers stained with the same pigment that colored the cloth. "When we wear it, we invite wisdom."
ALTR Magazine
Every Saturday in my grandmother's house I watched the ladies of an ashram preach words of wisdom in pristine white cotton saris. "Why always white?" I once asked her, tugging at her pallu as we sat next to each other on the sofa. "White is where everything begins and ends, like Saraswati's knowledge," she explained, her voice soft with reverence. "It's pure enough to hold prayers, yet strong enough to hold grief." White in India isn't emptiness but fullness-breathing with the gentle power of all possibilities, like the blank page that contains every story ever told.
Finally, there's saffron-a color etched into my memory from the earliest pilgrimages with my family. As a child, I was mesmerised by the ochre-orange that seemed to belong neither to earth nor sky, yet somehow connected both. "This is Lord Brahma, the creator's color," my father explained as I watched saffron robes tread along the dusty paths. "In Persia, they believe this color holds the sun's resurrection power," he told me. When sunlight catches a sadhu's robe, transforming simple cloth into embers, you're witnessing spiritual commitment. Each thread carries intention, each garment embodies transformation. Like the spice it comes from, saffron is both offering and medicine, both adornment and essence.
ALTR Magazine
Like language dialects, color combinations vary across India's diverse regions, each telling a unique story of place and people. The marriage of red and green in North Indian wedding attire is a visual poetry that balances feminine energy with abundance, creating harmony between complementary forces. These colors don't simply sit side by side; they converse with one another, telling stories of earth and passion, growth and vitality.
The deep indigo backgrounds of Ajrakh prints from Gujarat and Sindh reflect centuries of relationship with both earth and sky. Artisans harvest indigo plants, coaxing deep blue dye from their leaves through ancient alchemical processes. When block-printed with intricate patterns in contrasting earthy reds and whites, these textiles become cosmic maps- stars scattered across a midnight sky. To wear such cloth is to carry a piece of the universe against your skin, connecting you to generations of craftspeople who understood that a simple square of fabric could contain worlds.
ALTR Magazine
In Assam's silk tradition, golden muga threads shimmer with an inner light that catches monsoon afternoons. The natural color comes from the diet of muga silkworms, which feed exclusively on som and sualu leaves, creating a unique hue impossible to replicate artificially. At a weaving cooperative in Sualkuchi, women work these precious threads into mekhela chadors, their hands moving with practiced precision. The resulting fabric holds the warmth of Assam's hills, each strand carrying the essence of the landscapes where the silkworms once lived.
Andhra Pradesh's kalamkari art blooms across cotton like botanical gardens frozen in time, with deep indigos and madder reds punctuated by delicate ivory. Women in Srikalahasti gather in workshops, their hands steady as they guide the kalam (pen) filled with natural dyes across stretched fabric.
Each stroke creates intricate trees of life, peacocks in full display, and mythological scenes that seem to breathe with ancient stories. These patterns speak of courtly traditions and temple walls, of artisans who saw divinity in every curve of a lotus petal, every sweep of a dancer's costume. The earthy palette doesn't simply decorate the cotton; it resurrects centuries-old tales, like manuscripts illuminated in thread and dye.
ALTR Magazine
In our closets filled with mass-produced garments, we've largely lost an intimate relationship with color. We choose hues based on trends or fleeting preferences, rarely considering their deeper resonance or the way they once carried meaning, emotion, even healing. What might change if we approached our wardrobes with ancient wisdom in mind?
Perhaps on days when grief weighs heavy, you'd reach for the emerald green blouse-not randomly, but with the understanding that green carries the frequency of the heart chakra, that its wavelength vibrates with healing and renewal. You might notice how, by afternoon, your chest feels less constricted, your breath deeper, as if the color itself had been quietly working to soften your knot of sorrow.
In my personal experience, after a week of feeling drained, I pulled on a soft yellow sweater I hadn't worn in months. It wasn't planned- I just felt a quiet pull. That day felt lighter somehow, I spoke more freely in class, smiled at strangers on the sidewalk. Only later did I realize: yellow, the color of the solar plexus chakra, holds the energy of confidence and clarity. I hadn't just chosen a color.
I'd chosen a kind of medicine.
You might find your own color companions work similarly. Maybe before an important presentation, you'd choose a necktie in royal purple-the color of wisdom and spiritual protection- creating an invisible shield of confidence around yourself. Or for a first date, something in the soft pink of new rose petals, inviting tenderness and authenticity into the evening. Personally, when nerves creep in-before interviews, big conversations-I gravitate toward deep blues. They ground me, reminding me of calm waters and quiet strength. A kind of steadying force draped over my shoulders.
Anahita & I at sankaranti; South Indian harvest festival
This practice of color consciousness isn't about rigid rules but about reclaiming a more thoughtful relationship with our clothes-one that recognizes their power beyond aesthetics. When you understand that the yellow dress in your closet carries the energy of optimism, you might reach for it on days when you need lightness, like carrying a small sun through cloudy uncertainty.
In a world that encourages disposable fashion and superficial relationships with clothing, placing deeper meaning in our clothes using color as a guide becomes an act of resistance
The Western fashion industry, in particular, reflects a philosophy of detachment. Clothing is framed as trend-driven, consumable, and devoid of long-term meaning. Garments are not made to last, nor to be loved, but to be cycled through quickly, mirroring broader Western values of individualism and speed. The idea of dressing with intention, of holding reverence for what you wear, often gets lost in the race for relevance.
The result is a global wardrobe dictated by algorithms, erasing regional variation, emotional resonance, and ancestral memory. But beneath this industrial churn lies an older, quieter wisdom-one that continues to breathe in communities that have long seen color not just as pigment, but as prayer.
ALTR Magazine
My parents and I at my cousins wedding ceremony!
Reconnecting with color's deeper meaning offers a pathway to more intentional dressing. Your wardrobe becomes not just a collection of garments but a personal pharmacy of visual medicine, a gallery of cultural memory, and a daily practice of mindfulness.
The next time you stand before your closet, pause. Let your eyes rest on each color. Notice which ones call to you today. In that moment of attention, you participate in an ancient conversation-one conducted not in words, but in the silent, powerful language of color. Your choice becomes not merely what to wear, but how to paint yourself into the world, how to wrap your body in visible intention.
This isn't vanity. This is a form of prayer-an honoring of your emotional landscape, a recognition that even in something as seemingly mundane as getting dressed, you can create meaning, connection, and beauty.
IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT OLDER that I came to appreciate the rugs that adorned my childhood home. The swirling intricacies of the patterns begging to tell a story, of how each symbol so intentionally placed exists perfectly in relation to one another. What a gift it is to have this tangible mosaic of my family's culture right in front of me, passed down from each generation.
Nomadic Persian rug weaving can be traced back to 500 BC in Fars, a province located in south-western Iran [1]. This geographically diverse land consisted of deserts, streams, and mountainous areas, as well as being a home to many tribes, [2] including:
LOR
QASHQAI
This region became a center for rug production and exportation in Iran. From preparing raw materials to the weaving itself, women predominantly took on this role, which primarily began as a way for Nomadic peoples to have transportable floor coverings [5]. They collected wool fibers from the approximately 1.6 million sheep roaming the region, which would then be twisted and woven by hand and dyed with natural materials high in pigment, such as turmeric and pomegranate [2]. Wool fibers were specifically selected for their exceptional durability, making long lasting pieces to be passed on from generation to generation.
The designs found in Persian rugs represent far more than aesthetically pleasing. patterns of shapes. Each design holds priceless symbolic significance, serving as the foundation of this highly intentional practice [3]. Each style of Persian rug is distinguished by the town or province where it was made and is named after its place of origin. These symbols include religious imagery, historical monuments, and depictions of everyday life, culminating in a story spread out across each thread [3]. For example:
HERATI originating a pattern Afghanistan, my grandfather's birthplace (also referred to as mahi, meaning 'fish' in Farsi), reflects nature's beauty through water and floral motifs. This pattern is said to bring good fortune and prosperity, and operates as a manifesting power in one's home [3].
from Herat, The quality of a Persian rug is often measured by the density of its knots [4]. The more detailed the rug is, the more knots there are, and it is these details that make the rug more valuable. Weavers take anywhere from months to sometimes years, making these rugs by hand. They are truly a creation of love and dedication.
Today, traditional rug weaving continues in Iran, a process that can take up to a year to complete [6]. The preservation of this practice marks the upholding of values across thousands of years. In the face of today's rampant fast fashion and culture of disposable production, Persian rugs remind us of our roots in sustainability and intentional creation, and their continued existence tells us that we can still return to it [6].
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
BRANCHIN
A COLLABORATIVE PLAYLIST
BY ALEXIS EMCH
WHY A PLAYLIST?
Personalities are rooted in our interests; likes, dislikes, and can't- live-withouts. Music has become ingrained in our culture as an integral part of our interests and personalities. The number of articles based on guessing your personality based purely on your top artists or first-date questions centered around your favorite genres dominates our culture. Basically, many consider music to be a pillar of one's personality.
A community of unique people was surveyed to find a song that they felt defined their personalities, fashion sense, and vibes the best. Their answers were curated into a public playlist; it's a genre-bending playlist filled with the passions, interests, and personalities of so many people. Music is an integral part of our lives, and what you choose to listen to makes you, you!
Halo by Alice Phoebe Lou
✰ Confused B*tch by DBBD & Miss Bashful
Haye Kambakht Tu ne Pee Hi Nahin by Aziz Mian
Slowing Down by The Backseat
Lovers
HOT WINDS BLOW by Tyler the Creator
All Falls Down by Lizzy McAlpine
A letter to my younger self by Ambar Lucid
Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde
Mayonaise by The Smashing Pumpkins we fell in love in october by girl in red
Doves by Armand Hammer
Feather by Sabrina Carpenter
✰ November Rain by Guns N' Roses
"This song reflects my attachment and deep history with the internet. I've always been drawn to online spaces and communities. For better or worse, the internet and my relationship with it have defined my personality, humor, style, and interests today. This song deeply reflects this integral part of my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly." Alexis
"I'd say the song perfectly aligns with my general philosophy about life and relationships. It's comforting to me that it highlights the value in failed relationships/endeavors and projects optimism into a seemingly pessimistic message." - Lenia
"Every big mistake feels like the end of the world, especially in Berkeley. I'm nearly obsessive in monitoring in every detail of every moment of my life and actions, that I forget every moment is part of a bigger picture. I wouldn't say the things I think of myself to little me. I shouldn't have punished myself the way I did back then, and I hope my future self would think the same. I think she would want me to be kind to myself. Every moment I live is a version of my younger self, and this song keeps that truth close." - Anonymous
"Marina Satti represented Greece with her song Zari which was written specifically for the Eurovision Song contest of 2024. When I first listened to this song it resonated deeply with me. I chose this song for this specific research (although with great difficulty) as zari's fusion of both traditional and modern sounds spoke to me on a deeper level. I was really proud for my country for intertwining cultural roots (hence the identification with the song) and contemporary expression. The song's iconic rhythm mirrors my personality as I try to maintain this "cheerful" if we could say attitude towards life." - Effie
"This song highlights a bubbly, confident, and feminine vibe, much like my personality and clothing style. I consider myself a very independent person and usually don't place much weight on what others say or think about me. I love that the song is fun and poppy, but still carries an underlying sense of self- empowerment. That balance mirrors who I am: someone who's a very passionate, driven, and ambitious woman but also someone who enjoys the lighter, joyful parts of life." - Anonymous
"THE LAND GREW AND GREW AS SHE DANCED HER THANKS, FROM THE DAB OF MUD ON TURTLE'S BACK UNTIL THE WHOLE EARTH WAS MADE."
locked in a perpetually damaging battle with nature, fighting to manipulate it to our will. Western thought and academia have convinced us that we, humans, are separate from nature. That humanity and nature are independent entities that negatively interact with each other. But why? The human existence is tied to nature, from the plants we eat to the trees that shade us. Rather than us dominating nature through sheer strength, it is more logical to understand that we are part of nature. Our exploits to drain what we can from ecosystems come from a contradictory thought process that will end with humanity paying the ultimate price.
