Today I started to do some research for my sketchbook into the problem that I am attempting to renew as a brand. The Main criteria for that inspired me to create a platform like Afterlife was my curiosity to what happens to all the clothing after we throw them away and more specifically what happens to the clothing that we send to our local charity shops. I begun my research by watching lots of Documentary on this topic and begun seeing the main issue that was being caused by our over consumption. I started to do research into where all our clothing goes watching documentaries such as The true cost by Andrew Morgan, Textiles Mountain: The hidden burden of our fast fashion waste, Trashion: The Stealth Export Of Waste Plastic Clothes To Kenya, Fast fashion is hot garbage by climate Town, and finally, un-stitched: How the fashion industry is destroying the planet by our collective impact. I found these all very useful to understanding where most of our clothes are going once we no longer have any use for them.  I then moved my research onto more specifically Charity shops and what areas are being affected by the clothes not being bought and instead thrown out. I find it very interesting learning where our waste goes and how the process of them being sent their begun in the first place. I know as a small platform I would not be able to make much difference in the ways people shop when it comes to fast fashion. However, I want to instead change the way people see charity shops and encourage people to use them more. I felt focusing more on charity shops would create more accessibility around my platform. Charity shops are usually much more local that fast fashion shops which would make it easy for my followers to access as well as them being priced cheaper than most mainstream shops.

 

After I did my research into why I have started this project I then started my discussion into what I will be creating and how I hope this will help the issues we are facing. My objective is to create a conversation and engagement around the issue. But also give my viewers ideas on how they can make changes to help the fashion industry themselves. people can find it frustrating being told they can make a difference when they don’t have as much power as others. Instead they expect our leaders to be making the changes to help the environment. My goal is to use art, photography, textiles and making to instead encourage change and inspire rather than dawn on the issues we are facing.