The awareness of the environmental and social harm of the fashion industry is growing. We can see more and more brands talking about their sustainability efforts and sales of second hand growing. However, we can still ask ourselves if we are not missing one important and fundamental perspective? What about our health and wellbeing? Since mental illness are increasing worldwide with a 13% increase the last five years in conditions and substance use disorder (WHO). You might wonder what fashion got to do with it but doesn’t human wellbeing go and in hand with planetary wellbeing? Don’t we make better choices when it comes to the products we consume if we don’t feel better ourselves? Can fashion harm our health and therefor making us agents of more difficult? We asked Alyssa Couture the founder of Healthy Fashion Campaign and author of Healthy Fashion: The Deeper Truths, on the subject.

Hi Alyssa, can you please tell us what made you start writing the book Healthy Fashion?

I wrote my new book Healthy Fashion: The Deeper Truths because naturally being an optimistic person, I noticed a general emptiness and a lack of spirit and health in fashion. It inspired me to write a book about modern, fresh fashion for the new age.

I have worked in the fashion industry for 15 + years in several fashion roles like fashion retail management, styling, fashion design, fashion show production, and visual merchandising. These diverse opportunities provided me the advantage to write about fashion from the many angles of my diverse fashion experience. Additionally, I attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA, in the US, majoring in fashion design.

Over the years of working in fashion as a professional, and by thorough research and knowledge, I have created interesting new concepts on fashion that are creative, philosophical, and factual. I wanted to share them in a book. I thought it would be perfect to write a book on fashion for health and wellness because the topic is not common in fashion literature.

Your book is different from many other books about sustainability in the fashion industry, what would you say separates your book?

Healthy Fashion is all about fashion for human health and environmental health. A large part of the book is about sustainable fashion. Yet, because most of the book talks about fashion for health, and fashion and the 5 bodies: fashion concerning the physical body, mental body, emotional body, energy body, and spiritual body– this is what separates the book and makes it different.

Healthy Fashion is a timely testament to what we need for the new paradigm of living holistically. Its concepts make fashion communicate and transcend an unhealthy condition. Everyone wants more ways to improve their health. Ill persons with pain that’s minor to severe may take aid. Heart disease and cancer are the number one killer. There’s scientific proof that fashion can aid the heart, and purify the body– with the ability to contribute to more comfort, and ease, and promote a healthy body and mind.

In your book you talk a lot about natural materials, plant-based and so on as better for our health while synthetic is not, why is that so? From an environmental perspective a second hand polyester top could still for example be the option with the least carbon emissions and use of natural resources from a single purchase.

I agree with you. Synthetic materials can be, and are, considered sustainable. We do have to create more textile machinery to advance the sustainable plant-based textile industry– for it to grow. We have to look at how polyester is affecting our bodies and the health of the planet. It may not be natural to take oil/fossil fuels from the Earth to use as an apparel textile. It may be causing a problem for the Earth.

Additionally, most synthetic fabrics are the cause of fast fashion. Synthetic fabrics and non-recycled synthetic fabrics are cheap and quick to produce. We are collecting more and more garments because of this. If we had a predominantly plant-based wardrobe, most people would most likely have a smaller wardrobe. It may cost more to purchase plant-based garments, yet it is quality and longer-lasting. We also have a plant/human connection, when we wear plant-based fabrics. The plant fiber’s PH level supports the health of the skin and body.

Fossil fuel is a natural resource, but it is creating a vicious cycle of reproduction. Even when recycled, the material is not biodegradable, and the landfills are causing harsh toxic fumes from the synthetic materials that take hundreds of years to decay. To a degree, these harsh fumes are also emanating off the garments when worn.