BY: Alexis Emch Braiding by Robin Wall Kimmerer counterargues this Western idea that humanity is separate from nature through Indigenous knowledge, myths, and scientific understandings that we, as humans, are merely a part of nature.
Kimmerer, a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, grew up learning about the native plants and ecosystems on Turtle Island (Western name being North America). She combines Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Scientific Ecological Knowledge (SEK) in her classroom and her writing. Braiding Sweetgrass bridges Western and Indigenous thought through her journey to reconnect with her Indigenous identity.
Kimmerer doesn't just preach that we should reconnect with the land; she practices it. In the chapter "Learning the Grammar of Animacy," Kimmerer details the start of her journey to reconnect with a language once lost. Indigenous languages are among the most lost due to colonialism; there remain few speakers to teach and few who fully learn. It's a challenge that Kimmerer takes on with determination and grit. With every word pushing her closer to this unimaginable goal. Kimmerer stuffs every Potawatomi word she mentions full of imagery, resulting in a dreamy. imaginative understanding of learning a language. She lingers on the first word she learns, Puhpowee, letting it settle on her tongue and the page alike. The thought and care she puts into lovingly describing these new words are intentional. Potawatomi language, like many other Indigenous languages, was targeted in a mass campaign by Western colonizers to wipe out any language and culture the West deemed as not 'civilized' enough:
"THE POWERS OF ASSIMILATION HAD DONE THEIR WORK. MY CHANCE OF HEARING THAT LANGUAGE, AND YOURS TOO, WAS WASHED FROM THE MOUTHS OF CHILDREN IN INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS WHERE SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE WAS FORBIDDEN."
To center indigenous language, and to do so with so much love and intention, is Kimmerer's way of connecting to the land through rejection of colonialism. Speaking in a language that couldn't be snuffed out is resistance. Kimmerer resists this disconnection from nature through her journey, ultimately inspiring her readers to do the same.
YOUR
However, learning a new language has a honeymoon phase that ends eventually. This imagination of soaring smoothly through every new lesson and grammar rule does eventually give way to the hard part. People drop languages all the time, from random interests to whatever language their family speaks. Kimmerer doesn't shy away from exploring her frustrations and failures, highlighting her struggles learning a language, from mentioning the various post- it-note reminders of words she's struggling with, to negative emotions that come with not succeeding on her first try.
We have had moments where we are frustrated that we didn't get a perfect execution on the first try, those moments where we put in 100% effort and still fail. Even in those moments, even when we fail, it isn't all in vain. You grow, learn new skills, discover new passions, and set limits. Being alive means failing, but that doesn't mean we haven't achieved anything at all.
Kimmerer ends the conversation with a Cheyenne elder named Bill Tall Bull. To combat her feelings of falling short, Bill Tall Bull assures her that her efforts are anything but in vain:
"THEY LOVE TO HEAR THE OLD LANGUAGE'...' YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK IT HERE,' THEN PATTING HIS CHEST, 'IF YOU SPEAK IT HERE. THEY WILL HEAR YOU." "LEARNING THE GRAMMAR OF ANIMACY" PAGE 59.
"Windigo Footprints" utilizes a famous Indigenous myth, the Windigo, as an allegory for the significant harm caused by the pursuit of profit. Kimmerer uses this storytelling method of using Indigenous fables to pass on a warning message to her audience. The Windigo represents all- consuming hunger, never satiated even by the biggest of meals. Imagine an ocean full of plastic or forests with no trees. Human activity that destroys these ecosystems is born from hunger, the Windigo hunger. Hunger doesn't just go away; it demands the full attention of its host.
chapter with a "THE MORE A WINDIGO EATS, THE MORE RAVENOUS IT BECOMES. IT SHRIEKS WITH ITS CRAVING, ITS MIND A TORTURE OF UNMET WANTS. CONSUMED BY CONSUMPTION, IT LAYS WASTE TO HUMANKIND."
Windigos are the negative emotions of humans, everything we hate and fear about ourselves wrapped up in a never-ending monster of rage and hunger. A chasm that Kimmerer parallels to our current Capitalist system. It's a positive feedback loop; the more we eat, the more we want, and we will never be satisfied.
The 'footprints' of the Windigo are all around us, from the oil spills choking our fish to our closets filled to the brim with plastic. We are the footprints- we contribute to the Windigo because that is the system that forced us here. We sacrifice our bond for the illusion of a "free market”.
Windigos are the negative emotions of humans, everything we hate and fear about ourselves wrapped up in a never-ending monster of rage and hunger. A chasm that Kimmerer parallels to our current Capitalist system. It's a positive feedback loop; the more we eat, the more we want, and we will never be satisfied. The marriage of Indigenous myth to Western scientific ideas is purposeful. Kimmerer hopes that TEK and SEK are utilized together to create a more sustainable and connected future.
In this case, for many Western scientists and Indigenous scholars, they are screaming the same thing to us all, yelling so loudly only to be drowned out by the piercing hunger of the Windigo. Scientists and Indigenous knowledge agree that we are ultimately doomed if we allow the Windigo to win.
Kimmerer uses her scientific background throughout the book. Her use of scientific knowledge to explain the technical aspects of buoyancy in plants contrasts with her imaginative comparisons of her and her daughter's relationship, creating a beautiful story in "The Consolation of Water Lilies." Reading this chapter wholly connected me with Kimmerer, her vulnerability as a mother whose children all left the metaphorical 'nest'. Kimmerer's own raw emotion, written down, resonates with me through the image of my mom. What she and Kimmerer felt stared back at me.
The particular passage from page 103, "THE YOUNG AND THE OLD ARE LINKED IN ONE LONG BREATH, AN INHALATION THAT CALLS FOR RECIPROCAL EXHALATION, NOURISHING THE COMMON ROOT FROM WHICH THEY BOTH AROSE."
stands out, she's using a scientific explanation and linking it with her own emotions and connections to her daughter. She compares herself and her daughter to the water lilies; they are connected through shared blood, even if they seem entirely separate on the surface. The water lilies are rooted to each other just as much as they are rooted to the earth. Everything is intrinsically connected if we dare to find those connections.
Braiding Sweetgrass, on the whole, has gotten me to reflect on my connection to the land and what it means to start a reciprocal relationship with nature. Community is how we build our connections back to the land, and that's what the water lilies teach us: while we might seem alone on the surface, we have a vast network of connections through our relationships.
Reciprocity is a central theme throughout this book; what we give is what we receive at the end of the day. Kimmerer goes through her journey, learning Potawatomi to speak to the land and other native stories and practices to help her reconnect her heritage to her current life. She marks her journey through reciprocity; she pulls out fables and myths tied to connections and relationships to tie back into her message of connection. We are all connected, while we might seem disconnected from each other and the land on the surface, like water lilies in a pond, that couldn't be further from the truth. Everything from the plants growing in the cracks of the asphalt to the friends you see daily, you are connected through your roots.
Kimmerer starts Braiding Sweetgrass with creation myth of Skywoman, who reciprocated the generosity of the animals by creating plants on Turtle Island. We are the descendants of Skywoman, Kimmerer urges us to return to our roots and relearn what it means to reciprocate.
WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY: ALEXIS EMCH
RUN semester, Each something extraordinary struts down the makeshift runway on our college stitched, campus-something stapled, or sewn together from what most would toss away without a second thought. It's called Garb-Age Runway (yes, you read that right), and it redefines what fashion can look like when creativity meets sustainability.
Our campus's fashion-forward sustainability club founded Garb- Age Runway as a living, breathing statement against fast fashion.
Student designers from across disciplines collect discarded materials-plastic bags, film negatives, broken umbrellas, thrifted odds and ends, scraps of forgotten fabric-and transform them into wearable works of art. The runway becomes a kaleidoscope of innovation, where "waste" is reimagined and turned into BOLD style statements. Imagine corsets made from woven snack wrappers, dramatic coats crafted from layered newspaper, or gowns shimmering with repurposed VHS tape fringe.
But Garb-Age Runway isn't just a fashion show.
IT'S A MOVEMENT.
ALTR Magazine
As a model, I experienced firsthand what made Garb-Age so special. Walking in designs made from bubble wrap, old curtains, and zip ties felt like stepping into a dream built from scraps. Many of our designers weren't just experimenting with fashion for the first time-they were exploring materials they'd never imagined as wearable. That spirit of experimentation brought us closer. There's a unique kind of camaraderie that forms when you're hot-gluing a last-minute fix backstage or figuring out how to strut in cardboard. It was messy, chaotic, and completely unforgettable.
Serving as model director added a new layer of magic. From early brainstorming sessions to final runway reveals, I witnessed each design evolve. I helped designers imagine what was possible. We went dumpster diving, collected items off the street, and scoured secondhand stores in search of forgotten gems. As someone deeply passionate about sustainability, seeing it come to life through collaboration was powerful. These weren't just clothes; each dress, jacket, and accessory was one less item in a landfill, one more act of creative resistance.
"There's something powerful about watching students realize that sustainability isn't just about sacrifice-it's about imagination," says Dani Frank, the current director of Garb-Age Runway. "They come in thinking it's going to be all duct tape and chaos, but they leave having built something beautiful, together. That transformation is the point."
Events like Garb-Age create space for hope in a world overwhelmed by textile waste. They give students a chance to confront the environmental costs of consumer culture while exploring sustainable alternatives. According to the EPA, more than 11 million tons of textile waste end up in U.S. landfills every year. The fashion industry is one of the world's top polluters- second only to oil. And it's not just waste: it's water, chemicals, and emissions. When we choose to reuse, rework, and recycle, we aren't just being crafty-we're challenging a destructive system.
What makes Garb-Age Runway so powerful is its accessibility. You don't need to be a seasoned designer to participate. Some students learn to sew for the first time.
Others tape, twist, and glue their visions into being.
The emphasis is on intention rather than perfection.
The result is a vibrant, community-driven celebration where sustainability, creativity, and activism come together.
ALTR Magazine
The runway's impact extends far beyond a single night. Students who once overlooked the environmental cost of their closets are now thrifting more, organizing swaps, and learning how to mend rather than discard their garments. Some have even launched sustainable styling pages or upcycling businesses. That ripple effect-transforming one show into sustained action-is the true heart of sustainability.
More deeply, Garb-Age Runway invites us to reconnect with our roots. Not just as students or creatives, but as stewards of the Earth. We are all part of the same ecological fabric. The choices we make-what we wear, what we waste, what we value-don't exist in isolation. They grow from shared soil and collective responsibility. When we stitch together discarded materials, we also stitch together our fractured relationship with each other and with the land.
Sustainability is not only about personal habits; it's about collective imagination. A garment built from scraps can become a symbol of belonging. A runway lined with repurposed beauty becomes a metaphor for resilience.
WHEN WE RECLAIM OUR TRASH, WE RECLAIM SOMETHING FAR GREATER: OUR SENSE OF CARE FOR THE PLANET AND FOR EACH OTHER.
Garb-Age Runway proves that fashion doesn't have to cost the Earth. It can be fun, daring, inclusive, and rooted in care. Waste only becomes meaningless when we stop recognizing its potential.
So next time you're about to toss out that old t-shirt or crumpled magazine, pause. Ask yourself:could this be my next runway look? Maybe it's more than trash-it's a small act of reconnection, an ode to the roots we all share.
written by declan fonesca designed by riya khetarpal
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
THE HIDDEN DANGER LURKING IN YOUR GEAR:
Imagine heading out into the wild, trusting that your outdoor apparel will keep you safe and dry. But beneath that glossy, waterproof finish lies a hidden danger: PFAS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are toxic chemicals commonly used in outdoor apparel, such as jackets, boots, and tents, to make them resistant to water, stains, and grease [1]. These chemicals help create the durable, water- resistant fabrics that outdoor enthusiasts rely on; however, they don't break down easily. Instead, they persist in the environment and accumulate in the human body, potentially speeding up health deterioration. Widely used for their water resistance and durability, PFAS have been a staple in outdoor gear for decades. However, their long-lasting presence in our ecosystems and bodies is now raising alarm bells, as they continue to harm the environment and human health long after they've been introduced.
