Over-consumption
The fashion industry is a prime example of overconsumption, with one new collection following closely on the heels of another – the ultra-fast fashion represented by fashion chains such as Primark or online retailers such as SHEIN. Enough is enough, according to Bruggeman – a motto that neatly links the fashion industry and wellbeing. ‘Overconsumption and the feeling of contributing to a throwaway society creates unease, partly because it’s so hard to escape from it.’
Fortunately, Bruggeman sees that young people are also feeling a pull in a very different direction. ‘There is pressure from two sides. On the one hand, there is the urge to overconsume and, on the other, the growing realisation that you want to contribute to a sustainable world.’ There is a risk of people feeling powerless, Bruggeman explains. After all, how do you make a difference in a world as complex as the fashion industry?
Bruggeman points to our clothing choices as an excellent way of transforming this powerlessness into meaningful action. ‘Our clothes are an expression of identity for us all and we use them every day to make a statement about the world in which we live.’ You won’t change the system right away, Bruggeman says, but that also applies when you vote in an election. ‘Every day we can all choose to contribute to ultra-fast fashion or to opt for the alternative of buying second-hand or repairing items.
During the Radboud Wellbeing weeks (10 to 21 February) it will be possible to visit the This is Free Fashion clothes rack daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Erasmusplein. Daniëlle Bruggeman will be giving her speech on Thursday 20 March at 3.45 p.m.: Stitches of Care. Practising Solidarity through Fashion (including symposium)
