Demand for wearable technology, sustainability and digital design is transforming fashion. Dr Anne Farren discusses the future of fashion and the technological, ethical and economic forces driving the industry.
From design to merchandising, the fashion industry is undergoing rapid change in response to market demand for sustainability, wearable technology and digital design.
Dr Anne Farren has been engaged in the craft of making since she was eleven, in both ceramics and textiles. For the past thirty years she has been involved in the curation of textile and fashion exhibitions presented in Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. Since 2001, she has been the academic head of the fashion program at Curtin University.
In this episode, Dr Farren discusses what future fashion might look like and the technological, ethical and economic forces will drive it.
Email thefutureof@curtin.edu.au.
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You can read the full transcript for the episode here.
Intro: This is The Future Of where experts share their vision of the future and how their work is helping shape it for the better.
David: I'm David Blayney. From design to merchandising, the fashion industry is undergoing rapid change in response to market demand for sustainability, wearable technology and digital design. To discuss this topic, with us today is the head of the fashion program at Curtin University, Dr Anne Farren, thanks for coming in today Anne.
Dr Anne Farren: Well thanks for the invitation David. I'm really pleased to be here.
David: And so, Anne, what is streetwear going to look like in 20 years’ time?
Dr Anne Farren: I think it's a really interesting question. I mean there's probably quite a few directions it could take. One of the interesting changes that I think has happened over the last 20 years is that people are now determining what they wear to a much greater extent and it's connecting back to their identity and who they, who they want to be seen as, what kind of people they want to be belong to, you know, their networks or their subcultures.
But also, I think technology is coming into play in the fact that we carry a phone around. Like, how long, how much longer, are we going to be happy just to carry the phone because we have it on us all the time and we're still physically hanging onto this? Are we going to come to a point where we can integrate that technology into a garment? The big issue has been around washability of that technology. That's the main problem at the moment or are we going to see people with this technology integrated into their bodies?
David: What exactly is ... you've alluded to smart fashion there. What exactly is smart fashion? Is it a like a microchip on my shirt telling me when to wash it or something like that, or what's, how does that replace a mobile phone?
Dr Anne Farren: Well, that's where it can be. And now that you've got flexible materials for the screen element, you've got the technology getting smaller and smaller. And as I said, it's the durability of the technology. Can it be washed if you put it embedded in clothes? And even that's becoming resolved. Or alternately it'll get to a point where the technologies that are in - the nanotechnology that's in the fabric - might mean you don't have to wash the garment. So then it becomes a non-issue. You can just wipe it down maybe so surfaces and changing the way the garment is handled, managed. And if it's going to last longer - which is what can cross over then into sustainability - it's much better if that garment is seen to be a longer-term investment that you wear it a lot longer. It's more durable. It functions and replaces having to carry a phone around or carry other technologies or connection technologies.
Your interface could be quite different. So yeah, it's a, it's an interesting prospect, but it has been like 20 years that this has been on the table of thinking. People have thought about the possibilities of having the technology embedded in a garment or different technologies in our communication technologies. Think Google glasses with wearable elements. So my preference is for the wearability to be within the garment itself, not just an add on wearable technology. Which is things like a phone, I'm sorry, glasses - and I don't know, you know, where that's going to take us, but people are interested in it. My interest is in making sure that it works for the wearer. Not that it's just gimmick based technology.
David: So that could mean that for example, I could have some sportswear that connects to my Strava for example, so I don't have to carry a phone with me when I go running or cycling or whatever.
Dr Anne Farren: Yeah, it would mean that you are totally ... it's totally on your body rather than having to have a separate digital device. You know, I'm not actually very au fait with the actual, the technology itself, just the possibilities of it and the dialogue around it. I'm in, there's some been some really cool garments that have been made with that pretty much function like a billboard. So they have an image that changes on the garment. And there's been research into how garments can have integrated technology that will help in terms of health and wellbeing. So it might provide an opportunity for the government to administer some message or you know, protection elements to it. So I think that it's, the possibilities are huge. But there are still some fine tuning.
David: It's more than just me textiles and cotton or totally you're talking about.
