about slow exposure

“It is not unusual to read of fashion enthusiasts enjoying the dressing up box from a young age, nor is it unusual to read of sixteen year-olds flipping through magazines, yearning to live the lives of the shiny characters adorning the glossy pages. Rarely do these adolescents think of the environmental impact these personal obsessions will have on our world as we know it; I too barely thought of them. I began my career in a fast paced and fast fashion industry and, like so many of us, became numb to the clothes made in jumbo factories by underpaid workers. The experience of working in an environment that supported these systemic failings forced the realisation that it was time to ignite a mentality of thoughtful consumption – both for myself and for those around me. But, I asked myself, how to start the fire whilst maintaining the beautiful aesthetic I had grown to know and love over those years of adolescence and young adulthood? In a way, I ought to be grateful to those houses exposing me to the overproduction, as I learnt how the affordable prices and bright colours are persuasive for the consumer. I hope that slow exposure might serve as a signpost for others, highlighting the transformative things new, and innovative brands are doing to change this industry.”

slow exposure is edited by the writer and speaker Eliza Edwards. Eliza writes freelance for several publications on the relationship between fashion and our environment, focusing on promoting thoughtful consumption at no aesthetic compromise. She is also the host of The Slow Exposure Podcast.