Testing a Hypothesis in Fashion

A Fashion Forward Hypothesis....

There is an opportunity that lies within the fashion industry for an eco-friendly forward alternative for old, unused, and tarnished clothing 
pieces that can create a market 
industry for sustainable clothing materials. 

Boundaries lay within and outside our understanding of this opportunity...

Within

- Clothes are not garbage, no matter what state of being they are in.

- Sustainability is important.

- Eco-friendliness needs to be addressed on a broader scale of thinking.

- Who are those who care?

- What would happen within the tradeoff; The industry would flip the materials.

..."Redone"..."Rework"..."Recycled"..."Refurbished"..."Renewed"...

Outside

- Who would benefit from recycled materials?

- Who would find art in other peoples "trash"?

- Is there value to an industry like this?

In reality not everyone meets the unmet need of what to do with clothes that no longer have any value or use to someone...

Each interviewee I talked with had their doubts about an "industry" centered around the means to a wardrobes end. Although, each interviewee I talked with had the unmet need of not knowing what to do with clothes they have absolutely no purpose for anymore...or so they thought. 

First, let's consider the need showcased from a mother's, with six kids, point of view. She expressed that although she would be able to contribute to the opportunity because the constant cycle of her kids growing out of, as well as ruining, their clothes she would not benefit from what would come of the industry. Thus, at that point she would fall victim to just passing down old clothes to other moms, or just tossing extremely worn items. Similarly to the mom, the president of a sorority noted reselling clothing pieces has a greater benefit then giving the pieces away to be made brand new. The need for a place to rid our past fashions is the same as say the need for new style's. The outsiders' need for a more eco-friendly sustainable use for old clothes is different then the need of people who fall within the boundaries, like the owner/manager of the consignment store Urban Thread. This interview shed light on the unmet needs' ability to connect factory brought clothes with "clothes from the streets". There is a broader idea that this industry would create a new outlet for creativity in fashion. Therefore, exposing fashion from each end of the spectrum together into one center of materials. Within the tradeoff of clothing pieces into becoming materials, over time there could be a major benefit to those involved. Thus, the more sustainable our clothes are the less we would need to get rid of. Although, then I questioned whether or not the industry would last past the first decade or so. Lastly, there was a boy who grew later than everyone else and a college girl who parties a lot. Each of them fall within and outside the boundaries of this opportunity. They can justify the use of the opportunity for their benefit but could also go outside the boundary and think of a way the need is already met that works just fine for now...although hence the words..."for now".

Inside the boundary...                                                           Outside the boundary...

Who: People who are looking for a more                    Who: People who would not participate in

sustainable use for their unused clothing.                  sending clothes to a materials distributor.

People who enjoy fashion.

What: There is an unmet need for a sustainable      What: The trade-off for old clothing

alternative for the materials of old clothes, to be     materials is not what it could be, thus there

made into something fresh, new, and eco-                  is no incentive for consumers to contribute
friendly.                                                                                     to the industry.

Why: People want to buy clothes that are sustainable and last long, therefore to kill two birds with one stone, recycling our old clothes for money or new fashion in return grants us an eco-friendly way to build off of our past. 

                                                                                                        Alternative Explanations... People are lazy, honestly. Although, this opportunity may be a great start to a long stretched out economic problem, and sustainability is gaining popularity more and more every year. There are consignment stores, and stores like GoodWill already that basically use the same concept, although this idea is to create something new from something old.