Dr Anne Farren: Well, fibres that carry the data can actually be why are the created at the level where they can be woven so they can be fully integrated into the cloth. And that's already there. Levi have done that. So they've actually woven it into the jeans. It's not a commercial product, but it's there, it's being produced by companies.
David: Are the days of fast fashion - of this rapid catwalk to a storefront - are those days numbered, are demands changing?
Dr Anne Farren: I hope so. That's my vision. But it's a really difficult question because it's about accessibility, you know, I mean, people, certain people go and have the resources to spend a lot on a garment or they don't choose not to. That's not their priority in life. However, let's say, what if the garment, if you, if you know a gamma, it's going to last longer. Hopefully you would think, okay, I can spend more on that because I get still the same value out of it. The problem with a cheap product is you've also need to think about its whole life cycle and how it's being produced. Like comment how much your t-shirt was. But if you're buying a really cheap product, what was the person who made that product paid? How was that fiber grown? Is in the whole supply chain and production cycle? Is there a fair and equitable? Yeah. Is it fair and equitable for everybody concerned? And Lisa, this is what has changed in recent years and especially with the Rana Plaza crisis that meant everyone's attention was focused on what has happened. Whereas before, no one really worried or thought about it.
David: Anne just for context, can you fill us in on what the ...
Dr Anne Farren: Well, there were about thousand workers in this factory died because the building collapsed and that meant that you had, you know, just international focus on it and there were major companies that were using these factories and companies don't know for sure if it was H&M, but the companies that do support the fast fashion industry or are part integrated into the fast fashion industry, they were using these companies. They weren't ... the companies were not looking after their staff and obviously the building was under code, because it collapsed, killed so many people. They then didn't have the resources to look after the families that were impacted by that. And it was massive media coverage of it, which I think was a great, I mean it's, it's very hugely sad scenario. You don't want that to happen. The good that came out of it was, though, that there was international focus on the issue of what is happening for you to have that cheap t-shirt. What's happening behind it?
David: Actually, out of curiosity, let's see. 100% cotton made in China.
Dr Anne Farren: So, we can say things like, you know, it's a hundred percent cotton. That's great for the ...
David: … the pockets are made of polyester and cotton.
Dr Anne Farren: But even, you know, it's really hard, you have to look at the whole life cycle. Like where, where pesticides used for that production of that cotton, you know, was, was, did they have the water there or was the water creating an issue that was to source the water to grow cotton because cotton takes a lot of water. So you're going right from the production of the fiber through to the manufacture. Then the fiber gets into a yarn. It's knitted, it's, it says it's made in China. We don't know where the actual fabric was knitted, but we know it probably was knitted in China then where those people paid correctly or treated properly in their workplace. So yeah, I feel like saying, so how much was your shirt?
David: It was a gift actually so it cost me nothing.
Dr Anne Farren: Now you don't know. But I go harking back to the fact that you said it's Kmart.
David: I don't ... I have many Kmart shirts, which bears a toll on my soul no doubt, but no this was a gift. I don't know where this is from.
Dr Anne Farren: So yeah, you, I think you opened the door on that one. So just think, maybe I just put two things together. But yeah, so when we have cheap products, I think it's as consumers we need to be thinking about those issues around it. And I mean, I think if you, even with expensive products, yeah. The same, same issues can be there and really you're paying because it's the brand. So now that we have a much stronger focus on sustainability and also since the circular economy - concept of circular economy came in - now we've got the concept of circular fashion. And that's what I was talking about in terms of understanding and thinking about the whole life cycle of that product. And taking responsibility before it. And think about it. I mean, when you, when in the war years people were challenged, the resources just weren't there, fabric wasn't available. I remember my mother's talked about making coats out of blankets. People repaired things in the 60s. I still remember as a kid, people repaired socks. They repaired garments. And I think it's coming back now.
There's a really interesting aesthetic around repair - mend/repair - showing something of the life cycle of this garment that you have an imprint on it. There's actually a really gorgeous tradition in Japan called burrow where they recycle fabrics and stitch together and it's a workers that did it again, out of necessity. But you get this beautiful cloth that's made out of different Indigos. They show the different tone and that of the garment is related or different patches relates to the age of different pieces of cloth. Where of those pieces of cloth come from? It's almost like patching of someone's life is evident within the cloth of that garment.
