By Camila Alonso
There is no beauty without truth, and there is no truth without transparency.
- Carry Sommers
In Chile, the 1960s were the "golden age" of the national textile industry; in fact, this sector accounted for 17.9% of the country's industrial activity and covered 97% of national needs in 1968.
However, the national industry was affected by massive imports and free trade agreements with Asia, which ended up considerably diminishing it in relation to foreign competition (BCN, 2019).
Today, the situation is very different; almost 93% of clothing is manufactured in Asian, European, or neighboring Latin American countries, making Chile the country with the highest per capita clothing consumption in South America, increasing the average from 13 to 50 new garments per year (ICEX, 2019).
But how do these changes in the way fashion is produced affect sustainability?
A clear and visible example is our Atacama Desert covered in discarded clothing, which has been gracing the world's front pages for months. It has become a reflection of a large-scale, disposable industry that produces products without regard for their environmental and social impact.
Could “local” be the path to more responsible fashion?
For years, the quest to do things differently has forged a path of activism; therefore, movements like Slow Fashion were born with the intention of slowing the pace of the fashion industry, promoting small- and medium-scale productions using environmentally responsible materials and integrating "local" as part of a more responsible fashion approach.
Local production would have the advantage of significantly reducing costs and the carbon footprint associated with transporting garments from one end of the world to the other. It would also boost a region's economy, fostering the development of its identity and cultural diversity; designing with its own techniques and, if possible, using local materials would generate income for producers and artisans.
In Chile, more and more brands are seeking to create a more conscious and distinctive fashion; this market is emerging strongly as an alternative to retail.
That's why these garments, known as zero-mile garments, make it possible to increase the development of the local economy and significantly reduce the distance our clothes travel before being sold; and of course, reduce the environmental costs associated with the distribution of these garments. However, while they are more sustainable than a garment that is "Made in Chile," this doesn't necessarily make them sustainable, but rather is associated with fair and ethical work.
Streamlining production processes would not only help garments travel less, but also, by having a shorter value chain, facilitate direct work with suppliers, allowing for monitoring compliance with environmental and labor regulations. This would highlight the conditions under which the people behind the garments' production work.
It's like when a coffee shop opens in the neighborhood; we usually know the owners and the people who work there; bonds of trust are formed between the customers and those behind the project.
That's precisely the great advantage of local products: the power of visibility. The processes and names of those who made a garment possible are never hidden. What better way to meet the designer or artisan who made your clothes than by getting to know them!
Understanding this, producing locally gives us two great benefits:
By being designed and produced locally, they promote understanding and monitoring of processes from the source, facilitating traceability . This also increases transparency , allowing brands to communicate better with their consumers, providing them with more accurate information.
Now, can it be produced in Chile?
Although only vestiges of a national textile industry remain, we could still speak of localization at the regional level. For example: designing in Chile, sourcing materials from Peru, and manufacturing again here. This type of practice is known as nearshoring , moving certain processes to nearby countries that generally share borders.
Or even, in the face of material shortages, address a local issue, like our desert once faced. Use those tons of unused textiles as raw materials for local production. Adding cultural value to the design and contributing to a distinctive identity.
These types of practices should be reflected in honest labeling, where the term "sustainable fashion" is not misused, as achieving a 100% sustainable garment is very difficult.
Choosing local is the first step toward giving new meaning to our consumption and transforming it into a better and safer practice. So, for your next purchase, opt for local products, always prioritizing the quality of the garments, ethical production, and the low environmental impact of the materials. Your choice will define the future.
Sources:
The Evolution of the Textile Industry in Chile, BCN, Sofía Calvo Foxley, 2019 - https://obtienearchivo.bcn.cl/obtienearchivo?id=repositorio/10221/27906/1/Evolucion_de_la_industria_textil_en_Chile.pdf
The fashion market in Chile, ICEX, 2019 - https://www.paiscircular.cl/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EstudioICEX.pdf