Our first retreat is A Study in Slow Fashion…but what does that mean?
Slow fashion, the alternative to fast fashion and part of what has been called the “slow movement”, advocates for principles similar to the principles of slow food, such as good quality, clean environment, and fairness for both consumers and producers. (wikipedia)
A handmade wardrobe is but one piece of the slow fashion puzzle. Slow Fashion is also achieved in the decisions we make; who we buy them from, what the conditions of the workers are that made our clothes, what the environmental impact is of the factories where our clothes were made and dyed and the environmental impact of how much we own and throw away, how the fibers were raised/grown and perhaps the most modest and doable, how we care for what we already own.
Want to learn more?
This NPR article is a good place to start.
The documentary “True Cost” is an eye-opening watch.
Disposable Clothing (from The True Cost website…a good source of information)
The world now consumes about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year. This is 400% more than the amount we consumed just two decades ago. As new clothing comes into our lives, we also discard it at a shocking pace. The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. That adds up to more than 11 million tons of textile waste from the U.S. alone. Historically, clothing has been something we have held onto for a long time, but with cheap clothing now abundantly available we are beginning to see the things we wear as disposable.
Tragic working conditions in Bangladesh…as one example.
Our retreat will focus on making your own wardrobe, with your own two hands, out of fiber that was grown organically and dyed with natural dyes.
To me, slow fashion is a way to , show kindness to fellow humans, and mindfully live. When I choose how I spend my money, I am changing the world. When I support an ethical brand of clothing, I am encouraging more production of ethical clothing and I am helping a mother, who lives across the world, live a little easier. When I choose organic fabric, I am helping to keep some of our world free of chemical and pollutants. When I make my clothes with my own hands, I am intimately connected to my life. I gain a deep bond and love for what I wear and it becomes greater than the sum of it’s parts. It holds magic. I like to think that magic is then absorbed into my life and my life becomes…more. It’s also incredibly empowering…taking control of what you wear and how it fits is powerful stuff.
If this resonates with you…
Consider joining us this August (8/24-8/27) in western Michigan for 4 days and 4 nights of slow fashion…focusing on natural dyes, surface design, shibori, hand carved block stamping, organic fabric, hand sewing and getting fit just right…all while basking in nature, eating nourishing and delicious, organic and local, food made by hand and connecting with like minded souls. Taking time to get in the flow and lose yourself.
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