While outdoor brands have boasted about the longevity and performance of their gear, consumers are waking up to the grim reality of PFAS: these chemicals don't just vanish-they persist in water. soil, and, ultimately, in us. As awareness grows, the push for PFAS-free alternatives in outdoor fashion is gaining momentum. Consumers want more than just a promise of water resistance—they want safer, more sustainable choices. The pressure is on for the industry to evolve.
PFAS aren't just chemicals-they're a ticking time bomb for the environment and our health. These substances don't break down, leading to dangerous accumulation in waterways, wildlife, and even our food chain [1]. As more consumers demand transparency and sustainability, the outdoor fashion industry is facing a significant shift. Are brands ready to drop the toxic chemicals and adopt more eco- friendly alternatives? The growing demand for PFAS- free options is urging companies to innovate and transform. And it's not just a trend-it's becoming a necessity.
INNOVATIONS IN OUTDOOR FASHION
THE PROBLEM: WHY PFAS
For years, PFAS were the go- to solution for creating outdoor gear that could withstand rain, snow, and the harshest conditions [1]. whether that meant enduring torrential downpours, freezing temperatures, or the wear and tear of muddy, rugged terrains. These chemicals form a waterproof barrier. making fabrics durable and resistant to stains and dirt.
PFAS were ideal for outdoor apparel because of their unique propertiesresistance to water, oil, and stains. Whether it's a jacket, pants, or boots, PFAS- treated gear has become a standard in outdoor fashion. But here's the kicker: they're not just in your gear-they're in our environment and our bodies. PFAS are forever chemicals, meaning they persist in the environment long after the gear is discarded, seeping into our water systems and wildlife [1].
ALTR Magazine
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
While PFAS may keep you dry on the trails, their environmental impact is disastrous. When washed, PFAS-laden fabrics leach toxic chemicals into water supplies, contaminating rivers and lakes [1]. These substances don't biodegrade, leading to long-term contamination of ecosystems.
Wildlife exposed to PFAS can experience reproductive issues, with studies showing that these chemicals can reduce fertility, alter hormone levels, and even cause developmental abnormalities [3]. For example, research has found that PFAS exposure in fish can lead to reduced reproductive success and deformities in offspring. Similarly, for humans, consuming contaminated water or food has been linked to various serious health risks [2]. Studies have shown that PFAS exposure is associated with an increased risk of several cancers, including kidney and testicular cancer, and can disrupt hormones, leading to thyroid disease and developmental issues in children [2]. A 2019 study by the CDC found that over 200 million people in the U.S. may have PFAS in their drinking water [2]. Additionally, PFAS exposure has been shown to impair immune system function, increasing susceptibility to infections and reducing vaccine efficacy [2].
The good news? The tide is turning. Outdoor fashion brands are finally catching up with the demand for safer, more sustainable alternatives.
The shift to PFAS-free materials is more than a buzzword-it's a game- changer [3]. Here are some innovative options making waves:
• Natural Alternatives: Companies are turning to plant- based coatings and wax finishes, such as those made from beeswax or carnauba wax, to create water- resistant fabrics without the use of toxic chemicals. These plant-based options offer the same water repellency as PFAS but without the associated environmental hazards [3].
• Tech-Driven Materials: Advances in fabric technology are also stepping up. Brands are now using materials like event and Teflon alternatives, which offer breathability and water resistance without relying on harmful chemicals. These materials withstand the elements while causing no lasting harm to the planet [3].
New Coatings and Treatments: Some outdoor brands are developing coatings and treatments for gear that meet performance standards but are free of toxic chemicals. These innovations don't just make your gear waterproof-they make it planet-proof, too [3].
RESPONSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
While many brands tout their commitment to sustainability, greenwashing is rampant in the fashion world [7].. It's easy to slap a "green" label on a product, but the reality is that some companies continue to use PFAS in their gear despite claiming to be environmentally conscious [7].. Brands often advertise their sustainability efforts, but they frequently fail to eliminate harmful chemicals, such as PFAS, from their supply chains, thereby undermining their green claims. So, next time you're eyeing that new puffer in your shopping cart, take a closer look at the materials listed. Are you getting the eco-friendly product you were promised, or are you unknowingly wearing harmful chemicals? Make sure those sustainability claims are more than just words.
In a marketplace flooded with greenwashing claims, third-party certifications are more critical than ever to ensure transparency and accountability. These independent organizations verify that companies' sustainability claims are substantiated with objective, measurable evidence. Certifications such as OEKO-TEX
Standard 100 [4] and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) [5] are crucial in ensuring products are free from harmful chemicals like PFAS, while also meeting rigorous environmental, social, and ethical standards. By having these certifications, consumers can trust that the products they purchase not only adhere to sustainable practices but also contribute to a healthier environment and safer working conditions. These certifications serve as a safeguard against misleading marketing. empowering consumers to make informed choices and encouraging brands to commit to sustainability genuinely.
ALTR Magazine
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
PLAYERS
In the push for more sustainable apparel, outdoor fashion stands at a unique crossroads. Known for its performance-driven gear that must withstand the elements, this sector has historically relied on harmful chemicals, such as PFAS, for water and stain resistance. But a growing wave of brands—and the leaders behind them-are charting new territory in responsible design.
I sat down with Stephanie Fraser, a seasoned Senior Director of Product Sourcing and Sustainability, to discuss the complex challenges and innovative strides being made behind the scenes of a prominent outdoor brand. Her insights illuminate the roadblocks, strategies, and ethical imperatives shaping the future of PFAS-free gear.
In product sourcing, sustainability isn't just a trend-it's a balancing act. Fraser explains that while the design team typically drives the aesthetic and material direction, her role involves identifying vendors who can meet both quality and compliance standards. "Designers might pick a recycled nylon," she says, "but sourcing is where we negotiate: How is it shipped? What's the packaging? Is the vendor aligned with our values?"
Fraser has worked across a range of companies, proactively proposing more sustainable materials and practices even when it wasn't initially requested. "Sourcing is about problem-solving with the full supply chain in mind," she adds. "You have to ask: What's the least disruptive solution that still meets our environmental goals?"
When U.S. regulations began tightening around PFAS, Fraser and her team faced a time crunch. "We had to act fast-products are designed 12 to 18 months out, but we had a 6-to-7-month window to make changes," she recalls. Despite the disruption, they developed short- and long- term plans to remove PFAS from their gear. In markets where regulations lagged, transitional products were phased out more slowly. In others, they acted swiftly to reformulate and re-test materials for compliance.
"It was hugely disruptive," Fraser admits. "We had to realign material suppliers, cutting rooms, and even packaging partners. But once you say you're going to be compliant, everyone has to get on board."
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
Educating the Consumer―or Not? Interestingly, Fraser is skeptical about how much consumers care about PFAS. "There's a growing awareness, but most customers aren't looking at product labels for chemical compliance," she says. Instead, she focused on internal traceability, identifying every impacted product and updating compliance messaging accordingly. "Some companies are in it to find loopholes; others want to share the honest challenge of this transition."
Fraser's sourcing philosophy extends beyond environmental metrics. She views international suppliers as an extension of the company-people with names, families, and livelihoods that are impacted by business decisions made worldwide.
"In one past role, we'd switch vendors for 10 cents less," she says. "But in one of my recent roles, it was about more than cost. It was about long-term relationships, strategy, and treating people-no matter where they live- with dignity."
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
Fraser has pushed for fair trade certifications not just for the badge but for what they mean: better treatment of women, improved workplace conditions, and growth pathways for marginalized workers. "When I visit a factory, I want to see living wages, a grocery store with wholesale prices, and women in leadership. That's real impact"
For startups looking to build sustainable fashion from the ground up, Fraser offers pragmatic but hopeful advice: "There's no one- size-fits-all solution. And with the current state of the U.S. economy, we can't just onshore everything and expect it to work. We've built a global system-we need to embrace it thoughtfully."
Her approach is about finding the middle ground. "Look at where you want to be in five years, then build a plan. Find partners who will grow with you. And don't be afraid to ask vendors to make significant changes, such as switching to fair trade or renewable energy sources. If the relationship is strong, they'll do it."
The transition away from PFAS in outdoor gear is far from over, but leaders like Fraser are proving it's not only possible-it's imperative. By combining regulatory compliance, supply chain innovation, and ethical sourcing. they're redefining what responsible performance wear looks like.
And while the average consumer might not read the chemical list on their new jacket, the ripple effects of these decisions-cleaner water, safer communities, and more just labor systems-are felt worldwide.
In a world drowning in single-use packaging. Jonne Hellgren saw an opportunity to disrupt the cycle-quite literally. Raised in Finland, where return systems for bottles and groceries are the norm, Hellgren grew up understanding the value of reuse. But when he turned his eyes to the booming world of e-commerce, he noticed a troubling absence: reusable delivery packaging. That realization became the foundation for RePack, a pioneering startup leading the charge in sustainable packaging, starting with the fashion industry. As we focus on eliminating harmful chemicals like PFAS from our clothes, it's also crucial to acknowledge that the packaging your garments come in can also contribute to environmental degradation. Even seemingly inconspicuous packaging can contain harmful substances that linger in the environment. RePack's mission aligns with the broader movement toward sustainability by offering a solution that not only reduces waste but also challenges the status quo of packaging in the fashion industry. As consumers demand better choices for what they wear, they should also start to care more about the packaging their clothes come in, especially when they realize that the same toxic chemicals plaguing their garments may also be present in the packaging.
"When we founded RePack in 2011, reusable packaging just didn't exist in consumer-facing businesses," Hellgren explains. "We weren't just launching a product-we were creating an entirely new category."
RePack was born from a deceptively simple idea: replace single-use delivery packaging with something durable, returnable, and endlessly reusable. But executing that vision was anything but simple.
"We started out experimenting with cardboard and billboard vinyl, but both materials had flaws," Hellgren says. "Cardboard only survives one or two uses, and vinyl was too heavy, and people wanted to keep it." It wasn't until they landed on a lightweight, recyclable polypropylene-akin to IKEA's iconic blue bags- that they found a winning formula: durable enough for 100 reuse cycles, easy to clean, and unmistakably reusable.
Over the years, RePack has continued to iterate, even exploring fiber-based, plastic-free versions for a lower-carbon option.
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
Yet one of their most significant challenges remains consumer behavior. "You can design the perfect reusable package." Hellgren says, "but if it never gets returned, the cycle breaks."
Making Returns Easy-and Rewarding To address this, RePack engineered an experience that is both intuitive and responsible. Every RePack mailer comes with a prepaid return label, enabling consumers to drop off the empty packaging at any post office box worldwide. To sweeten the deal, customers often receive a reward-typically a discount-for returning it.
"Consumer buy-in was easier than retailer buy- in.' Hellgren admits. "Shoppers liked the reward system. It was the retailers who worried about logistics and compatibility."
Pioneering Reuse in Fashion E-Commerce RePack found early success in the fashion world, partnering with some of Europe's most prominent e-commerce players before expanding to the U.S. and Canada.
"Fashion has a massive returns problem, so it made sense for us to focus there," says Hellgren. "And now, with new EU packaging regulations requiring 40% reusable packaging by a set date, the industry is finally catching up."
Still, adoption remains a challenging endeavor. "Packaging is a low-margin, high-volume business -not ideal for small companies. As COVID, the ongoing war in Europe, the increased cost of living. supply chain challenges...have all contributed to sustainability not being a priority at the moment."
But Hellgren sees that changing. "In five years, nearly half of Europe could be using returnable packaging," he predicts. "It's not just about the materials anymore-it's about changing the behavior. That's the real innovation."
