During QFSF’s 2024 annual conference, guest speaker, Rachel Hope Hawkshaw, enlightened conference attendees on the ideologies behind material production. Hawkshaw owns Folk & Forage, a small business native to Amherst Island. Folk & Forage offers timeless vintage, old world leather craft, and my personal favorite, hand tanned sheep collars. As a citizen environmentalist, Hawkshaw has maintained a deep passion for climate consciousness and sustainable fashion, with a focus on regenerative fibre agriculture. Hawkshaw works alongside her husband, a political science major, and father-in-law, a civil engineer, collaborating in their education and expertise. Their passion for environmental consciousness not only supports their farm, but helps forward innovations for other family owned fibre farms. During her speech, Hawkshaw opened up about her personal experiences with climate grief. Climate grief is the result of individuals experiencing anxiety due to climate change, and how climate change affects the ecosystem and the various species within it. To channel these emotions toward positive change, Hawkshaw has channeled these emotions through the combination of her creative eye for fashion and the sustainable practices of traditional fibre arts, wool agriculture, and other fibre innovations, to provide Folk & Forage with its unique flare.
The sustainable innovations shared by Hawkshaw serve as evidence of our potential to achieve a future with a minimal environmental impact. Hawkshaw suggests that the use of natural clothing dyes and regenerative fibre agriculture are crucial to the sustainable fashion industry. Unlike synthetic dyes, which can take centuries to break down and release harmful chemicals into the environment, natural dyes are biodegradable, posing no threat to the environment or human health (B. 2023). Further research into the development of biodegradable dyes highlights a tangible opportunity for Queen’s students, particularly chemical engineers, to explore. Further, Hawkshaw highlights that the goal behind regenerative agriculture is to promote healthy soil practices and biodiversity during fibre production (Tonda 2023). Regenerative fibre agriculture is critical to increase soil organic matter and reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by sequestering more atmospheric carbon into soil (Tonda 2023). As Queen’s students, we have the power to use our education and knowledge to drive meaningful change and actively contribute to a future of sustainability. By envisioning and advocating for such advancements, Hawkshaw demonstrates the feasibility of an environmentally conscious future within our reach.
Extending Rachel’s suggestions to encourage a future of sustainable fashion, she places emphasis on the passion behind clothing production. We as consumers are consistently reminded to purchase garments based on their physical quality. Often, this behavior is demonstrated by investing in expensive clothing brands over cheap ones to avoid synthetic materials, and increase the life expectancy of the item. From a sustainable aspect, one may purchase garments from brands like Tentree, rather than H&M, or by opting for organic cotton over polyester. While this indubitably increases the clothing’s lifespan and lowers our environmental impact, ethical consumption is not limited to the physical property of a garments’s quality.
Hawkshaw emphasizes that the quality of clothing is inherently linked to the passion of its maker. When an individual is passionate about the clothing pieces they are producing, this enthusiasm resonates with the final product. This ideology is especially important when contrasting fast fashion brands with locally-produced goods. Locally-made items are crafted with care and passion, reflecting the values and creativity of their creators. Contrastingly, mass-produced clothing relies on the exploitation of employee’s physical labor and mechanized processes devoid of any human connection. As we adorn clothing on our bodies every day, they inherently become an extension of our identity, carrying with them the stories of their creation. Therefore, true achievement of ethicality necessitates fair trade practices supporting artisans who prioritize passion and integrity within their work. By conscientiously choosing the clothing we wear, we not only reduce our environmental footprint, but also honor the craftsmanship and ethical value behind each piece.
Through emphasizing the designer’s passion, we reduce the line of production from the buyer to the consumer. Purchasing a garment directly from the producer fosters a relationship between the consumer and the individual who produced it, thus heightening consumer consciousness. By engaging with the producer directly, consumers become more cognizant of both the individual behind the product and the value embedded in their work. This personal interaction ascribes the garment with a deeper meaning, elevating its worth beyond physical use, and embedding a sense of accountability within the consumer. Through purchasing directly from the producer, we are made conscious of the face behind the product. This increases our appreciation for the product, and lowers the likelihood of mindlessly disposing of the product and contributing toward waste.
Therefore, when purchasing a product from an online platform for example, the line of production is incredibly distant causing the contact between the buyer and the seller to be miniscule. Online platforms, while accessible, inherently diminish the connection between the consumer and the producer. The consequence of a long line of production, is a consumer’s lack of environmental awareness of their product, what it took to produce that product, and what the afterlife of that product entails. A lengthy production process entails numerous environmental consequences. Long production lines often involve the extraction of natural resources such as minerals, fossil fuels, and water. This leads to habitat destruction, soil erosion, and depletion of non-renewable sources. Beyond the actual creation of these non-biodegradable products, when purchasing pieces from websites, the travel process from the site of production to the garment’s final destination involves the shipping from warehouses or distribution centers, via trucks, airplanes, ships, or trains. This increases greenhouse gas emissions and essentially exacerbates climate change. Yet, this extensive line of travel is meticulously concealed through the strategies of overconsumption, since we as consumers are only witnesses to the tapping of our card, and the receiving of our product.
While it is important to take these factors into consideration when purchasing clothing, it is important to note that there is a level of privilege that coincides with being able to purchase passionately made, eco-conscious clothing. Due to the quality, and extensive work that goes into these pieces, their often high prices are reflective of these efforts. However, a sustainable mindset can be implemented in more cost effective ways. For example, when purchasing a clothing item, consider opting for one locally sourced sweater, rather than spending the same amount on multiple fast fashion items. I encourage readers to explore solutions that facilitate broader access to these goods, shifting eco-friendly clothing from a privileged expense, to a societal norm.
Hawkshaw’s insights shed light on the significance of passion in clothing production and its ripple effects on environmental consciousness, advocating for locally-focused production to prioritize personal craftsmanship and integrity. Through her commitment to sustainable fashion, Hawkshaw encourages students to leverage their expertise in varying fields, such as chemical engineering, to aim towards eco-friendly innovations. By fostering direct connections between consumers and producers, Hawkshaw encourages a more mindful approach to consumption, one that honors the stories and passion woven into each garment and catalyzes a shift towards a more sustainable future in fashion.
References
B. lily. “Natural Dyes: The Eco-Friendly Choice for Going Green With Color.” Medium, 15 May 2023, medium.com/@tanaybhatt490/natural-dyes-the-eco-friendly-choice-for-going-green-with-color-78bc0bc3dc11.
Tonda, Elisa Regenerative Agriculture’s Impact on Fashion: From Farm to Fiber | News. 15 Nov 2023. www.lycra.com/en/business/news/from-farms-to-fiber-the-promise-of-regenerative-agriculture.
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