The Primark generation rely on fast, cheap, fashion oblivious to moral and environmental implications. Discuss.

Research Issues and ideas The success of Primark has been something that has always been of intrigue; being one of the only retailers to use the recession in its favour: the store is in good shape to survive the economic downturn as shoppers look to make savings (Murchie, 2011, www.investmentmarkets.co.uk). But with garments being sold at such extreme prices it leaves you to think that someone somewhere must be paying the price. Fast, cheap fashion is something that leaves a footprint at some stage of the process. Whether in design, production, transportation, sales or waste there will be consequences. The production process and its carbon footprint need to be examined and dissected in greater detail. The design process of Primark is something that is not greatly publicised or written about but is definitely something to study further. It seems the only publicised design process that Primark takes is that of plagiarism, the company having admitted to copying designs, resulting in numerous expensive cash payouts. But what about an environmental, original approach to design? Whilst designers often

have the potential to reduce waste through better design, there is a lack of knowledge on designing for sustainability (House of Lords, 2008). With the influence Primark seems to have over the industry now, with women thinking its their right to have cheap fashion forward clothes (Jones, 2011), surely the company could instead use their considerable power as a positive, whereby women think it is their right to have ethically, environmentally friendly produced clothes. It is, however, in the arena of production where the real issues begin to arise. For factories both in and outside of the UK the reports say the same thing, namely: lowest wages in the garment industry.Nike calculates that it takes 6.6 minutes to make a shirt and at a rate of 70 cents per hour this
works out to cost Nike 8c a shirt, which is 3/10 of 1% of the retail price. (Pickup, 2007, www.ias.uwa.edu.au). With shocking statistics like this, it is easy to see that exploitation is taking place, but what I want to look at is if there is any achievable way of monitoring , or better still, eliminating such inequality. Research into alternative sustainable methods of production would be highly relevant as would determining whether these methods could be used on a mass production scale. Moreover, it is also the original source of the clothes that needs to be addressed. With the rise of cotton prices perhaps people will now start to think about the organic more sustainable alternatives. Cotton grown on 2.5% of agricultural land uses 10% of the worlds pesticides and 22.5% of insecticides (Moore, 2011, p.32). This makes you wonder why people have not switched to the alternatives sooner. The production of knitted fabric is one such example, namely the climate lifecycle fabric that: can be removed from the frame of a chair and tossed onto a compost heap, where it will naturally decompose into harmless simpler substances, its next life providing food for the biological system.(Fletcher, 2008, p.113). Being able to compost your clothes creates numerous possibilities that warrant further exploration and an examination of the alternatives already available. Another problem arising from fast, cheap fashion is that of transportation. Working locally minimises this problem. Zara for example, produces its clothes in Spain and Portugal, near to the markets of Europe, and while this adds a price premium due to labour rates, it avoids expensive stock build up and waste (Fletcher, 2008, p.141). This illustrates that local working allows you to keep things more relevant to the market you are aiming for and can also be beneficial to the companys profit margins. As

