WE-CONOMICS
[mass noun]
(1) The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.
(The Oxford English Dictionary)
I seek to consume products that make sense to me. That is, ones that are connected to my lifestyle. I think that consuming is a way to support projects worth believing in and, as such, I try to consume from local producers or brands where I know the source. This is not a simple or comfortable decision, but it is my belief that we should try. If each one does his or her part, we will have a better world.
I’m a teacher, researcher and designer, having developed sustainable products, services and experiences for fashion brands. I also use the strategic design approach to design and guide innovative projects. I live in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.
The first time I heard about eco-products was at my Fashion Graduation, around the beginning of the 2000s. From that day, I started to look for more information but it was still very incipient. In my postgrad, I sought to deepen my knowledge on this subject that I was so interested in, and wrote an article on conscious branding and the challenge of brand management in the twenty-first century. I became aware that this research was extremely important the more that I realized there were brands that really took the environmental impact they generated seriously. This ended up impacting my personal decisions and my consciousness only grew.
In 2014, I met the Fashion Revolution Movement and realized that it was very much in line with what I believed and had researched in my PhD in Design. I became an activist of this Movement, and I have met many brands and people who believe in the transformation of the fashion system.
When we realize that we are not alone, it makes us stronger and able to spread the message we believe. Obviously, it is still a niche, but it strengthens and spreads every year. We have mapped more than 30 sustainable brands in our city in which activism is also practiced.
There are many positive aspects of conscious consumerism: it reduces the impact on the environment; people are positively affected; relations between consumers and producers are strengthened; local culture is valued.
Consuming consciously is not as practical as conventional consumption. To start, it is still a niche and these products are hard to find. The price of sustainable products is also a challenge; they are often not even affordable for me. However, I know that environmental and social costs are included, which is not usually the case with conventional products. As far as clothes are concerned, thrift stores are a great choice in this regard as we contribute to increasing the life cycle of these products.
I believe in the power of the collective and in micro revolutions. We need to be aware of the impact of our consumption, because through consciousness we will change our attitudes and, consequently, we will change the world for the better. The planet and future generations will be grateful.
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