Taking it Slow - Champions of Slow Fashion
Here at HARA, we're slow fashionistas and no it's not because all our undies are made in the sun-kissed island of Bali - we're supporters of the slow fashion movement.
So called, ‘Fast Fashion’ has dominated the clothing industry for the last 20 years, since the rise of Primark and H&M. As consumers we were bombarded with messages of CHEAP, NEW, MORE, NOW. Production cycles sped up as companies adopted ‘just-in time’ manufacturing of clothes. This one minded approach focused on just the bottom line. Profits soared, our shopping bags and wardrobes bulged.
Photography by Carla Cuenca Cortés
"But fast is not free. Short lead times and cheap clothes are only made possible by exploitation of labour and natural resources." reports Kate Fletcher, eco textiles consultant.
The unsustainability of fast fashion often makes the headlines:
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In 2013 more than 1133 men, women and children died when the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapsed. Another 2,500 were injured and 800 children were orphaned. Read Vogue’s article on 1 year after the tragedy.
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In 2015 it was reported that “ The apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and remains the second largest industrial polluter, second only to oil.”
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In September 2017, WWF released a new report stated; “The industry emits 1.7 billion tonnes of CO2 annually, is responsible for extensive water use and pollution, and produces 2.1 billion
tonnes of waste annually.”
Did you know that the global consumption of clothes doubled from 2000 - 2014? Just 14 years! Read the full report from WWF here.
We believe the tide has turned on fast fashion and a slower, more considerate movement is starting to replace it. And it’s here to stay.
"Slow fashion is about designing, producing, consuming and living better. Slow fashion is not time-based but quality-based (which has some time components). Slow is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism – but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities and ecosystems." explains, Kate Fletcher.
The origins of slow fashion can be found in the slow food movement and has become the antidote to junk fast food. People not only are really considering what they put in their bodies in terms of food but also on their skin in the form of clothing. What’s behind the label? What’s it really made of and who made it?
Photography by Carla Cuenca Cortés
New clothing brands are emerging embodying slow fashion; The Wylde, Noah, Nudie Jeans, Patagonia and Veja. We’re one of those brands too, our mission is to use the HARA label as a platform to bring change, awareness and education to the issues within the fashion industry.
At HARA we're endorsing the principles of slow fashion;
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Pairing beauty and style with awareness and consideration - each piece is designed individually and with care
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We've taken the time and done the research, we are confident in our supply chain and its transparency
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Working at a pace where we can build meaningful relationships in our supply chain, like Trisna, our production manager and her team in Bali where all the ethical underwear is made
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We focus on quality and sourcing ethical materials
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Our products are designed for real life, comfortable and kind to your skin and made to last. We suggest you wash your undies at a 30 degree wash using eco detergent and like minded colours. Look after them and they’ll last years.
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Our customers are important to us, that's you, we want to share our story with you and hear what you have to say.