Hellgren is candid when asked about industry transparency. "A lot of companies boast 'no plastic policies,' but the alternatives-like paper-are often heavier and worse for carbon emissions. It's greenwashing, plain and simple. The next frontier isn't about the material; it's about eliminating single-use."
RePack's role in that future is clear: to provide a packaging solution that's as sustainable as it's scalable. But Hellgren is quick to point out that reusable packaging can't succeed in a vacuum. "The whole system needs to shift-from manufacturers to retailers to consumers. Everyone has a role to play."
Today, RePack bags from 2016 still make their way back to the warehouse, a small but powerful symbol of what's possible when reuse becomes the norm. And while Hellgren remains modest about the challenges ahead, his optimism is contagious.
"We're just one piece of a much larger movement toward circularity in fashion," he says. "But if we can make sustainability rewarding, engaging, and convenient-that's how real change happens."
Transitioning away from PFAS and toward sustainability isn't without hurdles, but it's not impossible. The outdoor apparel industry is ripe for transformation. While companies making millions with PFAS might hesitate due to the costs and logistics involved, the long-term benefits far outweigh the risks. As consumer demand shifts toward more ecoconscious products, brands that adopt proactive, planet-first strategies can position themselves as leaders in both performance and sustainability. By reducing reliance on harmful chemicals, companies can not only appeal to environmentally aware customers but also mitigate regulatory risks, future- proof their business, and strengthen brand loyalty. The real challenge lies in getting consumers to care deeply about these issues, but through better education, transparency, and highlighting the real-world impacts of PFAS, we can create a more informed market that demands change.
1. Shift to PFAS-Free Alternatives Across All Product Lines
Start by targeting high-performance gear-such as jackets, pants, and backpacks-where PFAS have been used for water- and stain resistance. Brands like Patagonia [8] and The North Face [9] are leading the charge with sustainable alternatives. Patagonia, for instance, has adopted PFAS-free, non-toxic DWR (durable water repellent) coatings, while The North Face offers gear made from sustainable materials that don't compromise performance. These alternatives meet consumer expectations for durability and comply with environmental regulations. By highlighting these brands, others in the industry can see that transitioning to PFAS- free gear is not only possible but already underway, with consumers taking notice.
Partner with fabric innovators, material scientists, and sustainable startups to co-create alternatives that are functional, affordable, and scalable [10]. Whether it's PFAS- free DWR (durable water-repellent) coatings or biodegradable synthetic blends, collaboration drives faster adoption and stronger solutions.
ALTR Magazine
Consumers are increasingly conscious and skeptical. Brands must disclose the chemicals used in production. environmental trade-offs, and social impacts. Storytelling. certifications, and QR codes linking to traceability info can help close the gap between intention and effect [11].
Reducing PFAS use is only part of the equation-circularity must follow. Gear take-back initiatives and closed-loop recycling programs - such as RePack [6] - give apparel a second life, reducing landfill waste and ensuring sustainability efforts extend beyond the point of sale.
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
2025 ANNA MOWRIS
The movement to eliminate PFAS from outdoor apparel is more than a regulatory response it's an ethical imperative. While progress is underway, systemic change requires continued innovation, collaboration, and transparency [12].
Consumer demand plays a critical role in this shift. When shoppers prioritize eco-conscious brands and chemical- free gear, they send a clear signal: high performance shouldn't come at the expense of the planet.
Let's reclaim the roots of outdoor adventure-clean air, healthy ecosystems, and ethical productionand build a future where our gear reflects the values of the landscapes we explore.
Next time you shop for a rain jacket or hiking boots, look beyond the labels. Support brands committed to sustainability, transparency, and PFAS- free innovation. Your choices help shape the future of fashion-and the planet.
ALTR Magazine
C2025 ANNA MOWRIS
ALTR Magazine
OH, FOR THE LOVE OF RETAIL!
ALTR Magazine
As a generation, "thrifting", "vintage", and "secondhand" have become buzzwords when it comes to fashion. However, despite Gen Z having one of the highest rates of secondhand shoppers across generations, only 42% actually shop secondhand. So, where do the remaining 58% get their clothes? The answer is retailers.
When you think about fashion retail, several things may come to mind- small-business boutiques, popular online storefronts, luxury department stores. Despite their variety in assortment, they do all have a couple of things in common: they all sell clothes, and they are all businesses. In our current societal structure, almost everything done by a business is for the sake of revenue. Traditional business models focus on profitability, utilizing a one-dimensional model that defines success in terms of economic capital and financial assets. But in a society, nation, and planet that is in a constant state of accelerated change, is this truly the most effective benchmark for success?
ALTR Magazine
Concern for the sustainability of business practices have increased universally over the past decade, a phenomenon not unique to retail. According to the World Economic Forum, over ninety percent of current CEOs feel a sense of obligation or motivation to increase the sustainability of their businesses; however, this intention is often deprioritized due to fear of harming bottom lines [2]. It's a common misconception that shifting strategies to accommodate for more sustainable options is incompatible with maintaining or increasing profit. After all, what's cheaper- a new head-to-toe outfit from SHEIN or a Reformation miniskirt? However, this cash-centric model of "profit" ignores the inherently multifaceted nature of economic capital itself. Yes, at the end of the day, businesses need to make money- but what is regularly ignored is the value of environmental, social, and cultural capital as significant contributors to overall performance, as well as revenue.
<ALTR F25>
ALL GA
Figge & Hahn (International Journal of Production Economics, 2012) utilized this idea of multiple forms of capital to challenge traditional notions of profitability, which typically take what Shrivastava (1995) describes as a "burden-oriented" lens [1]. This perspective is exactly what it sounds like an approach to profitability that focuses on the ways in which different considerations and factors burden the ability to produce revenue. For instance, this could take the form of cost minimization: how much will this new initiative cost, and is it necessary to maintain the profit we are currently outputting? In this lens, it is almost always impossible for sustainable and environmentally-friendly programs to win. Sustainable practices require investment! This is not new news, but the short-term perspective inherent to the burden- oriented lens prevents these programs from reaching a point of efficacy within this model.
AN I'M
ATHLETIC SUPPO
The contrasting perspective of the burden-oriented lens is the value-oriented lens. This perspective moves past the narrow angle of cost, instead encompassing a holistic view that takes all forms of capital into equal consideration [1]. By default, then, the value-oriented lens also adopts a long-term approach to profit, prioritizing both environmental and social capital in the same ways as economic or financial capital. This includes the consideration of the benefits of certain initiatives for natural resources and ecosystems, professional relationships with stakeholders, and the integration of community engagement and feedback. This lens has many benefits, not only for the environment, but for corporate success. For instance, by treating sustainability as an equal part of the business model rather than a burdensome add-on, companies and colleagues can foster creativity and innovation while simultaneously working towards sustainability targets, overall increasing profitability through improved stakeholder and customer relationships and competitive business features and strategies. It also increases the overall longevity of business- as we all know, sustainable practices tend to outlive unsustainable ones. This is becoming especially true as contemporary consumers are increasingly looking to spend their dollar at companies that align with their values of inclusivity and sustainability [2].
Now, all of this "perspective" talk culminates into a singular economic model: true cost economics. The Economic Times defines true cost economics as an "economic model that includes the cost of negative externalities associated with goods and services" [3]. In other words, this model takes into account social and environmental impact when considering cost and profit. Again, this includes things like the strain on natural resources, public health, and labor practices. On paper, and given all of the benefits we just outlined, it seems like a no-brainer for companies to adopt a true cost economic model- I mean, why not, right? If there is a way to both increase business longevity while absorbing the cost of social and environmental impact, what's the hold up?
Unfortunately, there is no explicit black-and-white explanation for this. But perhaps the reason, at least within the world of retail, lies in the nuance of what this cost absorption may actually look like in an industry focused on the production and consumption of tangible goods. The product economy in the world of retail is not inherently circular; that is, it does not allow for the easy recovery of product value at the end of their life cycles. Therefore, the process of production, consumption, and disposal of retail goods has been inevitable in the business model since its inception. This is further exacerbated by the modernized culture surrounding clothing and fashion, which has become increasingly trend-driven. In the past, designers and fashion houses released approximately 2-4 collections a year, based on season: fall, winter, spring, and summer. This is where we get the abbreviations you may see quite often during fashion weeks (FW = Fall/Winter Collection, SS = Spring/Summer Collection).
Contemporary companies then utilized these runways to adapt designer styles into ready-to-wear items, allowing these high-end designers to shape trends and creating a trickle-down effect that would carry on to the average consumer. However, while this product lifecycle based on season is still applicable to most high-end designers, THE LOWER TIERS OF THE TREND CYCLE HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY ACCELERATED. This has caused companies to produce new styles at a higher rate, releasing new items on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis to keep up with consumer demand.
This escalation in demand for micro-styles has introduced what we call
FAST FASHION.
663 MA12
E Fast fashion is a business model used by clothing companies that promotes fast style turnover in order to keep up with the introduction of microtrends, which are pushed through channels such as social media and celebrity endorsements. Although they represent different levels of the fast fashion hierarchy, some company examples include SHEIN, H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Bershka, and ASOS (I know, I'm sorry!).
Introducing a true cost economic model to these companies would require some major changes to the overall business model, necessitating the production of styles that are designed for DURABILITY, LONGVEITY, AND REUSE,
MOTORCILY
A91-7
1966 PA as well as inciting stricter protocols when it comes to quantity. This would also need to carry over into the consideration of stock allocation for businesses with multiple brick-and-mortar locations, as well as a sustainable plan for recycling and disposal of unsold product that has reached the end of its perceived trend lifecycle. The latter is applicable not only to fast fashion companies, but to high-end vendors that sell to department stores, as well as those who have their own in-person locations. This is why we see designer items at stores such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and eventually at Goodwill; these are styles that have reached the end of their high-price capitalistic potential, destined for the landfill unless some lucky thrift-goer can unlock its potential.
SILENCE
ALTR Magazine
So, what is the hold up? Our capitalistic roots may only be half the answer, as our value-oriented lens suggests [1]. In theory, a true cost economic model allows for increased business longevity and a long-term perspective that will drive a broadened customer base, ultimately reconciling the previously incompatible co- existence of sustainability and maintained (or even increased!) bottom lines. However, in an industry driven by accelerated trend cycles and the constant demand for new physical goods, it can be more difficult to find a middle ground. In order to make major moves towards more sustainable practices in retail, the first step is to slow down. Slowing down our consumption, yes, but also our trend cycles, our timelines, and our mindsets. Obviously, easier said than done; but being conscious about our own hyper-productive approach to life may be the best foundation for long-term change in the retail industry, and beyond. And I hope to see you there, one day.
written, designed, and photographed by RIYA KHETARPAL
ALTR Magazine clothes sourced, repurposed, designed, styled, and modeled by AMY O'BRIEN
"To despise fashion as frivolous is there- fore the most frivolous posture of all." Wilson, 2003, p. 277
Much like a sprawling metropolis, the fashion industry is a study in contradiction. Its landscape at once beautiful and grimy, lofty and lowbrow, a tapestry of art, commerce, and invisible labor stitched together with gold thread and frayed seams. Through self-adornment, the clothes we wear mark the contours of both personal and collective identity, reflecting patterns of migration, cultural exchanges, and socio-political ties. As commodities, garments offer insights into the shifting dynamics of labor systems, manufacturing methods, and global trade networks. Yet despite its layered complexity, fashion is often dismissed in serious discourse. Seen as a shallow indulgence for the rich or a fleeting pursuit for trend-followers. The ethical and environmental crises plaguing the industry -mass production, overconsumption, exploitative practices- further reinforce this view, reducing it to a symbol of excess and frivolity. This dismissal obscures fashion's underlying role as both mirror and maker of social reality, its power to simultaneously reflect and shape the human experience.