I still wear synthetic materials, but most of my first-layer garments are fabrics that are less than 15% synthetic. I do have coats, bags, and shoes that are synthetic or made from a synthetic/plant fiber blend. I am not 100% plant-based. Yet there is a reason why I don’t like to wear most synthetic materials. Most are not ergonomic and most are uncomfortable to wear. The synthetic material is slightly acidic due to the ingredients that make polyester, acrylic, and acetate, and because of its lack of breathability. Acrylic, for example, some acrylic garments smell like fumes. Studies have said acrylic fabric may be carcinogenic.

In your book you also talk about what role fashion plays regarding how we view ourselves, this topic is seldom viewed as part of the discussion in sustainability. What power do fashion and clothes truly have over our wellbeing and in our culture?

Before I answer your question– I agree with you that this topic is seldom viewed in sustainability. I do have a background in eco-fashion and sustainable fashion. A large part of the book and my work talks about sustainable and eco-fashion. I had a small handmade eco-fashion brand in 2015, and a news/media site several years ago, and also had a small eco-fashion blog. A lot of my work involves sustainable fashion because there is not a specific trend in fashion for health and wellness. However, the trend is gradually happening worldwide. I do consider my work to be a part of the sustainable, ethical, eco, slow, zero-waste, thrift, and plant-based fashion movements.

In regards to your question, I talk about universal fashion, fashion and the archetypes, and fashion identity. I believe that there are a lot of fashion stereotypes in the industry that make fashion negative and superficial. For example, if we were to use fashion with the Jungian Archetypes we would honor and respect our dress and others' dress more.

I think the power of clothing can help people’s mental health. Mental health in relation to fashion creates a deeper foundation and connection to fashion. Healthy Fashion contributes significantly to the health and welfare of people socially and ethically. It has a strong element of universal appeal that reflects the global impact that is not geared to the local population, or a specific country of origin.

As technology continues, universal symbolism becomes paramount. The fashion industry is very conscious of universal appeal, considering its fashion capitals are spread worldwide.

You mentioning the term healing fashion, where certain clothes might actually improve our health in several ways. What is that and how come it is not more widespread?

Healthy fashion is: fashion as modern medicine and as a health practice. The concepts listed below are a few of the several concepts of fashion that I talk about in my book, and how they can improve human health in several ways.

The major fashion concepts that I have written about:

The power of plant-tech fashion: the future of fashion is plant-based.

Fashion for health: the 5 bodies– mental, emotional physical, energetic, and spiritual fashion.

Medicinal and therapeutic fashion for complete comfort and freedom for daily wear.

Ergonomic design: ergonomic fashion is the key factor for fashion designed for the body.

Fashion gone rogue: unhealthy fashion for useful discernment.

Going global: establishing fashion equilibrium on a worldwide scale.

Stereotype fashion vs. archetype fashion: evolved fashion perceptions– a new take on fashion identification and fashion perception.

Plant-based fabric glossary: plant-tech fabrics for the future.

In every industry there is a lot of toxicity and negativity. I believe that every industry has to become more advanced and developed like the fashion industry.

That is a good question, “How come it is not widespread?” It is partly not widespread because it is a new approach to fashion even though it is an ancient practice. For example, the Samurai warriors would dye their undergarments with indigo dye to treat their wounds. Healthy fashion is a trend and it is growing. For example, the athleisure and activewear apparel companies are some of the largest trends. These fashion markets healthily support the body. Additionally, several companies are introducing ‘medicinal’ fabrics like Tencel treated with zinc and seaweed fiber, or fabrics treated with ingredients like aloe, neem, and vitamins. These cosmetic fabrics and their botanical treatments are healthy for the skin and body.

Thank you again Alyssa for bringing a new and different perspective on fashion with you book! How can our readers get it and do you have any final words you would like to share?

Thank you very much for the opportunity to share my story. I love your modern company ‘The Sustainable Closet’ and your mission. You share so much important insight, information, and content.

In regards to where readers can get a copy of Healthy Fashion: The Deeper Truths, it is available to order in most bookstores. I know there are two main chain bookstores in Sweden that you can order the book from, and for those that live in Scandinavia.

Sweden

E-books

United States

United Kingdom