Published by Vanessa Brunner under Events, Green Living, Uncategorized

What does the word sustainability mean to you?

It’s relatively straightforward, according to Merriam Webster: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

Alright. Easy enough.

But when you apply that term to a certain industry or facet of your life, this simple definition can twist and turn–often according to the priorities of individuals.

Via Muusique on Flickr

This was recently brought up at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit by Vanessa Friedman, fashion editor of the Financial Times (covered in this post by Ecouterre), who found herself in a sudden panic before the conference.

What exactly is sustainable fashion? Is it bamboo? It is recycled? Is it organic? Is it upcycled? Is it simply a classic, long lasting item of clothing?

These terms are often thrown around loosely–without any standard definition. It’s easy for consumers to get muddled, mix up ideas, misunderstand concepts, or simply give up all together. The fact of the matter is, we all have different ideas of what these words mean. While the idea of “green” might mean organic to someone, it can mean recycling to another.  Words that were once thought were simple (organic, sustainable, upcycle) become a battling round of “You say potato, I say patata.”

Image via FIN/Fashion Summit/Treehugger

Friedman explains it like this: “Right now the words we use and their definitions are confused and confusing. If I say ’sustainable’ and you say ’sustainable,’ is one of us talking about employment issues and one of us talking about the environment?”

What’s the solution? Friedman discusses the idea of a common lexicon for the “green” world. Streamline. Simplify. Make these terms ubiquitous and easy to understand.

“In the end, fashion is a for-profit business and the way to up profit is through sales,” Friedman says. “And the way to up sales is make a product that speaks to people in a language they understand.”

What are your thoughts? Is this an issue in the Eco Fashion community? Is it preventing consumers from investing in various forms of Eco Fashion? What is the solution?

(Thanks to Ecouterre for the inspiration and great reporting. For their full post, click here.)

via oceandesetoiles on Flickr