The fashion industry is the second largest polluter, behind oil. The driving force behind this crisis is the consumerism at a level that makes in culture. For many, fashion is a lifestyle and the need to keep costs low lead to buying products that pollute the earth while being manufactured, after being purchased and when being disposed of. Both synthetic and natural materials have negative affects on the planet and the only solution to fix this is to slow down the cycle of fashion.

For my images, I was inspired by imagery I saw in articles and documentaries about the topic. These journalistic images showed mountains of clothing in underdeveloped countries and evoked a sense of sorrow for those who have to live in it. I decided to depict this on a personal level. To do this, I started with self reflection. What is something that I buy way too much of? My answer was denim. This was also convient because one of my main sources is a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Co. All but 6 pairs of jeans in this shot are mine. While reflecting on my habits, I realized that I cycle between the same 3 or 4 pairs of jeans and that my collection was outrtageous. Most of these jeans I bought on impulse rather than need. I photographed my personal mountain of jeans and used a model for scale and to show the relationship and comfort that buying clothes makes the consumer feel.

For my second image, I thought of how society is so wrapped up something kind of abstract. Clothes are a necessity, not a luxury, or at least this is how it used to be. All of our clothes are comprised of so much materials that we don’t realize it until we look at it in an abstract way. I would like to add that all the materials in this image will be put to use by my roommate who is a fashion major as well as my grandma, who loves to knit and finally to my former charity league I participated in throughout high school. Some girls knit scarves for the poor for community service hours.