American best-selling author Derek Charles Blasberg, talked to us a bit about sustainable fashion.VICE: Why does fashion play such a pivotal role in our world today?
Derek Blasberg: The word "fashion" to me speaks to an industry, but what I'm interested in is style. The fashion designer Coco Chanel, who was an undisputed visionary, once said something — and I'm paraphrasing here — that style is in the sky, in the street, that it has to do with the ideas and the way we live and what's happening in the world. When I think about how sustainable fashion can contribute to the world, that's what I'm thinking about.Why do you feel fashion should think about sustainability?
Fashion is about luxury, and I think that the ultimate luxury is having the peace of mind in knowing that what you're wearing hasn't negatively impacted humanity.How can the industry become more sustainable?
The first step is admitting we have a problem!What made you care about the impact the industry was having?
Have you ever seen The True Cost? When you do, you'll never think about clothes the same way again. What encouragement would you give someone who's just waking up to the impact fashion has on the environment and on the people behind the products?
Here's the thing. When I was young, I thought it was glamorous to constantly consume new things and never be seen in the same outfit twice. I look back on that mentality, and it makes me cringe. Now, I consume less, but I consume better. I think about quality, about how many times I'm going to wear something.This article was paid for by Copenhagen Fashion Summit and was created independently from VICE's editorial staff.
Derek Blasberg: The word "fashion" to me speaks to an industry, but what I'm interested in is style. The fashion designer Coco Chanel, who was an undisputed visionary, once said something — and I'm paraphrasing here — that style is in the sky, in the street, that it has to do with the ideas and the way we live and what's happening in the world. When I think about how sustainable fashion can contribute to the world, that's what I'm thinking about.Why do you feel fashion should think about sustainability?
Fashion is about luxury, and I think that the ultimate luxury is having the peace of mind in knowing that what you're wearing hasn't negatively impacted humanity.How can the industry become more sustainable?
The first step is admitting we have a problem!What made you care about the impact the industry was having?
Have you ever seen The True Cost? When you do, you'll never think about clothes the same way again. What encouragement would you give someone who's just waking up to the impact fashion has on the environment and on the people behind the products?
Here's the thing. When I was young, I thought it was glamorous to constantly consume new things and never be seen in the same outfit twice. I look back on that mentality, and it makes me cringe. Now, I consume less, but I consume better. I think about quality, about how many times I'm going to wear something.This article was paid for by Copenhagen Fashion Summit and was created independently from VICE's editorial staff.