The Future of Australia's Textile, Clothing & Footwear Industry

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for designers, learning and working in the Australian industry of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear.

STRENGTHS: We have a great understanding of Australian culture, and have determination as young Australians to succeed, especially given opportunities available to us.

As Australians ourselves, we have a close connection to our country as well its values and people. We are in a tough generation of Australians who understand the threats against us and are equipped to deal with them. Australia has a growing population with two fashion cities; Melbourne and Sydney, as well as perth recently emerging into the fashion scene. These cities have different aesthetics thus increasing our options for marketing as young designers. Being brought up in Canberra, not a fashion capital by any means, gives us the determination either to be proactive in approaching cities outside of our own, or even contribute to a fashion centre here in Canberra for the future. Although production is moving offshore, this doesnt necessarily create a disadvantage for us, and even so the growing demand by consumers for australian made product should keep some manufacturers here in Australia. It also shows Australian consumers have pride in their own country, so products which were designed here in Australia should hold favour over those which aren't. Given the pride in being Australia is alive and well, we have the enthusiasm and desire to contribute to Australian fashion, which is a strong starting point. THe education we recieve teaches us to create realistic boundaries and innovate within them to create comething new, which is what i think Australians are looking for.

WEAKNESSES: The graduating:jobs available ratio, and financial security.

We are very small fish in a very very big pond. There are alot of emerging designers with equivalent qualifications graduating each year, more than what jobs there are on offer. Our distance from fashion capitals in Australia ensure it difficult for us to have consistent placements, securing a job at the completion of the degree. I, myself had the opportunity offered to me after my work placement to continue working, but given the distance and commitment to work here in Canberra i was unable to take that opportunity. So this certainly is a weakness of location, not ability. Australian living costs are high, labour costs are high, so it is exceptionally difficult financially to start or maintain a fashion business here in Australia. We also dont have the skills to do everything required in a business, so we need to employ or contract others to ensure any success, and they obviously need to be paid good wages.

OPPORTUNITIES: Australia is a free country, we are only restricted by ourselves. All problems lead us to innovation, and there is no shortage of problems at this time.

There are many areas of knowledge required for success in fashion, and our partucular degree has given us the broad knowledge to enter the industry without apprehention. We have the opportunity to innovate and produce new and exciting product for a culture bored with fashion fashion and consumption. New cultures are emerging who we can find and market to. Australia is a beautiful country for which we can draw inspiration from. Being a western nation, the freedom of choice and individual expression is a power we can have if we want it, and if we use this freedom to create opportunity we can have success.

THREATS: Economical recession, global warming, and mass-media and the brainwashing of Australian people through large companies and advertising.

We cannot control what the media tells us, as a nation vulnerable to the messages portrayed in all forms. the oppinions and vaules of Australians can be changed in an instant by a TV show, a movie, a celebrity, or a news article. As designers it is our job to understand this an obviously market in areas that dont depend on the views and oppinions of Australians, or at least be quick to understand these patterns otherwise success isnt really an option. Our economy is failing and we cannot control the amount of money consumers have and the things they chose to spend money on. There is also a lack of opportunity for further education, so if we were to try and get a job overseas then we will be competing against alot of further-specialised designers with more experience which just makes a hard industry so much harder.

China: New Directions & Fashion Centres

I think the biggest issue when refering to nations such as China is westernization and the globalisation of culture. China has clearly adapted to western ideals over the past 50 years, slowly steering away from their traditions and embracing the consumer driven, highly sexualised, homogenous culture that is the Western way. China, along with other predominantly 'Eastern' nations used to be renowned for their slow fashion, the tradition dress which changed ever so slightly over many, many, years. Unfortunately for these nations by embracing western ideals they are losing their cultural identities and traditions. Increased media communications are transforming young people into believers of western ideals by selling them a 'perfect' world, with a 'perfect' identity, resulting in a relentless power struggle between China's true historical cultural identity, and false identity fueled by increasing personal identity insecurites and in turn increasing product demand.

China has used gloablisation in a powerful way. They embraced opportunity to utilise the large population, combined this with smaller wages and taken advantage of the modern consumer driven societies of the West. They have gone global in manufacturing, sending the mass-consumerist culture in a frenzy with cheap products in large quantities and fast. They have turned their country into a dominant superpower.

On the flip side, however, by taking part in this globalisation of trade and culture they are losing their identity and confidence as a nation in terms of innovation. They have strengthened an economy by producing the products and ideals created by other nations, not by sharing their culture and ideas with the world. They lack the confidence to come up with new ideas, constantly copying international designs, ideas and innovations.

The prospect for China in the future is reliant on the rest of the world. It could go one of two ways; Either they fully embrace western ideals, or they continue to use them against us to fuel their economic development, either creating problems for China. If they embrace western ideals (which China's youth have done and will continue to do so), you must be willing to accept it as a whole, incorporating human rights, infastructure, equality for all, increasing costs, strong laws, etc. If this happens (and it has already begun), costs/prices will rise, if international demand for cheap product remains we will go elsewhere, causing China to fall. If they chose the opposite, and continue to use western ideals to fuel their economic development, in light of the current economic standing, we may not continue down this path. This consumer culture depends on China's manufacturing industry which is the backbone of China's economical development. China isnt a nation of innovation and new ideas, so they will have nothing to fall back on.

What China needs to do in the future is regenerate their national culture and identity. They need to restore confidence in their own population for innovation and new ideas, instead of copying others, adn who's to say they will be able to get away with this for much longer? China's identity as a nation is dependent on other cultures for survival, feeding off and providing for our consumerist demands. Regenerating national identity and creating their own unique image to share with the world would be an interesting new direction for China, and most likely a sustainable one.

Fast Fashion and Sustainability

Everyone knows that teh world is changing at a fast rate, out of our control as such. Sustainability methods are our only hope to turn things around. The concept of sustainability is growing year by year and strengthing in its methods and ideas. In my oppinion, sustainability will be the most important aspect of our future when it comes to product, whether it be fashion related or other. I believe that in the years to come companies will switch to sustainable methods in correlation with growing cummunication and knowledge from gloablisation. The more knowledge we have, the more likely we are to make educated choices, and the facts point toward sustainability. So i think thats where the future is, especially regarding fashion.

As young Australian designers we can approach the issue of sustainability in two ways; either become overwhelmed by it and fuel the mass consumtion market; or we can take this problem as an opportunity for innovation. I am encouraged by the second option, as the greatest innovations and ideas have come from creating change, from breaking barriers, and by taking risks. What would we create if we had so such challenges to guide our designs? And how would we compete with mass-produced labels at cheap prices andyway?

Society is always moving forward, adjusting to its surrounding environment and changing societies, and currently the focus is on sustability. It will be the focus for many years to come. Younger generations, especially generation Z, have the highest concerns about climate change and sustainability of all generations, so this is where they will also be focussed on. It is clearly the way of the future.