Marketing in the News: Sustainable Fashion, College Students and Money

 I call myself a minimalist, an internationalist and one who is passionate about slow and sustainable products of all kinds… including fashion. 

Low waste and zero waste are my goals. Sustainability is my jam!

Bonus points because all of these concepts tie back into financial sustainability/sustainability within a market where my generation is struggling to afford housing (in our 30s).  

Upon looking for a recent news article about sustainability, imagine my delight when I saw that students at Minnesota State University recently coordinated a clothing drive as a feminist activism class project (Clothing Swap)! The students focused their efforts around slow, sustainable fashion, second-hand shopping, keeping items out of the landfills and supporting a local nonprofit. 

The students started the clothing drive as a class project focusing on the impact of the fashion industry both domestically and internationally with the assumption that sustainable fashion was beyond most college students’ means. However, they realized that sustainable fashion doesn’t just mean buying from ethical brands. It includes shopping from your own closet, clothing swaps and second-hand stores. There are many cost effective ways to leave your mark on the fashion world. 

What started as an activism project had a ripple effect on, not only those that orchestrated the event, but the class and campus as a whole as well as the local community and nonprofit, CADA (Committee Against Domestic Abuse).

The value proposition is all about being thoughtful with your choices. We, as consumers, get to choose how we spend our money and when we have a finite amount, those choices impact ourselves even more. The ripple effect of our choices can be felt throughout the world’s economy reminding us that while in the moment it may not feel like we have that much impact, many hands (or dollars) can have an impact well beyond our wildest dreams. 

The buy, buy, buy marketing of the fashion industry can be a challenge to overcome. Sustainability is all about slowing down and making thoughtful choices. Do I need this? How did/will my purchase impact others? What else could I be spending this money on? In a world telling us to move faster, those looking to save money, create sustainability and be intentional have to block out the noise and stand on their beliefs. 

The approach to this project was based in psychology, not marketing. I loved that the students addressed the issue as an activist/psychology issue and just happened to impact the economy. While the project wasn’t intentionally focused on the economy, it goes to show that activism is an economic issue and the economy needs activism. 

If sustainability and fashion have ever peaked your interest, may I suggest The True Cost? It's a documentary about the fast fashion industry and a total eye opener. Here is the trailer.

Citations: 

Article: Bezuayene, Ephrata. “Clothing Swap Promotes Sustainable Fashion Choices.” The Reporter. https://www.msureporter.com/2024/04/11/clothing-swap-promotes-sustainable-fashion-choices/ April, 2024.

Photo Credit: Le Nguyen, Francois. Photo. Unsplash.com. November, 20, 2020.