ALTR Magazine
What separates the act of fashioning oneself from, say, reading poetry or watching films is that the burden and/or pleasure of getting dressed is something none of us can truly ignore. Like eating or sleeping, it is a ritual virtually all of us adhere to. Even those who claim indifference to it cannot help but participate. As Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Historical Studies Anthony Sullivan writes in his article "Why Fashion Matters," fashion is a universal language, a dialogue conducted through structure and silhouette, cut and color. In this sense, clothing becomes a vessel for storytelling, transforming the ineffable into form. Sociologist Erving Goffman's self- presentation theory offers further insight, observing how individuals use verbal and non-verbal cues to project a particular image. The transformation of the 'backstage' private self into something more desirable for public perception captures the omnipresent performance of dress we engage in daily. Fashion matters because it is a social activity premised on the assessment of the self and the other.
Sergey
The Unsplash License
Photo by Sergey Vinogradov. Free to use under the Unsplash License
In The Painter of Modern Life (1863), Charles Baudelaire emphasizes fashion as a crucial element of modernity, tying contemporary life and the essence of humanity. For Baudelaire, fashion is a living reflection of its time, animating art with the immediacy of the present. Psychologist Ernest Dichter's dialectical understanding similarly states that fashion, "expresses the zeitgeist, the spirit of the times, and in turn can influence it." Fashion is thus a mirror to the political, economic, and cultural pulse of society. Across the centuries, it has swung like a pendulum, responding to moments of change with corresponding shifts in aesthetic expression.
Liberated hemlines and androgynous 'La Garçonne silhouettes of the roaring 20s embodied the spirit of women's emancipation and Jazz Age rebellion, signaling modernism and newfound social freedoms. During the Great Depression, fashion adapted to dominant values of resilience, tradition, and frugality, with bias-cut gowns and longer hemlines offering a form of visual escapism through the fantasy of Hollywood's Golden Age. The standardized wartime utility suits of the 1940s moved into an unapologetic use of textiles in the 1950s, as opulent evening wear echoed a longing for beauty after years of sacrifice. By the 1960s and 70s, mod mini-skirts, thrifted hippie garb, glimmering disco wear, resistance fighter- inspired uniforms, punk anarchism, and flamboyant glam rock all emerged in response to ongoing war, civil rights and social justice activism, stagflation, and widespread institutional authority. In the 1980s, fashion mirrored the rise of social conservatism and neoliberalism, as power suits and brand-centric consumerism projected ambition, status, and materialism.
Subcultures like hip-hop streetwear and Japanese deconstruction pushed back, articulating resistance, cultural pride, and critique from the margins.
Photo by Barbara Farber, 1974. Free to use under the Unsplash License
Looking into the 21st century, fashion's oscillations have accelerated dramatically, propelled by technological advancements, globalization, and social media. Trends now emerge and disappear within months rather than years, raising concerns around authenticity and sustainability in an era of instant gratification. Throughout the COVID-19 lockdowns, many felt increased freedom to experiment with their personal style. But by the following years, dominant aesthetics of 'quiet luxury,' 'old money,' 'capsule wardrobes,' and the 'clean girl' look signal a collective retreat into simplicity and tradition amidst deepening political polarization and economic uncertainty. The growing turn toward minimalism can be read as a rejection of overconsumption, a genuine exhaustion with the whims of the industry, and an effort to disengage from its conversations and cycles altogether. Paradoxically, the eclectic layers of maximalism have also surged among young consumers and designers with a comparable ethos, favoring personalized individualism over conformity. Both these movements are symptomatic of the same cultural conditions and pressures of modernity.
But even seemingly subversive choices can rapidly be absorbed into the machinery of mass production. Today, we see a market saturated with those refined basics and once-personal accessories, this time rendered indistinguishable from the trends they critique. In their broader analysis of the culture industry, Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944), Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer write of fashion as a tool of standardization, commodification, and control. The system operates within a paradox: the promise of individuality tethered to homogenization. The proliferation of trends mirrors the culture industry's cyclical monotony, a perpetual return to the same under the guise of change. Sociologist Jean Baudrillard extends this critique, framing the industry's constant alteration as a simulacrum of forward movement, a spectacle that co- opts and dulls the aesthetics of progress to maintain the status quo. Fashion is increasingly stripped of its context, flattened into mood boards microtrends, and sold back to us.
Modern fashion breathes to the rhythm of industrial capitalism, its pulse quickened by the ever-turning wheel of desire. Cultural historian Elizabeth Wilson, in her 1985 Adorned in Dreams, captures this entanglement with sharp clarity: "Fashion speaks capitalism." As both a parent and child of capitalism, fashion thrives on novelty and planned obsolescence. It commodifies identity, packaging it into marketable fragments while dictating what is in vogue or passé. Capitalism kills and appropriates and generates a staggering and ALTR Magazine amount of waste. It also dazzles with great wealth and beauty and aspiration, though often for dreams just out of our reach. Fashion is the manifestation of all these contradictions, and so we are caught in a paradox. We love and hate fashion just as we love and hate capitalism
Yet, to reduce fashion to its downfalls is to ignore its revolutionary potential. At its most powerful, this craft abstracts its commodified form and becomes a medium of expression. Style is shaped by a life lived doing what we enjoy. It's the books we read, the cities we inhabit, the art we create, the people we love, the ideas we carry, and so on. Human existence itself is the collecting of stories, and the garments that adorn us are artifacts of those tales. To dress, then, is to drape meaning onto the skin. Unlike other cultural texts, clothing is not just observed from a distance but embodied and seen in motion. This immediacy makes fashion a uniquely significant site for communicating and alchemizing identity. In an age saturated with irony, these rare moments of conscious self-fashioning reveal fashion's capacity to connect the intimate self with the wider world.
Fashion, in its myriad forms, is a potent reflection of life. It operates as a cultural barometer and a mechanism of meaning making -between the personal and political, the individual and collective. Perhaps its true essence lies in these tensions: its transformation of life's materiality into a medium that concomitantly transcends and remains grounded in the practical and fleeting. Ultimately, its greatest strength is its ability to challenge ideologies, invite conversation, and evoke new modes of being.
ALTR Magazine
How fashionable do you think you are? Nowadays, this is a very subjective question with no definitive correct answer. However, it was not always so subjective. Societies used to rely heavily on monarchs and the upper classes to define what was and was not fashionable. Little wiggle room was allowed outside of the fashion standard of that decade. Now, due to the widespread accessibility of fashion, it has become more individual. Fashionability dates back to when humans started wearing clothes; it's built within us to gravitate towards wanting to be fashionable or fit in. Reviewing how fashionability has evolved to how it is perceived today, we can understand how clothing has continuously been used as a means of control. From using fashion to control class mobility to using it to pressure people into constant consumption, we must reflect on how to reintroduce the slow consumption of the past more ethically and inclusively.
Comparing fashionability today to how to be considered 'fashionable' in ancient times is stratospherically different. It's important to reflect on such a concept and how it came to be: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The difference in how we acquire clothing has catapulted many into a 'fashionable' sphere, with dire consequences. Our world can't keep up with the increasing output of clothing, something needs to slow down.
The history of fashionability as a concept dates back to Ancient Egyptian and Greek times when currency and class solidified themselves within common society. With class came ideas and ways to showcase perceived superiority over others. Clothing was an obvious choice to indicate one's status within the world, it was expensive and hard to come by. Having modern pieces in abundance meant you were of a powerful class. This sentiment spread throughout the globe, a prominent case study being Medieval European society
The nobility of Europe wanted to separate themselves so deeply from the lower classes that they urged monarchies and parliaments to pass sumptuary laws [1]. These laws claimed to uphold the morality of the populous, but at their core, they were used to segregate and suppress lower classes. These laws made it illegal for those they deemed lesser to have any access to fashionable silhouettes, fabrics, or materials. They literally made being fashionable illegal for certain populations.
Fashionability expanded into multicultural realms with the fueling of trade routes. These laws were introduced not only to ban lower classes from having these materials but also to restrict access between populations. Up-to-date fashion was an indicator of a thriving and well- connected society. Still, nobles and higher classes used these laws to restrict this indicator to their social circles only. As technology and mass manufacturing evolve, the definition and space of fashionability, so do the means to control populations through clothing.
Beyond that, the major silhouettes that defined fashionability moved much slower. Fabrics becoming popular took infinitely longer than they do today. One or two decades could be ruled by one major silhouette. Microtrends did not exist- or if they did, they had little impact. In short, being fashionable meant sticking with the same silhouette and adjusting it slowly as time went on. For example, in Victorian England, the 1860s silhouette was defined by a wide skirt that showcased how much fabric one could buy. As the 1880s came around, the silhouette was pulled backward and bustled. Women would take their 1860s fashionable garments and bustle the extra skirt fabric in the back to reuse the same garment restyled to fit the fashionable standard of the new decade. Such a thought process came from one of expense; a rare few could cough up the money for a completely new gown that fit them perfectly and was in style, so knowing how to upcycle and sew was imperative to stay fashionable at a reasonable price.
The combination of the ruling class controlling the bodies of the lower classes and the slow movement of silhouettes meant fashionability was gatekept, remaining an indicator of class and power. For the majority of human history, the upper classes used their power and wealth to hoard these resources and materials due to their high costs and limited availability. This trend was eventually overthrown with the global push into the Industrial Revolution. The birth of mass manufacturing gave way to cheaper materials used to make clothing. While many still couldn't afford an entire wardrobe like the upper class, many could finally afford to get a couple more pieces that reflected the fashion standard of the time. While not as speedy as the fast fashion of today, the Industrial Revolution spurred the fashion sphere into a quicker pace. Silhouettes started to move a little faster as fabric decreased in price and increased in availability. Thus, exiting the 1800s, fashionability became something more people could achieve.
milestone in fashion. The creation of standardized sizing eliminated the previous need to have every garment you own tailored to your exact measurements [3]. The reason why many can't fit into garments from the earlier era is because each garment was tailored to that person's body type; it was made for one person and thus rarely fits others. Standardized sizing created a guide that vaguely fitted everyone into a convenient label of S-M-L and others. Standardized sizing and the closely following creation of department stores made clothing a lot more widely available. Designer brands had their ideas and silhouettes taken from the runway and copied into oblivion by department stores, meaning that anyone in a Sears or Macy's could conveniently purchase the once highly priced garments. No other case study exemplifies this more perfectly than the Dior New Look. The puffy skirt and tighter top were reproduced and copied thousands of times by almost every retailer; the silhouette was inescapable. This is exasperated by Zara, widely considered the first fast fashion outlet born in the 1970s. Their early mission statement boasted that they could recreate a designer look and have it in stores in 15 days. Zara became one of the first to push fashion faster and faster, and many others soon joined in [4].
The widespread availability of being 'fashionable' truly started around the 1950s, at least in the Western Hemisphere. The world was connected, fabric and materials were the cheapest in history, and the scene had been perfectly set for everyone to be fashionable. Yet therein lies the issue: everyone followed a certain couple of silhouettes and trends to be fashionable. Due to the slow- moving nature of previous decades, only a couple of styles were considered popular and socially acceptable. If you didn't follow them, at best you would just be stared at, and at worst, shunned from society.
That sentiment is what makes the next breakthrough in fashionability even more impactful- the dominance of the Internet and social media. There are many negative aspects within our new era of being fashionable; however, one of the most impactful and beautiful aspects is the widespread acceptance and unabashed enjoyment of self-expression. Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have become cultural zeitgeists within the fashion realm. Subcultures rarely understood now have a global stage to encourage others to express themselves through their clothing. From the frilly Lolita style to the spiky chains and leather of punk, fashionability is no longer about a defining silhouette but rather about what an individual loves. Globalization has connected everyone and everything, and fashion is no different. As a culture, we have broken through the one-size-fits-all approach of applying a couple of fashion trends and have found something more individualistic to replace it. ALTR Magazine
One trend that has transcended history is that fashionability remains, at its core, a tool used to control. Back in the early stages of history, whoever had the money to be fashionable could be, and everyone else was physically banned from even trying. Now, it's encouraged for everyone to continuously follow every single microtrend that the internet and corporations dream up that holds the power. For example, in a couple of months, we saw the rise of the bows and mini skirts of the coquette style, which was followed by the minimalist sharp silhouette of the clean girl, before pivoting to the blazers and mini glasses of the office siren [5]. Each of these trends encouraged people to buy an entire new wardrobe for the aesthetic. While fashion has become more individual, there are still cultural and societal opinions that pressure many to follow similar trends to keep up. Consumerism has become the largest gatekeeper of being considered fashionable.
