Education and Early Childhood Learning

"Trashion"

In what ways is “fast fashion” contributing to environmental decline and the abuse of human rights?

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In Grade 11, learners engaged with the topic of fast fashion and its environmental and human rights implications. They studied how the fashion industry contributes to pollution, waste, and exploitation, and examined the role of plastic and other materials in clothing that ends up in landfills. The focus of their art project, titled "Trashion," was to create human-sized sculptures using papier mâché, cardboard, scrap fabric, and other discarded or recyclable/repurposed items to represent what they had learned about the fashion industry.

As an activating strategy, learners were asked to write a paragraph in their idea journals about their own style, personal expressions, fashion likes and dislikes, favourite brands, colours, textures, fabrics and accessories, and so on.

As a class, the learners used a KWL strategy to find out what they knew about the ecological footprint of clothing waste and the ethical issues associated with labour practices in the fashion industry. The learners generated three guiding questions for their research, and then independently sought out articles, videos, documentaries, and social media posts on the topic in order to develop a general knowledge base about the issue. The three inquiry questions to focus their research were as follows:

1. What is the impact of the fashion industry on the environment?
2. What is the impact of the fashion industry on workers, internationally?
3. What brands/producers are being discussed in the news media and what are their practices?

These questions helped them to develop, understand, and reflect on their own perspectives of this complex issue and recognize that human rights are an important consideration in the fashion industry. Learners shared a brief presentation outlining what they learned about the impact of fashion on the environment and on human rights with the rest of the group.

To explore fashion as an art form, the class looked at images of various celebrities, fashion influencers, and fashion lines and trends such as Lady Gaga, Björk, the Met Gala media coverage, and brands currently causing a stir for producing controversial fashion trends and items. The learners were asked, “How can fashion be used to express ideas, and influence and challenge viewers?”

From here, the learners formed design houses (groups) to brainstorm ideas. To focus their thinking around their previous research, the following questions were posed: What message do you want your sculpture to convey about the impact of plastic and waste in the fashion industry? How can your artwork highlight the human rights abuses tied to fast fashion? In what ways can recycled or scrap materials symbolize the concept of sustainability and responsibility in fashion?

After the initial brainstorming process, each group selected their favourite approach through a process of elimination (they ranked their choices until they came to consensus). They then engaged in the cyclical design process of envisioning, sketching, considering materials, researching, consulting, and focusing their ideas to develop their plan and intention for a sculpture. They created a plan for their sculptures and sought feedback from other groups to troubleshoot any difficulties prior to executing their designs. The teacher circulated and provided feedback on design plans, asking meaningful questions to guide their process and help the learners problem solve through challenges. Throughout the process, the teacher scaffolded positive communication, encouraging the learners to listen to and value various points of view. She supported group work with various prompts, forms, and opportunities for sharing.

Groups then went about finding and creating ways to construct using available materials and focusing their idea on their theme and expression. Artists developed a written artist’s statement and title to be displayed with the work at the school’s annual fashion show. This statement communicated their representation of their ideas about the fashion industry’s environmental and human rights issues, and provided a mechanism for them to influence others to contribute to a greater awareness of the issues.

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Dimensions of Global Competencies in Action

Citizenship

• Learners develop, understand, and reflect on their own perspective in complex issues.
• Learners recognize discrimination, principles of equity, and human rights in their world.
• Learners explore the interconnectedness of self, others, and the natural world.

Creativity

• Learners create plans and adjust them as needed to meet a goal.
• Learners test and adapt ideas or plans, and persevere through obstacles to improve.
• Learners use strategies to generate innovative ideas, solve problems, and/or make a difference.
• Learners enhance new ideas by building on ideas of others.

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