Fletcher so eloquently says, nature doesnt commute to work (2008, p.140) and this said I think there is a lot that we can learn from nature. Another aspect of fast, cheap fashion that I intend to examine is that of sales: Disposable fashion means women think far less carefully about a purchase (Jones, 2008). This leads to over consuming, over buying and too much waste. As Jones says perhaps we should buy less and love it more (2008, www.dailymail.co.uk). I also want to research consumer patterns and see if there are any recurring themes as to what the consumer wants at any given time and how that is linked to what is currently happening in society. What the consumer does once the purchase is made and how much is purchased are all relevant topics worthy of further exploration. It would also be of interest to look at Primarks main competitors and compare the differences and similarities. Finally what I want to talk about is use, waste and possible solutions. Through the research I have conducted so far there are already many sustainable and organically produced and inspired products available. However I think the designer needs to think about if and how this appeals to their target customer. Perhaps the products need a more commercial aspect. Perhaps its about creating a green identity that becomes more desirable than the competitor garments. American Apparel for example, sew their organic cotton range with green thread giving it a brand of its own. Such branding could create something of a trend that everyone wants to be a part of. It is ultimately about reassessing those famous three Rs: (reduce, reuse, recycle) and applying them to our fast paced 21st century lifestyles. Personal Statement As an up and coming fashion designer it has come to my attention that sustainable, environmentally and ethically correct clothing production is an issue that needs to be addressed by the majority rather than a specific few. We have all seen the effects of climate change so far and with the proportion of textile waste rising from 7% to 30% in 5 years (Poulter, 2008) it is something that each designer should start to take into consideration. On a personal level, sustainability has always been an interest of mine, initially starting as an obsession with being sure to turn everything off to conserve power. Now my motivation is the continual challenge of finding new ways of making a positive contribution to the environment. As a knitwear student I think this opens up an array of potential with wool being one of the few fibres that can still be grown, gathered, spun and produced within the UK. Ideas such as the Ecolog system created by German design team vauDe where everything is 100% polyester (enabling it to be recycled like any other polyester object) provide hope in this relatively recent sustainability endeavour. The idea of creating concepts such as this excites me and trying to work old and new together to create a greener future is something in which I am keen to be involved - as environmentalists keep reminding us, we all have to do our bit. Research Methodology A recent survey undertaken by ASDA revealed that consumers are shopping for wardrobe essentials rather than fast fashions (Poulter 2008, www.dailymail.co.uk). Such surveys are valuable and a series would provide a solid research foundation. During the survey period it would be useful to compare Primark to some of its competitors and perhaps the high end alternatives to see how they differ from a popularity, ethical and environmental perspective. I have subscribed to the online and magazine edition of Ethical Consumer which has already given me an intial insight into this.

From the series of photos (located at the beginning of the proposal) what is interesting is the variety, young and old, that shop at Primark. The next step would be to find out if there is a difference of opinion across the ages. In particular this research will focus on the young teenage girl, the Primark generation age bracket (11-16) who seem to frequent the store religiously and whether they have any idea of the bad habits to which they are becoming accustomed and what their actions could mean in the future. The research undertaken by Akpapas for his MA dissertation in marketing will be an invaluable tool for this as it already gives a clear implication of how the public view Primark and the impact the physicality of the shop and the clothes have on the customer. Alongside this, The Daily Mail and Independents online archives will provide a good source of information. In June 2008 it was reported that Primark has ditched three of its Indian based suppliers, after work was subcontracted to children (www.primark.co.uk). Once again through interviews of some or all of the directors of Primark and also at ABF (the business that owns Primark), it would be interesting to see where they think they stand currently in the battle against sweatshops and also from an environmental perspective. As Mary Portas commented in the 2008 documentary Primark on the Rack people dont just by one they buy lots which will always be the underlying issue with Primark. However, I did find watching the programme really insightful and I think this and other documentaries, such as the Blood Sweat and T-shirts series, will help me gain a better understanding of the workings of and issues surrounding Primark. It would also, however, be useful to talk to people on the shop floor in addition to those in charge in order to get a more intimate feel of the shop and to see how much the ideas and views of the head office filter through and what the reality of working at Primark is like. As a designer myself it would be interesting to find out more about the design process through interviews, to see whether it is a case of copying the catwalks and putting it in a different fabric or whether they do actually come up with their own concepts. From an environmental and sustainable perspective I intend to get in touch with and meet some of the designers highlighted by Kate Fletchers Fashion and Textiles Design Journeys book in order to gain a greater understanding of what it is to be sustainable and how difficult the reality is. In particular I was inspired by the modular idea of sustainability created by Adidass sports footwear service (miAdidas) that uses modular components to provide a best fit for the consumer. (Fletcher, 2008, p.145). I intend to contact the Adidas design team and see how easy this was to create, what factors they had to take into consideration and also the demand for the product so far. I will also contact the DeVau company in Germany, creators of the Ecolog system. Finally my other favourite idea that arose from this book was that of the compost clothes in the Climatex Lifecycle range designed by Designtex who will be contacted via their website. To follow up these themes and ideas the online berg fashion library will be an invaluable research tool for comparing and learning about sustainability and design issues. Continuing with the theme of sustainability using interviewing as a research tool I intend to contact Dawn Stubbs, Brand director of John Smedley to talk about her approach to sustainable design and why she feels it is so important. As a truly British company, they are an inspiration to designers looking to create fashionable yet sustainable, desirable design. Visual Images with Commentary and Analysis.

