The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, with textile consumption significantly impacting the environment and climate change. Globally, this sector is responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions, a figure which is likely to increase by 50% by 2030 if we keep consuming textiles at the current pace. Responsible for this is the “Fast Fashion” phenomenon which sees brands releasing new and cheap collections that encourage buyers to consume more.
Norway confronts the overconsumption issue as well: Here, around 70,000 tons of new clothes are bought every year which means that, on average, one person’s wardrobe consists of over 350 pieces of garments. Unfortunately, one in five products is rarely or never worn. Buying and selling secondhand clothing can be a positive step toward tackling the issue, yet doesn’t help solve the problem. In fact, one of the most effective ways to reduce clothing consumption is extending the lifespan of the garments and increasing the frequency of use for the clothes we already have, according to new research.
Based on these insights, clothing brand Northern Playground teamed up with creative agency TRY for a campaign that encourages people to dress (and impress) sustainably, rather than keeping up with new trends. Usually promoted by influencers, these outfits are tossed out after just a single use.
To change that and raise awareness about textile consumption, the brand “hijacked” Vixen Awards – an event where the biggest influencers gather yearly — asking influencer StSunniva to please help address the issue, all while wearing “The Worn Once Dress.”
Created as a “symbol of overconsumption,” the dress is designed by fashion designer Siri Øverland Eriksen. Made of garments that belonged to Norway’s most well-known influencers, the dress highlights the absurdity of how influencers and consumers engage with fashion. The brand’s mission is to “make “worn 50 times” more desirable than “worn once” because we need more role models who show that clothes are not meant for single use.”
Initially imagined to be a carpet for the prestigious event, the creatives soon realized that the carpet should work better as a dress. For six months, the team searched second-hand apps, looking for pieces of clothing sold by Norwegian influencers but which were worn only once. With a pile of clothes at hand, the designer started to create the dress, sewing together 20 pieces of garments, eventually creating a gown that weights 10 kilograms.
Expressing her thoughts on the project, Siri said: “It was important to me to preserve the garments as intact as possible while working on the dress. This way, influencers might recognize their own pieces, and it felt wrong to cut up twenty perfectly usable garments to create just one. I expected to have to sacrifice a few items to ensure a proper fit, but aside from two pairs of pants (which can be re-stitched along the side seams), all garments remain intact. This means that after the dress has had its moment—hopefully making appearances at many exciting events—it can be taken apart and worn as twenty separate pieces again. I think that’s pretty cool. It also proves how one garment can be styled and used in so many different ways—even if this dress takes that idea to the extreme.”
Those who want to be part of the movement and spread Northern Playground’s sustainable message can actually borrow the dress, completely free of charge. All they have to do is send an email to the brand stating the preferred loan date and the number of days they want to borrow it. And, if any of the influencers want their garment back, they can have it, with one condition though: Wear it more than once.
CREDITS
Brand: Northern Playground
Agency: TRY
