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On Wednesday, I tried to make an Instagram Reel. It took me about 3 hours - not including the whole getting-dressed-doing-makeup-brushing-hair thing which I have become allergic to during lockdown. The Reel is currently sitting in my drafts because my god, it’s probably the funniest thing I’ve ever watched, and it’s not intended to be a comedy.
For some reason, despite literally working as a professional digital marketer, I cannot make videos to save my life (flashback to nearly failing the fashion film module at uni). In the supersonic transition towards a video-only future of #content, I feel like I’m destined to be left behind. The same happened when eye-catching infographics became the norm on Instagram and those with graphic design talent won out with viral posts and skyrocketing followers. I’ve even been thinking back to when ‘flatlays’ were every blogger’s dream, leaving those without photographic skills (hiya) with no audience for their words.
Ultimately, I feel overwhelmed by just how many different ways we need to ‘show up online’ now just to be heard, although of course I signed up for this system when I pursued my line of work. But in this world of ‘slow fashion’, the content moves so fast I can barely catch my breath, or unclench my jaw. We all rejoice in the idea of slowing down and getting back to nature while chastising ourselves for not posting enough stories today. We shout loud and proud about ethical values on Instagram, funding the advertising revenue for arguably one of the least ethical companies of all. More and more each day, I am baffled by the hypocrisy of what we do and how we do it, but unlike many who have rightly jumped ship like ethical fashion journalist Tansy Hoskins, I continue to feed the machine. Maybe it’s time to finally bite the bullet and watch The Social Dilemma.
Back to Reels, which if you aren’t aware is simply Instagram’s answer to TikTok - short, snappy videos set to music - specifically I’m talking about the format of a singular person (usually white, female, slim, pretty) who is dancing, wearing one or more outfits, with overlaid text which floats around them. The text offers up short, summarised information on huge, complex issues like intersectional feminism, capitalism, structural racism, reproductive health, eating disorders, political corruption, modern slavery - you name it. Initially, my gut reaction was just like those Google search results up top - annoying, awful, cringe. Why am I watching a teenager dance in their bedroom about such a vast and nuanced topic that requires many years of exploring from experts and active participants in the field? Why has Instagram convinced me that I should put on a nice outfit and do a little jig so that people will give the time of day to basic human rights for garment workers, or the fashion industry’s catastrophic destruction of biodiversity? Why has the algorithm forced us to centre ourselves, and our looks, in conversations about issues so much bigger than us?
The problem is, it works. Attention spans are shrinking, and bitesize content is the most effective way to reach people. Perhaps some viewers think ‘tick, that’s everything there is to know about this topic from the individual viewpoint of a single content creator, job done!’ but I would argue that if the Reel is engaging enough, the vast majority will take in the information, and use it for further reading, learning, unlearning and understanding in the long-term. As explored in the Earth Logic action plan, and discussed extensively in a brilliant Earth Logic workshop I took part in yesterday, learning must take many forms in our future fashion landscape, not just reading a dusty textbook in a classroom. Learning about the climate crisis and fashion’s impact upon it must be accessible to a vast population far beyond the higher education system, and while not explicitly mentioned, social media plays a vital role in this just transition.
Essentially, access to a formal education (or a background that enables understanding of academic text) on sustainability, system change and social justice is a privilege, and to dismiss colourful graphics or 15 second dance videos is to deny essential and accessible information to a mainstream audience. After all, blogging was always dismissed as frivolous, egocentric and unintelligent, but it’s formed the careers of many a serious sustainability communicator, myself included. I’m grateful to Leah Thomas, founder of the brilliant Intersectional Environmentalist platform for speaking up about this, and helping me to unlearn my own initial reaction to this type of content too.
Here are some recent reels that I have really loved, if not for their format (the jury is still out for this tech boomer) but for their informed and insightful content, as always:
All the reels that my podcast co-host and maximalist style queen Alice Cruickshank has been making!
Newsflash
The top ethical fashion headlines to catch up on
An Extinction Rebellion protester crashed the Dior show, LVMH boss thought it was part of the collection (see: #humansoflatecapitalism)
Here’s what it takes for fashion brands to be considered sustainable
New report shows what consumers really think about sustainability
Three women of color changing the narrative on sustainable fashion
Podcast lineup
New episodes to fill your ears with conscious conversation
The Yikes Podcast is back with some brilliant new episodes! I was lucky enough to finally meet Jo (one of its hosts) for coffee last week, and I’m just so impressed with what her and Mikaela have built through these insightful conversations.
Aja Barber features on the lastest Growing up with gal-dem episode about inclusivity and accountability. Also, gal-dem’s content is just fascinating at the moment - read this for insight on anti-racism and Scottish Independence.
I forgot how much I liked Fashion No Filter. Their new back-to-school episode is a great chat about where fashion is heading.
Series two of Common Threads is happening! Give us a follow on Instagram to be the first to know when our next episode is released (it’s going to be a belter).
How to be an IRL influencer
Earlier this month, I got to speak to 15 of my favourite sustainable influencers for an article on new content site Waste Free World. I asked each of them for their top tips on influencing sustainable fashion behaviour amongst friends and family, outside of the Instagram echo chamber. Read it here!
Sustainable fashion *action* of the month
Usually I share my sustainable fashion brand of the month here, but my ever-growing discomfort with my position as someone who too often encourages consumption-based solutions to fast fashion (rather than system-based solutions) means I need to switch it up a bit. I still love small, local, independent, inclusive, ethical brands and makers, and will continue to support them in my content and in my own consumption. But for this little slice of the internet, it’s time to focus on myself and my readers as citizens, not consumers.
So this month, I would love it if you could take this <1 minute action: sign the new #PayUpFashion petition. It goes beyond the baseline demands for brands to pay garment workers for Covid-19 cancelled orders, also holding brands accountable to keeping workers safe, end starvation wages and more on a long-term basis. Simply fill in your name and email, and the platform will send a call-to-action email to dozens of badly behaving brands on your behalf.
Thanks for reading!
See you next month (or sooner if you become a subscriber).
Ruth x
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