Poppy Gregson

This a multimedia project exploring the increasingly important topic of fast fashion and consumerism and the resultant and lasting effects on the environment and climate change. This project reflects on the ‘presumed’ ignorance of the fashion industry as a whole; predominantly the fast fashion companies who invest in greenwashing as a strategy to make themselves look better within the eyes of the public. 

In this work, I explore and cover many different routes of the environmental effects of the industry including forest fires, polluted waters, soil degradation and textile waste in overfilled landfills, as well as the many causes of said issues including the rise of social media and pop culture. This project attempts to ‘poke fun’ at the lamentable and laughable ignorance of the fashion companies whilst also covering the important issues that are affecting all of us. 

Accompanying the studio images and digital and physical experimentations, are texts and quotes from statistical environmental documents and quotes from climate change activist Greta Thunberg.

Presented as variable size prints and as a zine, this piece is immersive and engaging whilst also being informative and serious, contributing to the debate on and about climate crisis and the environment.

We are continually distracted by the ‘beauty’ of fashion, trending and trends, driven alongside social media and media publications; when in reality we are faced with an impending environmental disaster aided and abetted by fast fashion, that in a few years can no longer be reversible.

“We are facing a climate crisis, and the effects are already being felt all across the world. From unprecedented heat waves to deadly flash floods, rising sea levels to biodiversity loss, it is clear that climate change is not a future threat, but a present reality.” -Fashion Revolution