Entering the last week for this class I have caught myself reflecting way more than I expected about the subjects addressed in class. I have always thought my sustainability journey had started way back in the past. Throughout my entire academic life, sustainability was always a topic most of my professor brought up during discussion sections. In school we were required to not to use non-sustainable materials –Styrofoam as an example- for our projects, because of the impacts, it has in the environment. The same for plastic bags; was always reinforced to use cloth or paper bags because was biodegradable. After Leyla’s Ted Talk, I notice we do not think about the process of these objects, we just think how we will disposal those already manufactured, and not what it took from nature for this item to be created.

As we read in the Fashion & Sustainability, in a world where our values are connected with materialism and consumerism, the human’s environmental responsibility was forgotten once financial growth became more important. Items are being produced to be replaced in less than one year, and the vitality of this products just boost the necessity of more production on no long-lasting products- feeding this endless cycle. As for a solution, the text approaches the idea to design with humility, with less impact on the planet during its production, use, and disposal.

Maybe our indifference with nature might be the result of not being attached to it anymore. Living in urbanized areas, made us forget we are part of a system that we depend on not only physically, but cognitively. That why I believe on the importance of Biophilic Design. We already know that “bringing nature inside” benefits in stress reduction, emotions, and cognitive performance. Applying biophilic patterns in our surroundings can help us reconnect with the environment and, hopefully, becoming more aware, and ultimately, more sustainable.