By Luis Miranda
"To the extent that we understand that moving toward sustainability is an exercise that must be done in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner, we will be able to move forward."
I'd say Sofía Calvo hardly needs an introduction. Anyone who follows the local fashion scene knows Sofía's vital importance to the development of our nascent industry, her tireless work in promoting the work of Chilean and Latin American designers, and her dedication to always contributing from a constructive perspective. This journalist by profession is the author of Quintatrends.com , one of the longest-running fashion sites in Chile and Latin America, a university professor, and the author of four books where fashion is the main theme.
This interview is about her fourth book , "Cambiar el Verbo." The text, recently released under the auspices of Ril Editores, is a "Journey through the hidden side of our clothes," as its cover states; a work in which Sofía gives us concrete recommendations on how to make our relationship with clothing more sustainable, minimizing the environmental and social impact of an industry that has long done so much harm to the planet. “The truth is, I hadn't considered writing a book on these topics, but in June of last year, I was invited to participate in the training of the Climate Reality Project, which is the foundation of Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States and a pioneer in discussing the climate emergency. In that process, I realized it was necessary, that I couldn't just sit idly by and wait for someone else to come up with something to do. I decided to develop a text in a clear, engaging, and accessible language that encouraged action, didn't pontificate, and provided concrete tools. The process of writing and gathering material took about six months. It wasn't planned, unlike the other books. I was literally motivated by the climate emergency and by the training and motivation provided by Al Gore and his team.”
You've already addressed the topic of sustainability in fashion on your website and in previous books. When did this theme resonate with you, and when did your activism on the subject begin? Would you say it's the main issue you're interested in promoting today?
My interest in environmental issues dates back to childhood. Living in a country house with a farm in front, where nature was part of everyday life, not an add-on, left a lasting mark on me. I also come from a family deeply committed to various political and social causes. My father was a lawyer and served in the Vicariate of Hope. On my maternal side, I have a family with a long political tradition. There's something running through my blood that makes the world hurt, physically. That pain compels me to commit to social causes, to crusades that speak to me. It's the only way to quell the feeling I feel when I see injustice in every sphere.
When I started getting into fashion, I did so through a Latin American lens. Unlike other women who have gotten involved in fashion because of their interest in clothing in general, I've always been interested in the phenomenon of what the industry communicates, and my approach was local, creating with a concept rooted in the territory. Inevitably, this makes you think about where you stand and the environment and ecosystem in which you're researching these topics.
I'd say that in 2010 or 2011, when Greenpeace's "Detox" campaign began, I became truly aware of the environmental impact of fashion. I had an intuition that told me things weren't adding up; there were signs that the marvel—well, in quotes—of the "democratization of fashion" had two sides. Greenpeace showed me this with the campaign I mentioned and everything that began to emerge from there in terms of research in the field of environmental and social sustainability. That made it more meaningful for me to be involved in the fashion world, because from an aesthetic perspective, I have no contribution to make; I'm not a designer, I have zero manual skills. My contribution has to do with the ways of communicating, with how you empower yourself by understanding your reality and making style a political act.
Has that initial motivation for Latin American fashion been surpassed today by the theme of sustainability as the main topic you address?
I believe this approach to sustainability in all its aspects—from the environmental, social, and economic perspectives—is the cross-cutting approach to everything I do, and Latin America undoubtedly intersects there. I'm not speaking from the air, but from the territory where I stand, and which I truly believe can be a pioneer in these matters; precisely because we still have pristine nature and there is Latin American potential in terms of nature, communities, trades, and indigenous peoples, who have knowledge that contributes to the construction of a new fashion paradigm. For me, Latin American fashion will always be a foundation, but with a focus permeated by a focus on sustainability.
In the book, you point out that there are fashion brands and companies that misuse terms associated with sustainability. In your assessment, why do they do this: out of ignorance or deliberately, with a hidden agenda? How serious do you think this practice is?
This may sound naive, but I believe that in most cases there is no bad faith. I want to believe it's not bad faith, but ignorance; a somewhat desperate need to get in tune with the social discourse, with the issues that are the mainstay of the citizen agenda, of states and international organizations. This helter-skelter attempt to get in tune leads them to make these mistakes, because they simply acquire the concept, but don't understand what's behind it, they don't process what it means for the business model, for the strategy. All of this stems from ignorance and haste.
This process has been quite dizzying, and although these concepts have been announced for some time by agencies like WGSN, we know how the business world works; not all have the vision to effectively transform or create their company from a more committed perspective. Obviously, there are some who do so in bad faith, because they know they have no commitment to what they say they're doing in terms of sustainability. They continue to violate human rights, continue to produce a brutal environmental impact despite the climate emergency, but they communicate that they're doing great, that they have sustainable lines, etc., etc.
The problem with using the wrong terms is that not only do they prevent the structural changes needed within the industry from occurring, but they also confuse people. I believe that's the most serious aspect, because consumers are willing to buy clothing that is moving toward sustainability—there are studies that say so—but they have no idea what that means, where it's purchased, what its attributes are, what to consider and what not to. There's a lost opportunity for everyone to bring about the necessary changes and transformations.