David: How do we as consumers know whether the products that we're buying, the clothes and other accessories, how do we know that they've been made ethically?
Dr Anne Farren: There are organisations now that will actually give an endorsement. You have to show approval. It's a lot of process in proving that it's ethically produced. And so you can get, you know, a brand or a branding that says, ‘this is an ethically produced product’. So there's more and more organisations that are providing, facilitating, that endorsement to say that in the same way we have branding, you know, ‘this is Australian made’ - you get the kangaroo. So I think they're great. And there's now - I don't know that they provide branding - but a very good advocacy organisation called Redress that is operating around the world that also is really trying to work with companies, large companies like H&M, the fast fashion sector, to encourage them to do things like recycling, like put recycle bins in your shop or your different stores. And they then have an arrangement now where they will deliver those back to Redress so that they then do a recycling project. They're an NGO, so they're not profiteering from it. And they're just trying to work with the organisations in order to change practices, change community attitudes, change consumer attitudes. And what I'm finding really positive is that young designers now can see there's a window of opportunity for them.
As the consumer becomes more aware of these issues they're prepared to pay more for a handmade object. So a small run, and that's great for our young designers in Australia. We don't have the mass industry or the mass market, or the fast - we sort of have our mini little fast fashion industry - but it's nothing like the large, massive international companies.
So for me, I see this window where it means that as a small producer, you can make a quality product that is going to cost more, but it hopefully is valued by the consumer sufficiently that they will say, 'yeah, I'll buy this and I'll keep this for 10 years and I'll wear it or I'll give it, I'll hand it onto to someone else to wear'. And there are initiatives where people will have garment swaps and all sorts of marketplaces. Now for the retailing if you like, of on the end, direct sales sales by the maker. So makers markets, they actually really are kinda helping the resurgence of makers markets and yeah, it's great.
David: Statistically - statistically how long - not this exact shirt - but statistically how long am I going to have this shirt before it ends up in landfill?
Dr Anne Farren: That depends on you to a great extent. I actually don't know the stats on that. But if we take the fashion cycle a high percentage of it will. Yes. That's the unfortunate scenario that we have. So it a lot does depend on you as a consumer. I mean, I don't know about your practice, but I had t-shirts in my wardrobe that are 10 years old. They're getting thin and I'm very sad because I love them. So I, I'll be, I'm that person that hangs onto it and will be really sad when I just have to do something like put it in the recycle bin or tear it up and turn it - it'll probably be at the point where I'll tear it up and turn it into rag and use it in the house - because I would still not want to part with ... I have this fragment of it being a rag. I don't know, maybe I'm a little bit different to other people, but I'm increasingly, I see in our students that they are adopting it. We've got, I'd say about five of our graduate group who are very committed to sustainable practices in their own collection and they will continue and maintain those ethics and values in their own practice. I can see that. So I'm, I'm buoyed by that. I think it's a really positive change and there is such a focus on it as an issue that comes from it not just being about fashion. It's a world consideration for everything - almost everything we do now. We must think about it because we're really on a precipice where we need to change - everything needs to change - if we're going to continue.
David: I interrupted you a little bit earlier. You were talking about the fashion life cycle. How long does the fashion lifestyle go for?
Dr Anne Farren: Well fast fashion, that's very fast. That's yeah, I mean some companies are turning over on it like up to 12 cycles in a year. That means they're producing, selling, changing the design, producing, selling. They want to, they want that kind of turnover and it's rapidly changing. So it's like, 'oh well you've got to get next month's look'. But I find that crazy and this is where people's ... If you decide how you want to look, then you're not driven by this cycle that is determined by marketing people. It's not, it's not, I don't know ...
David: We're deciding for ourselves what we want to wear, not, not what some trend is.
Dr Anne Farren: Yes. So it's not trend driven. And that whole trend driven cycle is about marketing. It's about creating consumption. It's excessive consumption. That's what these companies that are about fast fashion are all about. That's their survival is based on mass consumption, over consumption, wasteful consumption. It's just, to me, it's obscene. It's really strange. I've never, I mean obviously as a young person you do want to fit in and you think, 'oh yeah, I need to dress a certain way to fit in'. But if we can change people's attitudes to say, okay, you want to fit in because you want to look like you are a good consumer and not and have the values of a good consumer, a caring consumer, then you're in a, that's the sort of change we need that people's value system changes.
