[BC Trips] Research Journal #16 - Amsterdam

Fashion For Good is the world's first fashion museum. The purpose of the museum is to change visitors' thoughts about fashion knowledge and behavior. Here, they focus on fashion and innovation and give visitors a variety of ways to understand. When I asked the people working in the museum how the best way is to go around the exhibition, we were told to go around in this order: basement floor → 2nd floor → 1st floor so we took their advise.

On the basement floor, you will be able to understand the modern fashion business; you can learn how clothes are produced and how they reach us, the consumers. Here you can see how the T-shirts are made. (see photos below)

After that, we went to the second floor and where they exhibit many examples of fashion innovation that are changing the current situation. Here you can see examples of people and companies that are innovating through the keywords "sustainability" and "circular economy". Various cases were introduced, such as a company that manufactures clothes from mushrooms, and a company that develops clothes traceability using an app. （See photos below)

Finally, on the first floor, there is a museum shop called The Good Shop, where clothes from the world's sustainable fashion brands are actually displayed and available for purchase. It is said that the clothes are changed once every few months, so you can enjoy the space even if you've been there before. (see photos below)

There are interactive systems on each floor which is very interesting; I have never seen a museum like this! I was impressed, and at the same time, witnessed the sinful parts of fashion too. You can see how the visitors' feelings have changed with the papers that can be filled on the basement floor. The question is "My Good Fashion Commitment"; reading some of these comments can be very heart-warming and also a chance to reconsider your actions . (see photos below)

We couldn't participate because we didn't schedule this time, but we need to make a reservation in advance, but we also have workshops.

    

The fashion industry is stuck in the old pattern of ‘take-make-waste’, which causes devastating environmental impacts, not to mention huge economic losses. According to researches, on average, we buy 60% more clothing than we did 15 years ago, but we keep each item only half as long. It is also estimated that nearly 60% of all clothing produced ends up being burned or in landfills within one year of being made.

"Who made my clothes made?"

The purpose of Fashion For Good is for people to know the story behind the clothes so that both consumers and producers can think about what actions they can take. The mission at Fashion for Good is to bring together the entire fashion ecosystem through the Innovation Platform. They believe that the fashion industry can transform from the linear ‘take-make-waste’ model to a circular Good Fashion approach that is restorative and regenerative by design.