Fashion is an age-old method of reflecting who we are as individuals, while connecting us to wider social groups and
providing a sense of both individuality and belonging. Fashion is a connector, linking people across demographics,
socio-economic groups and nationalities; and an attractor, drawing people into a system of commerce. Yet, fashion
also has a complex relationship with the larger system structures of economics, ecology and society within which
it exists. It is into this stirring space at the intersection of fashion, persistent global challenges and a growing
awareness of costs and benefits, that I offer this exploration of localism as an alternative vision for the future of the
fashion sector.

While in the field of fashion, there has been, and continues to be, a reluctance to confront consumerism in the
sustainability discourse, this exploration aims to address explicitly, the social and ecological costs of consumerism,
materialism and the ‘growth logic’ that govern production and consumption practices in the contemporary fashion
sector today. It puts forth localism as an alternative vision for the futures while exploring how this paradigm might
enable human and ecological flourishing in the fashion sector. Lastly, it offers pathways to bridge the gap between
prevailing models in the sector and localism as a vision for the futures.

This project invites change-minded fashion makers and takers along this journey, with the hope that it fosters a
desire for a sector that prioritises human and ecological well-being over economic gain.