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 represented 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 reducing it considerably in relation to foreign competition (BCN, 2019).
Today the panorama is very different; almost 93% is manufactured in Asian, European or neighboring Latin American countries; making Chile the country that consumes the most clothing per capita in South America, going from 13 to 50 new garments per year on average (ICEX, 2019).
But, how do these changes in the way of producing fashion influence sustainability?
A clear and visible example is our Atacama Desert covered in unused clothing, which for months has made headlines around the world. Becoming a reflection of a large-scale, disposable industry that produces products regardless of the environmental and social impact it generates.
Could "Local" be the path to a more responsible fashion?
For years the search to do things differently has been forging a path of activism; For this reason, movements such as Slow Fashion are born with the intention of slowing down the pace of the fashion industry, promoting low or medium scale productions, with environmentally responsible materials and where it integrates "local" as part of the proposal to a more responsible fashion.
A closer production would have the advantages of considerably reducing costs and the carbon footprint associated with the transfer of garments from one end of the world to another. In addition to promoting the strengthening of the economy of a region, promoting the development of its identity and cultural diversity; designing with their own techniques and, if possible, using local materials, generating sources of income for producers and artisans.
In Chile there are more and more brands that seek to create a more conscious and differentiating fashion; market that is strongly emerging as an alternative to retail.
That is why these garments, called zero kilometer, make it possible to increase the development of the local economy and considerably reduce the distance that our clothes travel before being sold; and of course reduce the environmental costs associated with the distribution of these garments; but although it is more sustainable than a garment this "Made in Chile", it does not necessarily make it sustainable but is associated with fair and ethical work.
Bringing production processes closer together would not only help garments travel less, but since their value chain is a shorter circuit, it facilitates direct work with suppliers, being able to monitor compliance with environmental and labor regulations. Leaving in evidence the conditions in which the people behind the making of clothes work.
It's like when a cafeteria opens in the neighborhood, we usually know its owners and those who work there; Bonds of trust are formed between the consumer and those behind the project.
That is precisely the great advantage of the local, the power of visibility. Neither the processes nor the names of those who made a garment possible are hidden. What better than meeting the designer or craftsman who made your clothes!
Understanding this, producing local gives us 2 great benefits:
Being designed and produced nearby, they promote knowledge and monitoring of processes from their origin, facilitating their traceability . And at the same time, transparency , because brands can have better communication 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 indeed speak of a local one at a regional level. For example: Designing in Chile, obtaining materials from Peru and making again here. This type of practice can be known as nearshoring , transferring certain processes to nearby countries, where they generally share borders.
Or even, before the scarcity of materials, take a local problem, such as that of our desert in an opportunity. Use those tons of disused textiles as raw material to produce locally. Giving a cultural value to the design, and contributing to a differentiating identity.
These kinds of practices should be reflected in honest labeling, where the term "sustainable fashion" is not misused; since getting a 100% sustainable garment is very difficult.
Prefer local is the first step to give a new meaning to our consumption and transform it into a better and safer practice. So in your next purchase, opt for the national industry, always prioritizing the quality of the garments, ethical production and the low environmental impact of the materials. Your decision 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
