Sustainable Elegance: The Role of Green Aesthetics in the Fashion Industry

Giulia Maieli

doi:10.6092/issn.2611-0563/21917

Authors

Giulia Maieli Independent Researcher

She holds a Bachelor's degree in European, Euro-American and Oriental Languages and Cultures from the University of Catania and a Master's degree in Communication and Media Cultures from the University of Turin, both awarded with highest honors. Her interest in fashion and visual communication led her to write her Master’s thesis, Beyond Fashion: Bodies and Identities in the Posthuman Era, which was awarded publication honors. She completed a Master’s program in Fashion and Luxury Management at Radar Academy. Since 2022, she has been working as a freelance consecutive interpreter, translating between English and Italian.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2611-0563/21917

Keywords:

Green Aesthetics, Sustainability, Fashion, Biomaterial, Natural Dyes

Abstract

In an era of unprecedented technological change and fast-paced consumerism, we are witnessing a renewed appreciation for nature’s beauty, influencing aesthetic paradigms. Although Kantian and Burkean notions of the sublime historically framed nature as separate from human experience, contemporary challenges have led to a different consideration of this relationship. Movements like Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts pioneered organic designs in objects, clothes, wallpapers, and upholstery of every kind. Today, climate crisis and the environmental impact of the fashion industry — which ranks as the world’s seventh most polluting industry — demand designers to find sustainable solutions, such as the use of innovative biomaterials and natural dyes (derived from plants, insects or minerals), reducing pollution and waste. A green aesthetic represents more than a simple choice of style: it embodies a call for a more responsible future, where beauty is about living in harmony with the environment we live in. This study explores the significant impact that a green(er) aesthetics has on the fashion industry, thus reflecting a broader movement towards sustainability that encompasses sustainable innovations in designs, materials, and communication.

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Sustainable Elegance: The Role of Green Aesthetics in the Fashion Industry

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