One moment, clean, simple colors and cuts are in; the next, furs and dark allure. In one month, there can be five different trending styles that people feel the need to continuously follow to feel fashionable.
What does this accumulate to? Pounds of clothing and trends are sitting in landfills, disintegrating across lifetimes. Corporations want fashionability to be intrinsically linked to consumerism, and on some scale, it already is. Microtrends are the perfect example of how people are constantly being encouraged to switch it up for the sake of relevancy. The mob wife aesthetic existed for around two weeks before people moved on to the next shiny thing. This trend encouraged people to buy a specific faux fur jacket from Target, but after that trend is finished, what happens to that jacket? At best, it'll be donated en masse, and at worst, it will rot in a landfill for the next hundred years. Even looking back, overconsumption has been practiced by the elite. A particular medieval Italian fashion trend was to use fabrics made out of gold and silver, a ridiculous display of wealth that was barely functional. The main purpose of this trend was to showcase that the elite could simply throw away all this money on precious fabric when everyone else could barely afford multiple garments. Now, celebrities step out in a new outfit every day, and everyone else cycles through microtrend after microtrend.
For many, fast fashion is one of the only options they have because it is what is available and cheap. While everyone can be fashionable, only those who have the money to pay have access to quality fabrics that will last. It seems like a hopeless situation, but to give up and give in to consumerism is not and will never be the road to a more sustainable future. Looking at the past is a double-edged sword. Yes, it's deeply important to take from their slow consumption and invest in garments that will last forever and fit their bodies; we shouldn't copy their playbook exactly. Sumptuary laws were classicist tools used to control people's bodies and should not in the slightest. What we can take from our ancestors is their adaptability and mindset that f fashion isn't about how much you have but rather what you do with what you have. Cycling back to the example of Victorian women using their old garments and simply refurbishing them to fit the ideal of the time, this adaptability is what will push us into a more sustainable scene.
Fashion shouldn't be a competition between those who can own the most clothing; the amount of clothing you own will not automatically bring fashionability. Rather, fashionability come rom finding what you love, investing in what you love, and caring for the clothing that you love. Microtrends are temporary, but your comfort and joy are forever. Reflecting on the past you can often find out how crafty and resourceful people were with their fashion. That is the true takeaway from the fashionability of before, rather than compete to be fashionable you should learn to stretch out fashionability. You can be sustainably fashionable by upcycling what you already have into something unique to you, learning how to mend to stretch out your favorite pair of jeans for many more years together, thrifting vintage pieces made of quality materials, or just reflecting on your clothing habits and pushing for an internal change. Fashionability is what you make of it, so make it sustainability yours.
UNDER THE SOIL
THE DARK ROOTS OF THE FASHION EMPIRE
ALTR Magazine
The global economy is a vast web of connections. Our awareness of the supply chain networks stringing it all together, however, is foggy at best. Do you genuinely know what ingredients make an Oreo? Where did they come from? What is Riboflavin anyway, and why is it in this delicious treat? It's not our fault that these questions seem trivial. We lead busy lives and focus our energy and attention elsewhere. Still, the example highlights how easily production hides information from consumers. It extends far beyond tasty snacks. Unlike food, most products are not legally required to include a visible ingredient label in their packaging, from face masks to iPhones to a pair of jeans. Most shoppers are likely unaware that 43 million tons of various chemicals are involved in clothing manufacturing processes every year [1].
The iceberg metaphor offers a powerful way to understand hidden complexities: what we see above the surface is only a fraction of the whole. The bulk lies concealed underwater. The concept is is strikingly relevant for fashion. Companies present an abundance of clothing choices, vibrant trends, and the allure of constant renewal. Online shopping offers an appealing and seemingly infinite landscape of possibilities. However, lurking below is a sprawling mass of exploitation. The fashion empire's iceberg rests atop violent histories, building entire economies from systematic abuse [2][3]. This legacy of injustice persists through modern forms of slavery, environmental degradation, and widespread pollution, all of which remain invisible to everyday people. To pierce beyond the slew of ALTR Magazine clothes today, we must dip our heads beneath the surface and confront the whole iceberg. By delving into murky waters, we acknowledge the ongoing impact of history on a global enterprise, revealing unsettling truths that underpin our shopping choices.
Many threads weave into the historic tapestry of the industry's meteoric rise, but cotton is its main character [2][3]. Before Columbus "discovered" the plant in 1492,
cotton textiles were common in Meso- American, Andean, Asiatic, and other civilizations, but were largely absent from international markets [3]. Early slave labor of the first abducted Africans shipped to Britain's American colony in Port Comfort, Virginia, in 1619 centered around tobacco agriculture [2] [3] [4]. Over the next two centuries, that would change. Cotton fabrics gained popularity across Europe thanks to colonial exports from the British East India Company. Industrialization provided new uses for the plant in linen and clothing. With soil and climate ideal for growing it, farmers in the American South began slowly testing out cotton agriculture. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793, however, completely transformed the economic potential of cotton. Offering a mechanized way to pick the seed out of cotton at a rate it took someone a year to accomplish, the gin enabled the mass production needed to meet growing demand for the material. It Igave cotton the capacity to become the kingpin of a newly independent American economy, given it had the land and labor to realize it [2][3].
Growing cotton requires a vast amount of land; picking it is an incredibly labor- intensive process. Where would the land and labor necessary to seize the kingly potential of this booming cash crop come from? Indigenous and enslaved people. To ALTR Magazine make room for cotton, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcibly. displacing the Cherokee, Cree, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Chocktaw nations from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States, and siloing them into reservations west of the Mississippi River. Thousands died on this long and genocidal Trail of Tears [2][3].
American-born enslaved people were then transported from states in the upper south to work on cotton plantations in the newly "acquired" land in the deep south. The domestic American slave trade during this period is commonly known as the "2nd Middle Passage," representing one of the largest forced migrations of people in history. [2][3][4]. The violence endured on plantations is well-documented in first-hand accounts detailing the torturous experiences. Enslaved people endured harsh whippings_ before going into the field for the first time ]. Overseers then weighed the cotton picked from that day to assess one's picking capability. Every following day, that person would bring in the same weight of cotton or face more lashings. Under this cruel pushing system, the incentive for enslaved people to produce more was solely to avoid severe punishment [4].
Others fell victim to the demands of the cotton economy. After being picked and cleaned, cotton was woven and dyed into thread at textile mills across New England. As production grew, a new generation of mill managers began taking advantage of economically vulnerable women and children, many of them immigrants, who were willing to work longer hours at lower wages in putrid conditions. The development of commercial sewing machines between the 1830s and 1850s marked the birth of the ready-to-wear garment industry. In response, sweatshops began popping up across slums in the north as industrialists looking for a profit similarly preyed on women and children for cheap labor. Under the oppressive network - with enslaved people cultivating it on stolen land and women and children processing and sewing it - America cornered the global market [5]. By 1861, cotton accounted for over 60% of all North American exports, representing more than 50% of the international cotton market [2] [3]. White farmers, bankers, merchants, millers, and factory owners reaped King Cotton's riches. Consumers benefited from cheaper ready- to-wear garments. All while those enduring the back-breaking work to keep the cogs of the global machine spinning suffered.
When one profits off mistreating another, we call it exploitation, and the foundations of the modern fashion industry are deeply rooted in it.
Once an organism is born, it does everything possible to survive. America's cotton dominance steadily slowed to a halt with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the end of slavery in 1865 and later with the unionization of female mill workers and the signing of federal labor laws in the 1930s [5]. The American economy diversified during their involvement in World War II from 1941-1945. By the 1970s, China had established itself as the largest cotton producer worldwide [3]. Yet, the abusive system survived in the states. Outright slavery shifted to take on implicit forms of chattel slavery and sharecropping. Even today, states take advantage of a loophole in the 13th amendment which allows them to force incarcerated prisoners, who are disproportionately Black, to work without pay. During COVID-19,_prison workers in a minimum of 15 federal prisons across America sewed masks and gowns for an average of $0.23 an hour [6] [7]. Meanwhile, textile production has increased in other parts of the world where its corrupt industrial organism has rerooted itself, taking on new forms of modern slavery [8] [9] [10][11].
In 1948, the United Nations declared all forms of slavery and the slave trade illegal worldwide in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signaling changing times. However, injustice persists, adapting to human rights progress by taking on less visible forms. As recently as 2022, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 50 million people worldwide remain trapped
Free to use under the Unsplash License in forced labor and marriage. The fashion industry is a massive contributor. Despite employing roughly 75 million workers in one of the most labor-intensive sectors, under 1.5 million - are estimated to earn a living wage. These realities are conveniently hidden from Western shoppers; modern slavery in fashion concentrates in developing countries.
Free to use under Creative Commons License, attributed in bibliography
Slave labor accurately describes the conditions of far too many garment factory workers in Asia. Many work up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Factory workers face regular exposure to thousands of synthetic chemicals during garment production - some of which are hazardous and can cause cancer [9][11]. Women of color represent at least 80% of garment workers; sexual assault, harassment, and violence are everyday experiences [9]. Often found working alongside these women in developing countries like India, where there are loose or no labor laws, are child laborers [8]. This blatant neglect of human rights costs lives. On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza Garment Factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing over 1,100 people
I Don't Want to DIE for FASHION!
Free to use under Creative Commons License, attributed in bibliography and injuring 2,500 [12]. The building's safeguards had expired, and engineers had previously recommended vacating the structure. Managers ordered workers to come in anyway, and they did out of fear of not being paid. In response to this incident, inspections on 1,106 apparel factories found 80,000 safety- related issues [12]. Worldwide media attention to the calamity highlighted the dirty roots of industry. Like always, it was short-lived [13]. The treadmill of production continues, trampling those who keep it running. The legacy of King Cotton persists.
Another way to envision the iceberg metaphor is as a tree. Plant a seed, and its roots will grow deep. The sinister nature of the modern garment industry stems from the seeds of slavery, colonialism, and abuse, but we rarely look below the budding canopy of affordable and stylish fabrics. These seeds of injustice continue to grow, manifesting in different places and ways than before. Labor exploitation is still rampant. Deforestation, habitat destruction, and pollution continue at a startling rate. As a root network grows, it twists and turns to avoid obstacles such as rocks. These business practices have not vanished. They have adapted to the times, avoiding environmental, labor, and safety regulation hurdles by finding places to grow underground, places safe from casual onlookers. Instead of avoiding the dark history beneath the comforts of our clothing, we must confront the hidden costs of what we wear head-on, starting with the system that generates them. We can not simply look at what grows above the soil. It's time we grab our shovels and dig to the heart of the problem, so we can identify its cause and begin to uproot it. As unjust systems adapt, we must adapt too. Some have already evolved in response.
Passed in 2010, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act requires manufacturers and sellers to audit their supply chains and publicly disclose commonly camouflaged manufacturing information. For example, do they use a third party to verify, evaluate, and address risks of human trafficking and slavery in their product supply chains? Over the 2010s, Britain, France, Australia, and the U.S. passed similar laws. But laws pass slowly. We must also play our role.
Together, we must dig dig dig to the root of the problem.
ALTR Magazine
1 Think critically about the hidden production costs of your clothes.
Research who and where your clothes were made and educate others on what you learn.