And it's not just driven because I need to look a certain way in order to fit in. It's actually about it being almost, you know, it's really, you'd have be challenged if you're wearing something that looks like it's fast fashion and brand new, maybe that'll be the change, the shift you need to look like your comments have been worn and pre-warn rather than looking like it's all pristine or new, which is quite, I know it's going to be a difficult one, but because it flips the whole ethics that we have now, the value system that we have now, it's all about looking new and pristine and constant change.
Like we, I've noticed even if we use things like the, the Royals as an example, that it used to be that it was a horror that a Royal would wear the same garment again or the outfit again. Now it seemed to be great. Kate is wearing this outfit and you even see it in the media saying these are four different occasions that she's worn the same dress with a little bit of restyling. And I'm thinking, great. I don't know that that's really going to make a huge difference. But to me it does indicate as a shift in, in our value system about garment and, and how we dress, what, why are we dressing a certain way? And it sets a good example as well. I think so. Yeah. And the interesting thing as well is that Vogue Australia has recently appointed a sustainable fashion editor. I mean, and Vogue really was where you would have, I would put them in more, more supporting of a fast fashion industry. So what to me that indicates as well is that there is quite a significant shift in even that mainstream fashion space. And clear presses has written a several couple of books on sustainable fashion and she's there at a time and works with redress in Hong Kong as well. So yeah.
David: And fast fashion. There's also, it's not just pitfalls in terms of the effect of the consumption itself. There's also an effect for the designers, isn't it? Because fashion isn't protected in the same way that a, a movie or a book is, isn't it?
Dr Anne Farren: As a teacher, as a lecturer at at Curtin, we apply the same principles of of copyright. But I, yeah, I have to admit that in the industry it is still quite prevalent that there's copying. And unfortunately it comes from the origins of the fashion system, which were that coutures or couturiers would create the look and then they would just, it would, the ideas would be copied and that was kind of seen to be acceptable. But then you buy your cheaper version that is created by a street wear label or, or mainstream label rather than the couturier. But the whole look was determined by these very high end couturiers. So, that's where we've got this difficult scenario - that was its tradition - is to be about copying. But that again is something that we're very much changing through the education sector anyway. But also there have been cases where different designers or major brands have sued designers for copying. So there there is a precedent, the precedents are being set to say this is not appropriate. So it is changing. Yeah.
David: Buying clothes online can be a bit hit-and-miss sometimes in that there's a bit of guesswork involved. A bit of getting the measuring tape out and mailing it back to them. How is online clothes shopping going to look like in the future?
Dr Anne Farren: That's a great one, because now we have companies that are setting up where you can have digitally scan yourself or you can go to a service that will scan you, but now you can you can scan off a laptop, not a laptop, a tablet, and so you could scan yourself into that data, into the computer and then you could actually be totally, it could be totally customised to you, or at least at a minimum, your body measurements are there for the company to then say this is the best size for you. So you can upload your data and then they'll say, yes, this is our, from our garment data, this is the garment size that will fit you. It could be as well. It's, it's possible to do now, but I'm not aware of any companies that do it where they could take your avatar and they could then fit that, put their actual garment and see how it fits on you. You could actually then see what it looks like on you. So a virtual fit could have hurt her. Then you say, 'yeah, that looks good on me' as you would in, in a conventional change room.
David: And that's similar to the technology that exists for spectacles right now as well.
Dr Anne Farren: Oh, I'm not aware of that.
David: Yes, you can go online, you can take a little picture of yourself to see what you look like - what a picture of you looks like - wearing different glasses. So the future is already here I guess.
Dr Anne Farren: I think so. For me, I'm pretty sure that's a lot simpler to do than a three dimensional garment. And I'm really, I'm really excited by what that can do because I think it's a horrendous thought to think that you're going to buy something just based on sizing because the industry is notorious for not having sizing that's reliable. And then it's also saying, okay, here's a size eight - how many people in this world are at that standard size?