“Fashion will be sustainable or it won't exist” is one of the quotes I highlighted in your book. How realistic is that premise, considering the need for a paradigm shift and business model change? How long do you think it will take to achieve a largely sustainable industry?
We are indeed at a global turning point, which requires us to make substantial changes in every area of our development if we want to survive. It's that tough. From that perspective, the fashion industry needs to make a paradigm shift, otherwise it will run out of resources. Without resources and energy, there's no way to create new products, and therefore, there's no business. I assure you, many brands began to integrate sustainable aspects under the premise that they would run out of business. The phrase is super ambitious, but if you don't set goals, it's cheating, it's not moving the needle, and it's pointless.
The UN's 2030 Agenda aims for that year, but we're in 2022, and it would be naive to think that in eight years we'll have a largely sustainable industry. I don't dare to predict a specific timeframe, but if we analyze the projections in terms of countries' carbon neutrality, I would hope that by 2060 we could have an industry that, at the very least, uses only clean energy. That's possible. I insist, this isn't just about changing technologies and materials, but also about transforming our ways of relating to clothing and understanding that buying and selling can't be the dominant verbs in the equation.
Who is better prepared for this transition: fashion suppliers or demanders?
Fashion consumers are increasingly willing to listen, which puts them in a very good position to begin taking action. But since the challenge of sustainability isn't individual, it can't be addressed solely by us as consumer citizens; it must be addressed by the ecosystem as a whole. I believe there is—at the national level and in terms of retail—a real, and not just for the sake of it, commitment to making a transformation. Sometimes, this commitment is somewhat lost in the language, in the form of communication, in the ways of implementing it, but there is a real, and not cynical, willingness to make transformations. The point is that we gain nothing by making transformations at the local level; this has to be a global change, and I believe that pressure from the citizens themselves The industry is producing this turning point. However, I believe what's missing now are legislative changes that begin to put the stumbling block on these industries, because all the analysis being done internationally points to changes in the regulatory frameworks within which the fashion system operates. In Europe, we're already seeing stricter regulations, starting with the Green Deal, for example.
What negative side effects do you foresee this paradigm shift could have, for example, in a sub-industry like fashion production and photography, which works based on planned obsolescence and will see its work diminished if there are no defined seasons?
Just as is happening with the process of automation and robotization of the labor market, what we need to do in this regard is start thinking about ways to use human resources to communicate these new forms and paradigms, because—even if there aren't defined collections or seasons—clothing that is repaired, personalized, or super-recycled, or exchanged, must be displayed. This requires a visual code that exists in the sector; it requires human capital specialized in this field. This human capital doesn't have to wait for the wave to crash in its face; it has to begin preparing and understanding how important it is to communicate these new forms and products. This will pose a challenge in terms of aesthetics, visual codes, perspectives, and reinventing itself within the framework of this new paradigm. Furthermore, the fashion industry is increasingly challenged to showcase its services and products on different platforms, which represents an exercise in creativity. There are many job options, but these opportunities won't be traditional or typical and will require different types of skills, qualifications, and abilities, but they're there. Those who connect with these new realities will do very well.
As you observe in your book and as evidenced by actual events, the vast majority of those who advocate for sustainability in fashion are women. Why do you think this phenomenon occurs?
It has to do with several factors. First, the fact that many of us have realized that the fashion industry, from its production chain, is dominated by women. Around 80% of the people working in the garment industry are women. This already explains why so much abuse occurs. If you look at it from a historical perspective, it is women who bring up issues related to poor working conditions. We also have to recognize the symbolic violence that fashion has exerted on us, through impossible hegemonic references, forcing us to have certain bodies we cannot achieve, and generating a series of situations that violate our self-perception and even our human rights. This has made many of us realize that this industry needs to be addressed, and that not just anyone can do it. Those of us who want to stop being objects and start being subjects must lead it. We want to show the industry that things can be done differently, because we also have a sense of the territory: we are the first to be hit hardest by the harsh effects of climate change. In many countries, women are responsible for fetching water for their communities. We are generally responsible for providing food for our families, so there is an awareness of nature and its resources. These different variables and their understanding have made us want to commit to making transformations.
Finally, who has the greater responsibility for developing sustainable brands: a small designer or brand that can control the vertical integration of its business, or a large fashion company that has the human and financial resources to audit its processes?
We all have responsibilities. I wouldn't dare say who has more or less. A local brand, as you rightly say, has a greater chance of controlling certain aspects of its value chain, but it doesn't necessarily have the resources to make those processes economically sustainable, so it can grow as a brand and sustain itself over time. On the other hand, large brands undoubtedly have a tremendous responsibility, because to the extent that they invest money in research and development and begin to produce on a larger scale with certain materials or operate with clean energy, what they do is lower prices and allow smaller designers to access more sustainable, lower-impact materials by incorporating them into their production and supply chains. Everyone here has a responsibility, to varying degrees, I would say, but if each one doesn't assume their own, things don't work. This is a mechanism, an ecosystem. To the extent that we understand that moving toward sustainability is an exercise that must be done interdisciplinarily and collaboratively, we will be able to move forward.