3 Buy new clothes responsibly from companies using ethical production practices.
There are tools to aid us stay informed as consumers. The Fashion Transparency Index (FTI) is one free tool you can use to help verify if your clothes were made by exploiting others. In 2023, FTI uncovered that only 1% of major fashion brands reported the number of their supply chain workers receiving a living wage [14]. Consider buying clothes from alternative companies that employ fair trade practice-based business models structured around justice and reciprocity in production. One example is Patagonia, but more exist. We have fresh seeds to plant; we need to tend the garden first. We can help create a fashion sector that values its workers. We can insist that companies be transparent and outspoken with consumers about their supply networks rather than hiding in the shadows of underregulated developing countries. Do not underestimate the power of our purse strings - money talks. Together, our dollars can scream, demanding change. Collectively, we can tear rotten weeds from the garden, cultivate the soil, and water the seeds of a restorative fashion industry, building a system that stands on far sturdier roots than ever before.
written & designed by Mark Asch
ALTR Magazine
ALTR Magazine
One of my most prized possessions is the world's-most- mangled pink pillow. It's tattered- malnourished, grayish guts spill out of its several gaping tears across its continuous seam whenever you try to pick it up, move it, or even just rest your head on it. Its color now resembles gray more closely than it does its original baby pink. No matter how many times it has been patched back together, its once-fluffy stuffing (now stringy and hard) always seems to find the light of day. It's flat, ugly, and honestly just plain disgusting my roommate even refused to touch it until I threw its grayish casing in the washing machine.
Despite its degradation, the remnants of what used to be a pretty, pink, plump pillow is not a site for antipathy. To me, it's a symbol of childhood, a relic that has been so well- loved only its owner can recall what it resembled in its prime. Whether you can stomach its appearance or not, that piece of cloth has survived two generations, 5 houses, several cross-country roadtrips, college, two dogs, a cat, and a tortoise. That's something admirable.
ALTR Magazine we
Now, as you may know first hand, my pink pillow (which is so lovingly referred to as "comfy pillow" in the inner circle) may not be a great representation of what hand-me-down items typically look like. When we think of the hand-me-down, ill-fitting faded T-Shirts destined to be donned by younger siblings for years to come may tend to come to mind. Depending on where you are in the birth order and what your father's sense of style was in the 80s, you may either love them or hate them. But this is not the universal truth- hand-me-downs can also represent legacy and heritage, and if your great great great grandparents did it right, they do not have to be inherited in the same state as my beloved pillow or your mother's stained college T-Shirt.
Every hand-me-down comes with a story. My own collection, expanding past the disgusting simplicity of my pink pillow, includes my great aunt and grandmother's fine gold jewelry from Burma, my father's old JNCOS from college, and a set of old European postcards from some stranger of the past.
ALTR Magazine
Hand-me-downs are all around us. I was able to reach out to my own community and beyond to collect reminiscences of their own special somethings:
FROM YOUR PEERS: What is a hand-me-down that you love?
"My dad's old sweater!"
"I love all of my mom's purses I've gotten. I get to carry a piece of her with me forever." -OK
"An old painter's smock from the 60s that belonged to my mom's cousin. I wear it as a shirt." -EW
"My family passes down all kinds of jewelry regardless of age or gender. We're cool as fuck."
"I love my grandmother's clover socks. They have her stitching, and I wear them every St. Patty's."
"My mom's 80s crop top with puffed sleeves."
"My mom got a Tiffany heart tag necklace as a wedding gift, and gave it to me as a a HS grad gift."
"My grandmother's necklace! Holds so many memories and has such a unique style." -RS
"My mom's cashmere sweaters!" -OK
"My mom's brown leather jacket." -JS
grace (left) is wearing hand me down jewelry raveena (right) is wearing hand me down denim
WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED: riya khetarpal MODELED: grace nachreiner & raveena khetarpal
An investment in a quality piece of clothing or well-made jewelry can have a legacy that outlives our own. An item with longevity can first serve us as we had meant it, and still proceed to persist for generations. Therefore, mindful shopping now can have an impact past what we can even anticipate for the pieces we purchase in the present. Not only do these items hold up one of the most significant pillars of sustainable consumption (quality over quantity), but they allow us to sustain connections cross-generationally through a tangible vehicle- the things we keep root us in our heritage, ancestry, and family, ultimately having a lasting impact for both our planet and our people.
ALTR Magazine
DEAR PAST SELF, I see you standing in front of the mirror, staring at your reflection like it holds an answer. You tilt your head, shift your weight, smooth out the fabric on your shoulders. You wonder if this outfit-this version says what you need it to say.
you-feels right. If it of a You didn't always know how to fashion as a language. There was a time when you dressed to blend in, to disappear into the crowd. In elementary school and through eighth grade, didn't have. the world. Chino shorts, button-up shirts fastened all the way to your neck, hair gelled strictly to the left- deviating, never questioning. It was what felt comfortable, what people expected from you, so why change?
use a care in you never
But then, middle school happened. Someone pointed out that you had worn the same shirt twice in one week-one of those unnecessary, casual cruelties only middle schoolers can deliver. And suddenly, for the first time, you felt self-conscious. That night, made. chart, listing every item in your closet: yellow Disney shirt, Dad's sweater, beige shorts two, three, and four. Every morning, you checked off what you had worn, making sure not to repeat an outfit too soon, making sure everything got equal rotation. You hated doing this, but you weren't sure why that comment had cut so deep. Maybe it was because, for the first time, you felt seen-but not in the way you wanted. And you swore you wouldn't let it happen again.
you
You
And so, without realizing it, you started paying attention. Not just to what you wore, but to what clothing could do- to how certain pieces made you feel, how a borrowed jacket could feel like home, how a pair of shoes could change the way you carried yourself. The shift was subtle at first, but it was happening. You were learned that style perfection. It's about play. About expression. About wearing your heart on your sleeve- Sometimes literally.
But getting there wasn't always smooth. It started with imitation, Scanning the hallways to see what everyone else was wearing. Fitting in was the goal, so you matched their shoes, their hats, their brands. It worked-until it didn't. Until you realized you were them, but not for you.
noticing.
So, you pivoted. You dove into deep searches online, trying to find the most obscure, niche pieces that would make you stand out instead. Cargo pants with strings dangling at the sides, overly complicated layers, anything that looked remotely "edgy" in your then-naïve eyes. And for the first time, people noticed. Compliments trickled in, small affirmations that maybe-just maybe you were onto something. Encouraged, kept experimenting, flipping between soft and sharp aesthetics, wondering if a anyone would catch on to the constant reinvention.
you
It was only when you discovered thrifting that everything clicked.
alone.
No longer bound by the latest trends you unearthed pieces that felt like yours and yours
A vintage blazer too oversized to be taken seriously, but just right in your eyes. A pair of jeans so worn they told a story before you even put them on. You still wore your Birkenstock clogs back then-before the hype. When they blew ahead of the curve, riding the fleeting thrill of being adopter.
up, you felt an early.
But eventually, you stopped chasing validation. You started dressing for you. Fur hats, wallet chains, layers of rings stacked on your fingers-things no one else in your small high school would have dared to wear. And with every new piece, you felt it more deeply: pretty, cool, unique. Most importantly, you felt like you.
High school became your fashion incubator. Pinterest boards sprawled with inspiration, Instagram saved folders filled with runway fantasies. You sent outfit photos to friends, waiting for their verdicts, searching for affirmation in the echoes of their opinions. You dreamed of one day walking the runway yourself-DSQUARED, Maison Margiela, somewhere, anywhere. You wanted to exist in that world, to belong to the kind of beauty that felt untouchable yet somehow within reach.
You had once thought style was about getting it right. But now, you know it's about play. About expression. About wearing your heart on your sleeve-sometimes literally. You realized that the world would try to tell you who to be, but that you could answer back with color, with texture, with the simple act of choosing.
And even on the days you doubted yourself, the days you changed outfits five times before stepping out the door, you were still becoming. Still growing. Still learning how to be at home in your own skin.
And now? Now you wear anything and everything. Skirts and shirts you once thought. "only for girls" are now some of your favorite pieces. Not because you're trying to prove a point, but because they're simply beautiful-because they fit you, not just in size but in spirit. You've let go of the rules you once followed, the invisible lines you were told not to cross. Fashion isn't about boundaries anymore; it's about freedom. And you are finally, gloriously, free.
So here's to you, Past Self.
every risk you took, every trend you tried, every time you looked in the mirror and thought, Maybe this is me.
To WITH LOVE, Your Future Self
ALTR Magazine written by declan fonesca designed by riya khetarpal
BE S by Karen Su Alexis Emch
& Declan Fonesca
In a world driven by trends and convenience, clothing often becomes a fleeting part of our lives- bought, worn, and discarded in quick succession. Yet, for many of us, certain pieces of clothing transcend their functional purpose, embedding themselves into our personal narratives. These garments carry memories, stories, and emotions woven into their very fabric. In this disposable era, holding onto meaningful clothing is not just an act of sustainability but also a way to root ourselves in our own histories.
Clothing, as an extension of our identity, becomes intertwined with our experiences, silently accompanying us through milestones, challenges, and celebrations. Think about the shirt you wore on your first day at a new job or the dress that has become your go-to for special occasions. Think about the comfort your favorite shirt brings you with every wear or how much solace you felt clasping on a handed-down necklace. These pieces mean more than meets the eye, they become an outlet, something to cling on to. These pieces do more than cover our bodies; they reflect who we are and where we've been.
Clothing holds sensory memories: the softness of a well-worn cotton tee that has comforted you in times of need, or the scent of perfume still lingering in the fabric from a night out with friends. In these ways, garments become a physical connection to our past. But beyond personal memories, clothing can carry cultural significance as well. Consider the heirlooms passed down through generations in your family-a vintage scarf from a grandmother or a hand-knit sweater from a parent. What do you feel when you hold a necklace take from your mother's jewllery box? Happiness, nostalgia, hope, sadness, a mix of all or perhaps something new entirely. Emotions become attached to a physical object through the passage of time. Generations of people excited to the exact same brooch or waiting for the perfect occasion to break out the same set of plates.
The weight of history held within some items is immense, their existence is significant in both emotional value and beyond. These pieces aren't just fabric and thread; they symbolize continuity, linking one generation to the next.
While not wealthy in the fiscal sense, the emotional wealth carried within these articles of clothing hung so lovingly up in closets or folded with the utmost care in a drawer. They become invaluable and irreplaceable. The emotional value encourages you to make whatever the article of clothing is last, mending any moth holes or even branching any discoloration and staining without the thought of throwing it out even crossing your mind. You cling on to the pair of jeans from highschool with a death grip because they fit well and carry the memories of friends you haven't spoken to in ages.
In contrast, fast fashion pieces are unlikely to carry such weight. That H&M shirt you bought last season may not make it to the next one, much less to your children. As the fabric deteriorates with time and wear, it becomes clear that the pieces we choose today shape the stories we'll be able to tell tomorrow.
At the heart of the fast fashion industry is the relentless pursuit of newness. It's a cycle that encourages consumers to buy quickly, discard quickly, and repeat endlessly. This disposable mindset undermines the possibility of building a wardrobe full of meaningful, long-lasting garments.
Fast fashion's appeal is undeniable: it's affordable, trendy, and offers the thrill of constantly updating your look. However, that excitement fades as quickly as the clothes unravel after just a few washes. The low price tags come with hidden costs-not only to the environment and the people who make these garments but also to our own relationships with our clothing. When we view clothes as temporary, we miss the chance to form deep, emotional bonds with them. We lose the opportunity to strengthen our personal worlds through the fabric of our lives.
Clothing can act as a root system, anchoring us to our memories and identities in the same way roots stabilize and nourish a tree. The pieces in our wardrobes have the potential to tell our stories if we allow them to grow with us. Reflect on your own collection of clothes: What items hold sentimental value? Why do you return to certain garments again and again?
Fast fashion's cheap and easily replaceable nature may seem convenient in the moment, but it robs us of the richness that comes from wearing something meaningful over time. It's not about how many pieces you own or whether you're up to date with the latest trends. Rather, it's about the quality, longevity, and personal significance of each item. When we root ourselves in garments that matter, we create wardrobes filled. with history, rather than closets cluttered with fleeting trends.
In a world where clothing is often seen as disposable, choosing to cherish our garments feels like an act of defiance. By mending, upcycling, and investing in pieces that hold meaning, we cultivate wardrobes that reflect our personal journeys. Our clothes become more than just fabric; they evolve into a living archive of memories and experiences.
