Presentation from the "Refashioning Fashion" OpenWear Conference in Ljubljana, June 2nd 2011

1. Sustainability in fashion
- reflections on the possibility of sustainability
In fashion, inspired by OpenWear
Oleg Koefoed
Copenhagen Business School / Cultura21
Presentation for OpenWear conference
“Refashioning Fashion”
Ljubljana June 2nd 2011

2. 0 Challenge / question
How can we understand a project such as
OpenWear, so that it will make sense that it
would be sustainable?
What local actions could be frutiful to make
this more probable?
What overall changes in the
environment/industry would be necessary?

3. 1 status for the fashion industry
Public concern – talk – and some real interest in
sustainability
Mainly environmental issues and connections to CSR
Lots of greenwashing (=non-systemic single actions and
more or less pure propaganda)
Innovative experiences in micro-processes
BUT: need for experiments on a much bigger scale
AND: need for opening up of processes, production,
decisions, values

4. Examples of sustainable (?) practice
Sustainable Textile development
Slow fashion initiatives
Cooperative / co-creative entreprises
DIY /DIT etc
ECO Brands
Political measures, legislation
New educational elements
Fairs / un-fashion conferences etc

5. 2.1 The pillars / dimensions
Environment Sociality Economic Cultural
How does the How does the How does the How does the
system build system build system create system
resilience social value through facilitate the
through the coherence by the emergence of
use of natural forming groups transformation meaning
resources and institutions of resources – and does it
– and does it – and does it – and does it allow for the
allow for other maintain redistribute the transformation
systems to co- dynamic value? and evolution
evolve? openness? of meaning?
POWER: the fifth – political - pillar...

6. 2.2 status re: the four pillars
Environment Sociality Economy Culture
After 30 years, Seat of some Most of the Many small
some progress of the major industry builds alternatives –
is being made weaknesses of on exploitation but overall
– more the industry – and domination of
experience lack of obsolescense images of fast
needed, more transparency – new business fashion,
investment, need for models obsolescence
need for new education; and needed – even and
paradigm? new new economic consumerism
organization foundations + issue of
models heritage vs
revolution
POWER: lack of transparency & big-scale responsible experiments

7. 3 Definitions of sustainability
Brundtland report (1987)
Satisfying our present needs without jeopardizing
the needs of future generations
BETTER
Morin/Kagan (2011)
a search process for dynamic balance,
that unfolds itself differently according
to the specific contexts, allowing the
emergence of resilient cultural-natural
hypercomplex systems

8. 4 Resilience and Emergence
Resilience
When open systems learn from their environments,
transforming themselves
Characterized by diversity and resilience
and „autoecopoïetic“ sensibility: creative openness
to disturbances, allowing for emergence
Emergence
The engine of complex, unpredictable
evolutions in nature and in societies
– leads creation and transformation in the systems
Drawing on Kagan (2011)

9. 5 A dynamic model: sustensivity
NEW SYSTEM
System
/Life form A
RESILIENCE
SUSTENSION & NON-EQUILIBRIUM
DYNAMICS
EMERGENCE
System
/Life form B
X Life intensity / potentiality
Y Time-space continuum

10. 6 ...so what about “OpenWear”-projects
3 crucial questions
Conditions of entry
Resilience potential Outcome

11. 8 The complex 'equation'
Moments Dimensions
Conditions of entry Economic
Environmental
x
Resilience and
emergence
Social
Dynamic outcome
Cultural
= potential for sustainability

12. 9 Causes for concern: pitfalls
Environmental Economic
the planning pitfall falling back into
planning tends to durability
reduce and Sustainable=surviv
compartmentalize: ing
the problems + lowering entry
*
return in much barriers
greater scale temporarily
without changing
the overall system
Social
sucking the juice Cultural
out of workers Greenwashing/propaganda
(project logic) that deteriorates the
+ struggle for reputation of sustainable
justice > co- change
change + compartmentalization

13. 10 The unresolved question of OW etc
}
Facilitating economic entry
Opening up to the discarded
Taking participation seriously
Creating open cultures
Sharing economy among creators Complex?
Sustaining systemic diversity
Increasing transparency Impossible?
Bringing together past and future Simple?
New forms of wealth
Non-destructive material production
Infinity in responsibility/care/love
Placing re-generation at the heart

14. X a philosophical comment
Eternity ? Infinity ?
OR

15. Thank you.
Oleg Koefoed
oleg@cultura21.dk
+45 5353 9572