Sustainability in the Modern Age of Aesthetics

The research for this project began with searching WGSN for a recent trend, of which I found “horticool” within the Womenswear Forecast A/W 22/23: Rerooted Nature future product forecast. The imagery associated with this forecast inspired me to create a mood board filled with natural colors and greens from nature, along with their place in the modern world. “Horticool” is all about making cottage core, which “idealized an aspirational lifestyle” more obtainable and accessible (Sara Maggioni, 2021). Society is becoming more and more interested in the ideas surrounding sustainability, as it has become a necessary part of living in the modern age. As sustainability popularizes, so do methods of making it aesthetically appealing. In this trend forecast, we see lots of natural tones and textiles, combined with imagery inspired by nature.

One image from WGSN that particularly resonated with me was Nicholas Party’s Portrait with Mushrooms, which is on the mood board for this forecast. The mix of modern with nature is done impeccably by Party, as he uses natural tones in combination with hard edges and color blocking, which are not seen often in nature. This combination of modernity and nature is what I look to convey in this project, as sustainability becomes more influential in this contemporary world. In a world focused on image and how we portray ourselves, as issues arise, we look for new ways to glamorize them. With advancements in research on the fashion industry’s impact on climate change, we see more reason to change our way of life. Whether that be the textile industry’s overuse of water, excessive carbon emissions, or the million tons of plastic microfibers that are dumped in the ocean annually, we are slowly becoming more aware of the impact our clothes have on the environment (The World Bank, 2019). As the world becomes more interested in sustainability and climate change reversal, we see the interest in clothing following those beliefs peak as well.