David: It's quite arbitrary.
Dr Anne Farren: Oh, totally. And a lot of ...
David: Unless you get the tape measure out and you do the actual, the exact dimensions for each part of your body. It's quite arbitrary.
Dr Anne Farren: So then what will happen is, from one designer to another, they will, it will vary, and it's actually a good and a bad thing. And I'll explain that. The good side of it is that if everything is exactly this one generic size eight then there's no chance of it fitting you, if you're say, size eight top and a size twelve bottom - or we probably wouldn't be that big - or different - but it might be, you know, eight and 10, so ... or your height is different. So your measurements are the same, but height is a big factor. So I know that if I go to one label, the designer is shorter, they'll, they'll fit me in the width, the, around. But the sizing is kind of strange. The garment doesn't quite fit as well. I go to another designer I know and she's taller, and the garments she creates are a much better fit to my body because of my height. So those variations in the interpretation of what is a size eight, nine, well we don't have nine, sorry, eight, 10, 12 by different designers does help us as consumers to find something that fits us. But it also creates a huge problem if you go online and this company says it's a size eight and you've just, you know, you've got no way of predicting accurately that that is going to fit you. And those companies that do online sales sites, they actually have a massive process of, you know, taking the returns on the garments. I don't even know how they sustain their business because there is a huge process that's involved in trying to keep the customer happy in terms of having something that fits in the return. And I hate that process. I've got a very large foot size and have tried to buy online and, you know, if it comes in and it doesn't fit and you've got to send it back, post it back and get it. Oh, I just, I don't know. I don't understand the appeal of online shopping personally.
David: You've got more, you've got more variety, but it's, oh, you can only really do it for accessories though. If you're getting, like, if you're getting like, neck tie it's very convenient. If you're getting a shirt then you need to go in.
Dr Anne Farren: So I think that's where, yeah, the technology is going to really change the landscape for online shopping. I especially can visualise and imagine the enjoyment of seeing your virtual, your avatar, being fitted in and actually being able to see what it looks like on you because something can fit but not really look right. And I know I've been guilty - I don't know if it's even to say guilty - but I have purchased things that I just think I feel comfortable in it, but it's not exactly the most flattering thing. But I'll still buy it and wear it and then I'll see myself in photos and think, 'oh, why do I think this is so good to wear?' I think that's where I was saying earlier that we're making more choices and I think that there shouldn't be as much judgment around what we wear. Yeah, I'm not a person that hopes ... I don't make judgments around what people wear. I think it's people's choice. I'm always - I'm not sure if this is a good thing to talk about - but I remember when girls started to wear, you know, low jeans and crop tops and the muffin top became a big issue. And at first I was a bit, 'ooh', and I thought, well that's me. I would never do it. But a lot of the girls were really confident. I thought, why not? It's not offensive. It's just not something that I would do. And it was about them still looking great - bit of flesh hanging out. That's okay. So I really, I find it a fascinating field, and that's probably why I'm still in it at my age!
David: And finally, what's, what's being done, right here on Curtin to build the future of fashion and design?
Dr Anne Farren: Well, within our course, as I said, we've got a lot of interest in sustainable fashion, but we have units, and have had a unit, called Sustainable Fashion since before it became trendy! And we've got Technology and Dress. So we have really strong foundations for the students to engage in, in these issues around fashion. I think we're fortunate that we've got these foundations in terms of sustainability and technology that are units that can evolve. They're not locked into a particular perspective. And I think they're going to be ongoing issues that will sustain our course and, and hopefully continue to create graduates that are, are finding a place and relevance in, are going to be relevant to the industry.
David: Well, I think that's a, that's a good note to end on. Thank you very much for joining us Anne.
Dr Anne Farren: Oh, thank you, David. It's been a real pleasure
David: and thanks for braving it in this, in this appalling weather as well.
Dr Anne Farren: Not a problem.
David: And I think we'll leave it at that. You've been listening to The Future Of a podcast powered by Curtin University. If you have any questions or that any of the topics are the brain. So if you want to learn more than you can have a look at the show notes so you can touch.