Author Archives: theblondesophisticate

SUSTAINABILITY  D E F I N E D  ///  If I had said I understood ‘sustainability’ four months ago, then I would have been a very foolish young lady. Why yes, I grew up being fed by my vegetarian hippie … Continue reading →

Product Service Systems (PSS) is an emerging business concept in the sustainable design industry, which combines the business of selling products with a relatable service–it’s the idea of a one-shop-stop. After reading about PSS in Sustainable Product Service Systems: The New … Continue reading →

The only concept I could identify with “sustainable design” at the beginning of this course was recycling. It turns out that, not only are there billions of other sustainable concepts related to design, but also, I didn’t actually understand recycling. … Continue reading →

In both of this week’s readings, my eyes were opened to how much influence the designer has on sustainable practices in the apparel industry. In Closing the Loops in Commerce: Running a Business like a Redwood Forest, two lessons were … Continue reading →

According to Fuad-Luke, design activism is “design thinking, imagination and practice applied knowingly and unknowingly to create a counter narrative aimed at generating and balancing positive social, institutional, environmental and/or economic change.” While this is an accurate definition of the … Continue reading →

Transforming Fashion Systems has a chapter that focuses primarily on human needs and how we satisfy them. Not only am I studying Apparel Merchandising, which requires me to keep up with trends, but also I have always had an interest … Continue reading →

I Love this Dress, It Makes Me Feel Beautiful! Empathic Knowledge in Sustainable Design is a study about sustainable product relationships with an eye on textiles and clothing. According to the authors, there are “seven determinants of product attachments can … Continue reading →

Recycling has become a popular concept in our society. Cities are implementing trashcans specific for recyclable products, incentives for recycling, and, of course, penalties for littering. We can take this concept to a personal level in our wardrobes—re-fashioning, so to … Continue reading →

Last week I wrote about how our economy does not have enough material resources to support our demanding and unrealistic way of living. Our unsustainable use of resources is causing more problems than just shortages; it is causing global warming … Continue reading →

“Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.” This expression is applicable to all aspects of life and is used frequently in our world today; however, it doesn’t always seem to be that anything is ACTUALLY possible, as … Continue reading →