Within the last decade, it has become increasingly apparent that the effects of climate change are getting harder and harder to ignore. This fact has led to increased interest in sustainability and an increased pressure from consumers to have these ideals implemented into a variety of global industries. The fashion industry, in particular, has been facing this pressure toward the desire for sustainable products is the fashion industry. Over the last five years, sustainability has become a main focus within the fashion industry. Countless brands now include sustainability within their marketing tactics and a variety of fashion organizations release reports on the unsustainable practices that currently dominate fashion production. These misleading marketing tactics and enigmatic intensive reports lead to confusion on what sustainable fashion actually looks like for both consumers and suppliers alike.<br/> This report attempts to help tackle this problem by using sustainable fashion certifications as a tactic to prove sustainability within business procedures. To compare eight of the most common fashion certifications, this paper assumes a systems thinking approach to creating an assessment framework, which is then applied to said certifications. To back up the importance of the topic, this paper presents key points of the current issues related to this case, which then contribute to the integration of basic sustainability assessment criteria and case-specific factors into overarching core criteria. The application of this framework is utilized to determine which certifications cover certain aspects of the curated core criteria. This is then used to present consumers and manufacturers with a more accurate understanding of each of these certifications. This information is then followed up with a recommendation of certifications that align most within researched-based consumer and supplier desires.

This creative is established in the field of business, with an emphasis on fashion, art, and<br/>the creation of a body-positive exhibit. Using qualitative research from experts on fashion<br/>curation, we seek to create, curate and pitch a fashion exhibit. Using the information we gather<br/>from experts from two different museums, we will create a new age exhibit that pushes the<br/>boundaries of fashion as art through our theme of body positivity.

This creative project examines identity, autonomy, and social hierarchy by manipulating the traditions and iconography of female figural painting. Female identity and autonomy is often marked by a tense relationship between the self and the body. Socially acceptable self-expression of one's behavior, body, and desires is strictly regulated within a set of often paradoxical parameters that repress abject, 'animal' behaviors. This series of three paintings reacts to this culture of restraint and repression by exposing the body to nature once more, finding catharsis in annihilation and the destruction of boundaries between the Self and the Other. The human body is depicted as a host for animal life cycles, exploring the duality of creating and supporting life while simultaneously being destroyed. Animals that embody socially unacceptable behaviors are brought crashing back into the human form, reuniting the idealized, contrived female figure with an expressive, imperfect nature and sense of self. Hybridized animal-human relationships in the paintings break down the falsely hierarchical distinction between 'humans' and 'animals' that distances and privileges humanity from that which is considered primitive. By releasing the human body to the uncomplicated consumptive and reproductive forces of ‘trash’ animals in these paintings, the work challenges how the worth of existence is socially defined, instead affirming that all life has some inherent value distinct from its transactional worth to society at large. This celebration of the grotesque shakes off repressive social constructs, offering a unique form of catharsis and agency.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 drastically altered what was once accepted as reality. As society shifted to an online universe, causing rampant isolation, the world faced many uncertainties. This dramatic transformation affected every global industry and because fashion and culture are intertwined, the industry became a direct reflection of the new social climate. This ASU Barrett Creative Project explores the current direction in fashion and identifies two contrasting cultural aesthetics that arose from the 2020 pandemic. Through ample research surrounding various topics such as generational escapism, mental health as it relates to the pandemic, increased psychedelic use, fashion technology advancements, the metaverse and non-fungible tokens in fashion, and the current political and social environment, I identified and named two separate fashion blanket trends: Kaleido and Chernobyl. Photographic evidence from Vogue Runway and the latest fashion seasons were included as support for these predictions. Inspired by Fashion Snoops, a prominent fashion trend forecasting agency, I created a trend packet, including a mood board, pattern and color palette, cultural influences, key items, and a fashion buyer’s checklist for both trends. Finally, I reported on my findings when researching Pinterest Predicts, a resource for creative businesses to predict trends, which identified three specific fashion trends, deemed Athflow, Cocoon Swoon, and Up Clothes and Personal, and I circled back to how it relates to both Kaleido and Chernobyl. Reminiscent of pandemic-induced escapism, 3D-printing in fashion, the metaverse, and a worldwide psychedelic awakening, Kaleido features many avatar-like garments with an otherworldly flair, complete with funky abstract knitwear, bold prints, eye-catching cutouts and textures. Leading brands reflecting Kaleido are Chet Lo, AVAVAV Firenze, and Marco Garro. Finally, Chernobyl has a direct correlation with the cultural annihilation 2020 left in its wake, voicing the civil distress that continues to echo universally suggesting an uncontrollable warfare on a preexisting reality. Characterized by deconstructionism, distressing, layering, and an emphasis on outerwear, the dark dystopian expression of “Apocalyptic Chic” is conveyed. Leading brands within this trend are Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and independent label, Kepler London. Additionally, a permanently altered post-pandemic society saw stretchier, more casual outfits taking over the average wardrobe. As a result, designers within this new fashion season brainstormed new ways to transition from loungewear and leggings back into elevated fashion. Knitwear became the preferred method to achieve this progression and thus, the era of presentable and editorial athleisure began. In conclusion, the current course of fashion is boundary-pushing, innovative, and culturally reflective, featuring a multitude of innovative layering and patchwork, as well as interesting takes on silhouettes and pattern contrast. Elevated knitwear has a prominent place within new collections as the world transitions from working at home and living in athleisure to rediscovering the outside world. Because of the direct connection between fashion and culture, the newest outputs in fashion are either reminiscent of a dismal post-apocalyptic future, or “Chernobyl”, or appear to have arrived from a different, more optimistic dimension, or “Kaleido”.

The 70s in the UK were a time of social unrest that turned many youth onto an attitude of rebellion. In stark contrast with the love ethos of the 60s, the 70s economic downturn left many outraged and with the need to express their dismay. This “anti” attitude would bleed into many aspects of culture like the emerging fashion of the decade. Youth subcultures were a place for young adults to find solidarity. Punk trends including leather, safety pins, distressed clothing and denim. The Sex Pistols rocked the music industry leading way for other like The Clash and Joy Division to join the scene. With records such as ‘God Save the Queen’, the Pistols cemented the new culture movement as politicized. As the decade continued Punk became more intensified; becoming its own subculture of both street style and high couture.