(Rabet, April 11th 2011, Oxford Street, London) Primark as a shop has become something of a cult - walking anywhere near Oxford Street it is impossible to miss that famous brown paper bag. So I set out to capture just that - a series of brown paper bag portraits showing the variety of customers that Primark attracts. From young to old, tourists to friends everyone seems to shop there. Despite the fact that our finances may at long last be looking toward a brighter future Primark continues to entice people away from the other high street brands for their cheaper alternatives. With 1 in every 10 of the British high street sales being spent at Primark it is impossible to ignore its success.

(Blood, sweat and t-shirts, 2008) It is impossible to ignore the negative press that has been connected with Primark over the last couple of years. Here a boy who is believed to be aged 12 is meticulously going over a sequin tank top to ensure that all the sequins are properly attached. Despite the boys pleasant expression it is an emotive image as western culture struggles to accept the origin of their cheap, fashionable clothes. In these very basic living conditions, they are expected to make collar/min for 20p/hour. However, an Indian worker said with regard to the child how will he eat the boy will die of hunger which shows an opposite perspective. But how will his standard of living ever improve when fast, cheap fashion is taking away the chance of a better education?

(Poulter, 2008, www.dailymail.co.uk) The above picture is becoming labelled as the Primark effect - fast, cheap fashion that cannot be recycled now contributes up to 30% of the waste in council tips. The dramatic piles of textile waste pictured are aimed to shame the viewer into hopefully taking some action to reduce waste. More worrying still is the fact highlighted by Kate Fletchers 2008 book that: 90% of the resources taken out of the ground today are becoming waste within only 3 months (p.108). It has created a generation in which fashion has never been more disposable, yet people do not seem to think of the consequences of their overconsumption. In fact, in some cases Primark clothes were considered to be highly fashionable due to their disposable nature (Akpapas, 2006/2007, p31.)

( 2008, www.portobellospy.com) As previously mentioned there is a great deal of potential for knitwear with regards to sustainability. It is not only sustainable from a resource perspective but also in the sense of local working - the implications of cutting out transportation are vast. The picture above is from a John Smedley campaign: made in Derbyshire from naturally irrigated, organic, fair trade, luxury Peruvian cotton and the whole process is powered by renewable energy (Portobellospy, 2008). As a truly British company it leads the way in fashionable sustainable design and gives those in the industry inspiration for generations to come. Brand manager Dawn Stubbs explains: sustainability is actually a part of how John Smedley thinks and works. As the picture depicts, the plain background makes this sustainable sweater the sole focus point with the peculiar positioning of the model giving the image a more high end feel.

(Fletcher, 2008, p.153)

This final picture depicts the work of designer Andrew Hague and how he has set out to tackle the challenge of sustainable fashion from step one: design - the efficient pattern cutting concept (Fletcher, 2008, p.152) is where the shirt pattern has been altered to eliminate all waste. This picture is clever in its simple delivery, as you do not expect anything more then your average functioning shirt. This concept is not dissimilar to the work of Issey Miyake with his interlocking sweater patterns that you simply tear off at your need. So it has been shown that waste can be eliminated before it gets anywhere near the bin.
Action Plan The onset of summer will be an ideal time to survey. During May I will collect and analyse the data received from the public and contact the eco-designers who I am hoping to meet. June will be spent going out and exploring the options of sustainability, hopefully meeting with various designers as well as looking to the creative industry as a whole to see what is out there. July will be spent travelling around Europe so this will provide a good opportunity to see if the Europeans opinions of Primark differ to those of the British. In August I will be home in Jersey so this will be a good opportunity to do library and internet based research with tools such as the berg fashion library and Ethical Consumer. September will be an ideal time with the onset of fashion week to interview a few more fashion forward critiques to hear their take on the Primark generation and fast cheap fashion. By the beginning of October the data collected will be ready for analysis, leaving November and December to pull it all together into the final product.