Volcom: Not So Fast, Fashion.

Do you know how your clothes are made? Or where? And here’s a better question… why should you care?

I keep hearing about “fast fashion” – and maybe you have, too. In a nutshell, it’s kind of like fast food – quick, cheap, and makes your mouth water – but choosing it has lasting implications that leave you a bit queasy.

Loosely defined, fast fashion is trendy, cheap clothing that moves quickly from runway to retailer – in a way that’s not sustainable. The apparel industry, and especially fast fashion, is an impactful business: dangerous chemical emissions, water consumption, and unsafe labor.

“The choices you make in what you buy and wear have a ripple effect on people around the world,” says Derek Sabori, founder of Kozm designs and teacher of apparel industry sustainability at Orange Coast College.

“Educating yourself on what you’re buying informs your choices,” Derek says. And once you know it, you can’t unknow it.

I recently got schooled on sustainable design, right here at OCC in Costa Mesa.

I’m at the premiere of Farm to Yarn, a new documentary film about local apparel company Volcom’s program of using certified, traceable organic cotton with partner CottonConnect.

Volcom chose to screen the film for the first time at OCC for its Fashion Design students, in part because OCC launched a new sustainable-design certificate program in Fall of 2018.

This focus on sustainable design is unique, says Lauren Becker, Fashion Department Program Coordinator. There is no other community college offering a similar program.

Lauren tells me the idea of a sustainability certificate first came up a few years ago. “It is definitely the direction the industry is moving, and as educators, we want to make sure we are teaching to the jobs of the future.”

“Students going into the workplace need to know about sustainable design,” says Derek. “This is where the industry is going. It’s crucial for designers to understand where it all starts.”

Volcom’s Farm To Yarn Presentation at the Orange Coast College Planetarium in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The three-class program includes Apparel Industry Sustainability: The Environment, Ethical Business Practices & The Law, Sustainability & Responsibility in Fashion Design, Manufacturing and Branding, and Research & Development for Apparel Industry Sustainability.

By taking all three courses, students will deep dive into the impacts of the apparel manufacturing business, and – through case studies and field trips – participate in the development of a brand that is ethical and sustainable.

It’s quite an attractive opportunity for future designers.

Sure, it’s trendy to talk about sustainability. But some local brands, like Volcom, are walking the talk and investing in sustainable practices that conserve vital resources.

Also at the screening of Farm to Yarn are Ryan Immegart, Chief Marketing Officer of Volcom, and Big Tony Alvarez, Volcom Vice President of Supply Chain, featured in the documentary.

“Being environmentally responsible costs money,” says Big Tony. Sustainability is difficult for big brands to do. Volcom believes it’s a part of their brand identity, so they are willing to absorb the extra costs of sustainable production.

The implications of Volcom’s initiative with CottonConnect is way beyond fashion. They are teaching farmers how to work with organic seed, natural pest control and organic fertilizer – and how to employ better business practices – which has transformed the community.

Volcom and Orange Coast College: Making A Positive Impact On The Future Of Sustainable Fashion.

The Farm To Yarn short film shows how this new process has impacted lives in India. It’s well-received in the theater full of OCC Fashion students. A lively panel discussion afterward encourages students to consider what they can do to help the cause.

After the presentation, I follow Derek, Lauren, and the others, outside for an informal Q& A session with the students. Several want to know more about sustainability certification.

Nearby I overhear a student approach Derek. She says she’s new to Coast and can’t wait to hear more about the program. She wants to be part of it.

Michelle Craner, Fashion Merchandising Instructor, helped put this event together. She reiterates the importance of educating future designers on how design can be sustainable.

“Students come in with so little knowledge about sustainability. Most are using fast fashion and they don’t even know what it is.”

“It’s easy to be out of sight, out of mind,” says Ryan Immegart. “Most people don’t know how to approach – or even think about – sustainability. But it’s okay to take baby steps. Make one small commitment at a time.”

And here, Derek chimes in again: “Knowledge is power. Once you know, you want to get involved.”

As new fashion design graduates enter the industry, OCC educators are doing their best to ensure students are as passionate about sustainability as they are about good design. It’s a forward-thinking model of production to which we can all hold fast. ♥

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For more about fast fashion, check out Derek Sabori on our podcast, or read about how local retailer SEED People’s Market is putting slow fashion, first. Watch the short film Farm to Yarn here, and apply or register to take a sustainable design course at OCC here.