As we rethink our relationship with fashion, a big part of the evolution involves considering the many features of a piece of clothing beyond how it looks. The future of fashion requires us to shift our thinking from wanting quantity, to valuing quality. From needing it fast, to slowing down. From buying into trends that fade, to buying garments that last. To achieve all of this, to rewire the way we think about fashion and to change the way we consume it, we must rethink design.

Before we can understand how design interacts with sustainability, let’s get clear on what we mean when we talk about design. We often think of design as narrowly concerned with form—how something looks. And yet, the definition of design accounts for more. As a noun, a design is defined as, “a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a…garment…before it is built or made.” 1 As a verb, designing refers to, “the purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.” [2] So, while design is concerned with form, it’s also concerned with function, with purpose, and with intention. Ah ha! We’ve always known there’s more to great design than meets eye.
*Fast fashion: designed to toss
*Design for the extra mile
*User-centered design
*The future