The next time you find yourself tempted by fast fashion, think of the long-term value of a well-loved garment. Resist the pull of disposability, and embrace a mindful approach to your wardrobe. In doing so, you'll not only reduce waste but also build a personal collection of clothing that tells your unique story-one stitch at a time.
WRITTEN BY Karen Su, Alexis Emch, Declan Fonesca DESIGNED BY Riya Khetarpal
ALTR Magazine
MASTER BIBLIOGRAPHY several articles in this issue cite academic sources as well as forums, articles, and photographical archives. all citations for those sources included in this issue can be found here, organized by article.
1. Oral History of Rural and Nomadic Carpet Weaving in Fars Province. A detailed exploration of the historical and cultural roots of Persian rug weaving in Iran's Fars province. https://www.fhja.ir/article_245144.html?lang=en
2. Weaving of Nomads in Iran: Warp-Faced Bands and Related Textiles. An illustrated account of nomadic weaving traditions, materials, and techniques across Iran. https://issuu.com/accpublishinggroup/docs/weavingofnomadsiniran_blad
3. Understanding Symbolism in Persian and Other Antique Rugs. A guide to decoding the traditional motifs, meanings, and stories embedded in Persian rug designs. https://www.esmailirugs.com/blog/understanding-symbolism-in-persian-and-other-antique- rugs/
4. Rewriting of the History and Rebuilding of Geography of Iran's Handmade Carpet in the First Centuries A.H. An academic reevaluation of the historical development and geographic centers of Persian carpet production.
http://kutaksam.karabuk.edu.tr/index.php/ilk/article/view/1446
5.Women Weavers and Their Agency: Reconsidering Rug Weaving in Contemporary Iran. A study of women's roles in sustaining, innovating, and economically shaping Iran's rug weaving traditions today. https://read.dukeupress.edu/jmews/article- abstract/20/2/153/387114/Women-Weavers-and-Their-Agency Reconsidering-Rug
6. Processes of Cultural Diversification in the Evolution of Iranian Tribal Craft Traditions. Research on how cultural exchange and tribal diversity have shaped Iran's traditional craft practices, including rug weaving.
https://www.proquest.com/openview/6576d894
1. Kimmerer, Robin Wall - Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. A poetic and profound exploration of our relationship with the natural world, blending Indigenous knowledge with modern ecology.
1. EPA - PFAS Explained. Provides an overview of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including their uses, environmental persistence, and associated health risks. www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
2.CDC, 2019 - PFAS Found in U.S. Drinking Water. Summarizes scientific research on PFAS exposure, health effects, and the prevalence of PFAS contamination in U.S. drinking water supplies. www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/index.html 3. Nature Sustainability - PFAS Alternatives in Textiles. Presents research on sustainable alternatives to PFAS in textile manufacturing, assessing performance and environmental trade-offs. www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00798-6 4.OEKO-TEX Standard 100 - Ensuring Textiles Are Safe from Harmful Substances. Details an independent certification system that tests textiles for harmful substances, ensuring consumer safety and product transparency. www.oeko-tex.com/en/our- standards/oeko-tex-standard-100
5. GOTS - Global Standards for Organic Textiles. Outlines the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which defines environmental and social criteria for organic fiber production and processing. global-standard.org
6. RePack - Changing the Game with Reusable Packaging. Showcases a reusable packaging system designed to reduce waste in e-commerce by replacing single-use shipping materials. www.repack.com
7. Greenpeace - The Dirty Secret of Outdoor Gear. Reveals the widespread use of hazardous PFAS in outdoor apparel and calls for brands to transition to safer alternatives. www.greenpeace.org/usa/research/the-dirty-secret-of-outdoor-gear/
8. Patagonia - Leading the Way with PFAS-Free Water Repellents. Explains Patagonia's efforts to eliminate PFAS from its water- repellent products while maintaining high performance standards. www.patagonia.com/stories/ditching-pfas/story- 128015.html
9. The North Face - Innovating Sustainable, High-Performance Gear. Describes The North Face's development of PFAS-free durable water-repellent (DWR) finishes that balance sustainability with technical performance. www.thenorthface.com/en- us/about-us/responsibility/product/climate-conscious-dwr
ALTR Magazine
10. Textile Exchange - Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report. Provides industry data and insights on the production, market share, and sustainability performance of preferred fibers and materials. textileexchange.org/portfolio/pfmr/
11. Fashion Revolution - Transparency Index. Ranks major fashion brands on supply chain transparency and discloses how openly companies share information about social and environmental practices. www.fashionrevolution.org/transparency
12. Environmental Working Group - PFAS Contamination Map. An interactive map identifying confirmed and suspected PFAS contamination sites across the United States. www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_contamination
Oh, for the Love of Retail!
1. Figge, Frank, and Tobias Hahn. "Sustainable Value Added-Measuring Corporate Contributions to Sustainability Beyond Eco- Efficiency." Sustainable Value. A poster explaining the Sustainable Value Added framework, which measures corporate sustainability performance by integrating multiple forms of capital beyond traditional eco-efficiency metrics., www.sustainablevalue.com/downloads/postersustainableprofit.pdf.
2. "The Myth of Profit vs Sustainability: Reconciling Sustainable Transformation." World Economic Forum, 7 June 2023. An article challenging the belief that sustainability and profitability are incompatible, offering strategies for integrating environmental and social goals into business growth models. www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/the-myth-of-profit-vs-sustainability- reconciling-sustainable-transformation/.
3. "True Cost Economics." ScienceDirect. A scholarly article examining the concept of true cost economics, which accounts for social and environmental externalities in assessing the overall cost and value of goods and services. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268401218305759.
Draped in Meaning
1. Baudelaire, Charles. The Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays. Phaidon Press, 1964.
2. Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press, 1994.
3. Dichter, Ernest. The Strategy of Desire. Doubleday, 1960.
4. Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books, 1959.
5. Sullivan, Anthony. "Why Fashion Matters." Culture Matters, 16 May 2017.
6. Ramzi, Lilah. "Fashion Through the Decades." Vogue, 2024.
7. Wilson, Elizabeth. Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity. University of California Press, 1985.
What's In Fashion?
1. Tindall, Sarai. 14th Century English Sumptuary Laws | Clothing the Past. A detailed look at medieval English laws regulating clothing based on class and status, reflecting the intersection of fashion, politics, and social hierarchy.
www.clothingthepast.com/post/14th-century-english-sumptuary-laws.
2. Żebrowska, Karolina. Here's Why Being "Fashionable" Is a Pretty Modern Concept. YouTube. A video essay exploring how the idea of being "fashionable" emerged in modern history, challenging assumptions about historical style trends. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5/V2hVn1k2Y.
3. Sterlacci, Francesca. Industrial Revolution Archives. University of Fashion Blog. Examines the Industrial Revolution's impact on clothing production, from technological advances in manufacturing to the democratization of fashion.
www.universityoffashion.com/blog/category/industrial-revolution/.
4. McDonald, Charles Daniel. The History of Fast Fashion. FORÇ Magazine. Provides a historical overview of fast fashion, tracing its roots from industrialization to the rise of globalized, trend-driven mass production. www.forcmagazine.com/the-history- of-fast-fashion/.
5. Goode, Justine. Microtrends Are Killing Personal Style and Making Shopping a Nightmare. NBC News. Discusses how the rapid rise and fall of microtrends disrupts personal style, increases consumption, and fuels unsustainable shopping habits. www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/microtrends-killing-personal-style-making-shopping-nightmarercna73806.
ALTR Magazine
1. Agyeman, Julian, Robert D. Bullard, and Bob Evans. "Joined-up Thinking: Bringing Together Sustainability, Environmental Justice and Equity." Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World, MIT Press, 2003, pp. 1-18. This chapter connects sustainability, equity, and environmental justice, providing a framework for examining how hidden industrial impacts perpetuate systemic inequalities.
2. Conteh, Gina. "The Wealth of a Nation: How Cotton Industry Slavery in the Deep South Built up the Global Fashion Industry." BET, 29 Aug. 2019. An article tracing the history of cotton production in the U.S., linking slavery and systemic exploitation to the foundations of the modern fashion industry. www.bet.com/article/q7kr68/how-cotton-industry-slavery-built-the-fashion- industry.
3. Fincher, Tayana. "Cotton: FRD." The Fashion and Race Database®, 13 Dec. 2024. A historical overview of cotton's role in global trade, colonialism, and the exploitation of enslaved labor. www.fashionandrace.org/database/cotton-frd.
4. Northup, Solomon. Twelve Years a Slave. Derby and Miller, 1853, pp. 160-167. A firsthand account of the brutality of slavery, including labor conditions and punishment systems on cotton plantations.
5. Holst, Erika. "Behind the Beautiful Clothes: A History of Exploitation in the Garment Industry." University of Illinois Media Space ECCE Speaker Series, 27 Oct. 2021. A lecture examining the exploitation of women and children in the early U.S. garment industry and its connections to present-day labor practices. uis.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/1_5gu6ciqs.
6. Sainato, Michael. "Slavery by Any Name Is Wrong': The Push to End Forced Labor in Prisons." The Guardian, 27 Sept. 2022. An article on how prison labor in the U.S., often underpaid or unpaid, disproportionately impacts Black incarcerated individuals. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/27/forced-prison-labor-us-13th-amendment.
7. American Civil Liberties Union, and Global Human Rights Clinic. "Captive Labor." 15 June 2022. A report detailing the exploitation of prison labor in the U.S., especially in industries such as textiles. www.aclu.org/report/captive-labor.
8. Overeem, Pauline, and Martje Theuws. "Fact Sheet Child Labour in the Textile & Garment Industry." SOMO, Mar. 2014. A fact sheet outlining the prevalence of child labor in garment supply chains, particularly in countries with weak labor laws. www.somo.nl/child-labour-in-the-textile-garment-industry.
9. Robertson, Megan. "It Takes Exploitation to Look This Good: Garment Workers, Modern Fashion, and the Oppression of Women." Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, vol. 25, no. 2, 2024. A legal analysis of systemic gender-based exploitation in the global garment industry.
10. Ly, Abdourahamane. "Fast Fashion: An Industry Built on Exploitation." Collective Fashion Justice, 26 May 2022. An investigative piece on the human rights abuses and environmental harms within the fast fashion industry. www.collectivefashionjustice.org/articles/fast-fashion-built-on-exploitation.
11. Collective Fashion Justice. "Garment Workers' Suffering in Fashion Supply Chains." Collective Fashion Justice. A resource documenting poor working conditions, low wages, and abuse faced by garment workers globally.
www.collectivefashionjustice.org/articles/garment-workers-suffering-in-fashion-supply-chains.
12. Biswas, Animesh, et al. "Rescue and Emergency Management of a Man-Made Disaster: Lesson Learnt from a Collapse Factory Building, Bangladesh - Figure 4: Rescue at Rana Plaza Collapse." The Scientific World Journal, 14 Apr. 2015. A case study examining the Rana Plaza disaster, its causes, and lessons learned for workplace safety in the garment sector.
13. "Thousands of Garment Workers and Their Unions Rally on the One-Year Anniversary of the Rana Plaza Collapse That Killed More Than 1,100 Garment Workers." Solidarity Center, CC BY-ND 2.0. A photographic record of labor activism marking the anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy. www.flickr.com/photos/solidaritycenter.
14. Legesse, Kalkidan. "Racism Is at the Heart of Fast Fashion - It's Time for Change." The Guardian, 11 June 2020. An article highlighting the racialized labor exploitation underlying fast fashion's global supply chains. www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jun/11/racism-is-at-the-heart-of-fast-fashion-its-time-for-change.
15. Pickles, John, and Shengjun Zhu. "The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act." Capturing the Gains Working Paper, no. 15, Feb. 2013, pp. 1-12. An analysis of California's legislation requiring companies to disclose measures against human trafficking and slavery in their supply chains.
ALTR Magazine
2025 U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.