The True Cost of Our Abundant Wardrobes
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Casper David Friedrich is believed by some to be a self-portrait of the artist. The figure seems to be staring in contemplation at the nature surrounding him. It is a depiction of self-reflection, as the haze of the sea fog mesmerizes the figure and takes him into a religious and almost spiritual-like trance. By showing the back of the figure, the artist does not intend to shut the figure out from its viewers- instead, it opens up an opportunity for the viewers to be able to experience the world from the figure’s (Casper David Friedrich himself) eyes and his personal experience.
The figure in the painting is supposed to be a high-ranking forestry officer. He is seen adorning the green uniform worn by the volunteer rangers- who were called for service against Napoleon by the king of Prussia. The painting serves as a patriotic tribute to the figure who would have died in 1813-14.
The color palette of the painting features hues of blues and pinks adorning the sky, a contrast from the figure’s green uniform. The figure has a confident poise, relaxing as he leans on his staff and ponders away in the awe of the beauty surrounding him- as is the ideal of the Romanticism era.
The essay frames a connection between this artwork and how the fashion industry scrutinizes the labor force and extracts the utmost advantage from nature and its resources- the emphasis is laid on how the industry has conquered the globe- just like the figure projects dominance over the seas and mountains- the former albeit following a discriminatory approach.
There is more to the fashion industry than the sheer excitement of fashion shows and the glamorous lifestyle. To the middle class and poor, the industry has to offer fear and greed, disparity, capitalism, and consumerism. The 3 trillion dollars global fashion industry continues to upsurge the profits by outsourcing production to low-income countries where the labor force works on extremely low incentives and doesn’t get paid even the minimum wage. A few examples include the workforce from India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. Since the production process is cheap, so are the prices on the racks! However, the cheap costs of products don’t mean a similar shift on the human cost as well as the environmental cost- it has been steadily increasing, and there seem to be no signs of stopping anytime soon either. Over the past few years, some major casualties have been faced by those unfortunately on the grim side of fashion- the workforce.
Garment workers are among the most underpaid of the fashion world and are prone to hazardous laboratories which have resulted in tragedies like the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, 2013. 1,129 employees were killed and many others injured as an aftermath of a factory collapse. This disaster shed light on the inequities behind cheap fashion and was a call to immediate action. The standards of living in the fashion industry, however, are much better than many other degrading income-earning options. However, it leads to the mass impoverishment of hundreds of people all around the globe- the money goes only into the pockets of the owners of big corporations and mass-market fashion brands.
Likewise, the damage done to the environment by the fashion industry does not go unnoticed. The garment industry infamously stands at the second position as the most polluting industry in the world, accompanied by the oil industry. The industry has failed to realize that nature provides us with limited resources and by disrespecting its boundaries we will not be able to sustain life on this planet. Let’s take cotton for instance which represents nearly half of the total fiber used for the production of clothes. The chemicals consumed by the cotton plant to keep up with the fast pace of production of fast fashion has resulted in severe grave impacts on both human health as well as land health. Skin being the receptor of all the elements in the environment receives these chemicals and passes them down the bloodstream of the wearer of the clothes.
The environmental degradation is connected to the labor force life impact directly- the investment in pesticides and fertilizers require loyalty towards these products by the farmers who need to use them over and over. This adds to the pressures faced by farmers as they get sucked into further depth and this loop pushes them to commit suicide. Alongside cotton, leather production also increases the risk of health hazards as well as environmental pollution- especially of the water sources, leading to a massive spread of diseases in neighboring areas like the Ganges River and Kanpur, India.
Moreover, the brands have failed to take responsibility for the harm caused to the environment and human life. The conversation around sustainability has been started by several initiators and leaders in the industry such as Patagonia and Stella McCartney.
Shedding light on Stella McCartney’s recent Fall collection (2021), it is realized that Stella has provided a “rebirth” to her brand- the lockdown served as a forum that forged sustainable debates. The Fall collection’s major highlights would be the 77% of sustainable materials and techniques such as upcycling and vegan technologies used. In addition to the technology and materials used, the collection provides a fearlessness and youthfulness, along with a lot of joy- which are exactly the emotions of the viewers of the painting “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog”. It introduces a personal outlook of the brand to the consumers- how to look unconventionally at the belief system set by the industry, and feel more liberated as you grow older. This personal outlook of the designer serves as a parallel to the figure in the painting who is mulling over the spiritual and is a portrayal of self-reflection. Moreover, the collection features a blazer two-piece suit, providing a contemporary parallel to the coat worn by the figure in the painting.
In the final analysis, the fashion industry needs to up its game by working with the globe rather than by dominating its resources- including human resources. The current industry model works primarily on profit. It is important to step back and realize the true cost of the abundant wardrobes crowned in our massive homes.
"Together we begin to make a real change as we remember that everything we wear was touched by human hands. In the myths of all the challenges facing us today and all the problems that feel bigger than us and beyond our control maybe we can start here with clothing" as quoted by Morgan in his film ‘The True Cost’.
