Forgive me for what you're about to read. I am about to criticize the great Suzy Menkes, someone whom I absolutely worship. An article penned by her and recently published in the International Herald Tribune on "sustainable luxury" highlights for me the annoying habit the fashion press has of jumping on a trend or issue and treating it in the most superficial way possible. While I adore Ms. Menkes both as a fashion institution and as a writer, her piece on the growing demand from consumers for accountability in the fashion and luxury industries strikes me as annoyingly trite and predictable, not adjectives I normally associate with Ms. Menkes.
At the heart of it, what really annoys me about Ms. Menkes' piece is what annoys me about the entire debate over ethical luxury: the discussion has essentially been reduced to organic cotton and issues of fair trade with emerging countries (in this instance, the country is India). Virtually every piece I read on "ethical luxury" (including Ms. Menkes' article) seems limited to the same points: the environmental implications of manufacturing techniques used in producing the goods and the sourcing of materials from developing countries. Occasionally, lip service is paid to the conditions of workers but usually in passing and without any real attempt to understand the mechanics of the problem let alone a willingness to examine solutions.
While I don't deny the importance of these issues, I do question why the discussion seems limited to these particular issues and don't include others which seem just as important. Why are we so enthusiastic about organic cotton but seem perfectly willing to ignore the frequent human exploitation involved in the industry whether in the slums of India or the back alleys of Italy's Prato region? Why all the hand-wringing over fair labor conditions in India when some of the very same issues plague the fashion and luxury industries within our own borders? Is the network of shady Italian factories and workshops which employ countless undocumented workers under exploitive conditions any less reprehensible than those in India? During the good times, this gray market workforce was instrumental in turning out luxury goods for any number of French and Italian luxury brands. Why isn't anyone paying attention? Shouldn't there be more to "ethical luxury" both as a concept and as a movement than organic cotton?
Perhaps I would take a less cynical view of the "sustainable luxury" debate in its current form if I felt persuaded that the industry was truly invested in finding real solutions to issues that matter. For the time being, it all seems like yet another trend designed to make luxury brands look like good corporate citizens at a time when the very idea of luxury is considered to be in poor taste.
Sincerely,
The Luxe Chronicles
Agreed. The luxury industry doesn't seem to want to partake in the actual change of their business strategies nor offer any new solutions to ethical fashion.
This whole discussion about organic fabrics is starting to be tiresome. Currently there is no global certification on organic fabrics, thus standards vary from brand to brand. The lack of professional auditors also makes it difficult to maintain quality control while keeping an eye on ethical procedures. I'm quite sure that this multi-billion dollar luxury industry can afford to part ways with their money and invest in creating an organization that will benefit ALL manufacturers in setting quality standards. Of course, there are so many factors that come into play, but all the better to tackle these issues head on instead of simply preaching about it.
Posted by: Dahlia | Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 16:59