Clothing Consciousness: Discovering Fashion Beneath the Surface with ​‘Satisfashion”

In the multi-faceted realm of style where identity, self-awareness, aura and emotion merge, ​“Satisfashion” by Marleen Beevers is a gentle guide for all who seek more than beauty in their sartorial choices. If you’ve ever looked beyond the fabric, yearned for a coherent wardrobe, or pondered on the deeper implications of your clothing choices, this is a read tailored for you.

Distinctly setting itself apart, ​“Satisfashion” offers an introspective journey that takes its cues from within, navigating the psyche’s interplay with fashion and offering a holistic approach to personal style. Adding depth to this exploration is the valuable involvement of Niki De Schryver, founder and CEO of COSH!. Lending her voice as a philosophy ambassador, Niki offers her profound insights, weaving in her unique perspective on the deeper essence and meaning of fashion and clothing. Together, Marleen, Niki and other impactful voices invite you to embark on a transformative experience where elegance meets essence and fashion becomes a reflection of your inner being. Discover ​“Satisfashion”, where style meets substance. Delve into Niki’s take below.

We have often heard the phrase, ​“You reap what you sow”, reminding us that all our actions have consequences that ultimately form our habits, and this has become apparent in how we engage with consumer goods. 

Our self-labelling as consumers is a troubling reflection of our approach to language, denouncing ourselves as nothing more than a Pacman-like being whose incessant hunger cannot be stilled. The soil, the mycelium, the microbial beings, raindrops and plants that are part of an intricate process in deriving living plant fibres, travelling to skilled hands and inter-generational wisdom and traditions that paint and dye, weave, knit and sew have become less relevant, overshadowed by the importance of high productivity, consumption and low costs.

Let’s inject our clothing with regenerative energy reflecting our innate desire to reunite with the natural world. We can choose to give financial priority to those projects that allow us to step into the light and out of the darkness, away from the destructive spirit of the fast fashion industry. We each have the power to vote with our wallets and pave the way for a future where our planet and societies thrive. I am a strong believer in purchasing power. Money is a return for the energy we have put into someone or something else. What we do with our energy is entirely up to us. Do we feed the darkness, or do we fuel the light? Do we banish that radiance and keep everything to ourselves? 

I spend what I have on products and companies working towards a systemic shift. Mindful consumption is coupled with costs that reflect the energy and time that was invested and should replace our society’s desire to score deals on products we often don’t need. We must change the narrative, consume less and proudly purchase goods whose prices reflect their true cost. That way, we can nurture those working so hard to create consumables and invest in regenerating our depleted landscapes and cultures.

We do not just purchase goods but engage in various social constructs and relationships such as with the coexisting mycelium, cultural traditions, craftsmanship, hours of labour and ultimately, the values and ethics embodied in these actions. Ironically, fast fashion has brought us back full circle but with a 21^st-century twist, back to clothing being nothing more than a disposable, practical product, with the novelty waning off once the box is unpacked, eventually ending in a toxic landfill, reminding us for centuries that it is made of the earth’s blood.

This is why natural fibres can be a regenerative force, ensuring planetary and animal health, if grown and cultivated in a way that is not extractive and depleting but instead circular. Organic hemp is an ideal plant with many benefits for humans and the planet. Hemp requires little to no water and no pesticides when planted in high density, is highly climate adaptive, and is the ideal plant for crop rotation. Its long roots protect the soil from erosion and leaching, rejuvenating the earth by capturing sequestering carbon. In addition, its biodegradable fibres are exceptionally durable and breathable. If cultivated and processed locally in a manner that puts the planet’s and people’s health at the centre, it could catalyse a far more sustainable fashion industry.

Linen, derived from the flax plant, is another example that, if widely cultivated, has regenerative properties and health benefits. For over 10,000 years, humankind has produced and harvested flax, and it is high time sustainably grown linen with its antibacterial characteristics becomes a wardrobe staple. The flax plant grows densely and requires far less water than cotton, little to no weeding and no pesticides. Flax is an ideal cover and rotational crop, and the processing of its fibrous materials can be a low-energy-intensive process that works in tune with mother nature. Dew retting, a procedure that removes the woody plant matter protecting and providing nutrients to the plant, is a common method in Northern and Western European countries. The heavy, nightly dewfalls and warm daytime temperatures provide the perfect conditions for microorganisms and bacteria to break down the pectins and separate the fibres for further processing. The time this takes depends on the weather, and it is a truly magical process that reconnects us to the web of life we so often forget we are a part of.

Although cotton has faced harsh criticism, branding it as an unsustainable fabric in recent years because of its high pesticide and water dependency, this stigma results from its present form of cultivation, harvesting and processing. Organically grown cotton has risen for the 5^th consecutive year, a positive development that makes me hopeful for a gradual systemic shift. With long-term investments, organic cotton can completely reshape the fashion and textile industry. Another benefit is its circular nature. Cotton can easily be reclaimed and reused, making the fashion industry less dependent on virgin cotton fibre. By favouring place-based knowledge and indigenous practices over external inputs and pesticides, fields and ecosystems could be regenerated while safeguarding harvesters and those processing the fibres.

Continuing on our natural fibre journey brings us to the topic of livestock that we depend on for our woollen and leather fibres. In our globalised world, our production hubs for all types of textiles ranging from cotton to wool have been highly centralised, causing a dangerous homogeneity in livestock breeds, unsustainable economies of scale and hyper-efficiency overriding diversity, craftsmanship and the health of both people and animals. By collaborating with shepherds and herders, whose indigenous wisdom will forever remain unmatched in ingenuity by machines, we could avoid a plethora of detrimental effects. Land depletion, deforestation, mass-scale animal suffering, unnecessary carbon emissions through long-distance transport, and cultural impoverishment could all be avoided. Just as cotton can be regenerated, so can wool. Developing and widely implementing the circular technologies already at our disposal could catapult us towards a flourishing doughnut economy faster than we thought possible.

We are at the threshold of what could be a new era. We have the tools and knowledge to implement and scale regenerative and sustainable practices globally. These no longer have to remain niche and small-scale efforts. It is just a matter of readjusting priorities and shifting investments to initiatives that see the earth as a giant and complex organism rather than a resource and commodity. If implemented with care and responsibility, technology can be a driving force for good, shining a light on all those craftsmen, women, and entrepreneurs creating socially relevant and engaging products that aren’t based on extraction but instead regenerate our planet and repair our cognitive dissonance. We can venture back into our cities, engaging with local shopkeepers, freeing ourselves of our dependency on convenience, and reforming our neighbourhoods into the safe havens we long for. We can move away from being consumers and return to our roles as active citizens, nurturing ourselves and our communities and making a tangible difference.

“Satisfashion” resembles the intricate dance between psychology and the ensembles you adorn, exploring the profound impact of attire on your psyche, sentiments, and actions. Fusing Western empirical insights with the profound depths of Eastern philosophy, this fashion journey illuminates the path to a transcendent, timeless style. Purchase the book (in Dutch only) here.

Register to attend the book launch here!