Sustainability is not a Moral Choice: Addressing Issues of Sustainability and “Fashion Violence” amongst Marginalised Teens

Most of the current focus and academic writing on consumption and reuse culture are focused on the adult population and on craft. Sustainable reuse designers are the new darlings of the fashion world, however the ‘performative reduction in consumption, or choosing to only consume in certain ways, is one of the most gratuitous displays of privilege out there, and to frame it as in any way a moral choice is … offensive” (Fagan 2017).

For teens, conforming to aesthetic values of their peers can be expensive and inaccessible, therefore creating elitism. We will explore ways in which elements of teen consumption can be recreated and rearticulated as a stylistic statement of identity, and the creation of belonging through reuse culture questioning new modes of consumption.

At Northumbria University we have been exploring the potential for expanding design education beyond the campus, using the transformative potential of high street maker spaces as part of the wider city renewal post-pandemic, to engage a wider community of learners and encourage the development of practice and knowledge. These “Fashion Bothies” are disciplinary spaces that exist outside of the HE campus as a space for sharing skills, practice and embedding social value.

We will examine the role HE institutions can have on education and curriculum content within secondary schools through through culturally responsive and sub-culturally focused workshops, teaching textile techniques and upcycling to de-stigmatise reuse culture, enabling reuse skills of repairing, mending, and upcycling to build identity positivity, confidence and class inclusivity.