MA Design Studies (MADS) student, Katie Hart has recently launched an initiative set to investigate the relationship between consumer behavior and over-consumption. Through the online lab, Curb Your Consumption, Hart shares her research and ideas, bringing together resources, news, events, and links on the subject.
Her final project explores patterns of consumption within the UK. Along the way, Hart hopes to “work with a diverse range of consumers to:
- Educate and communicate the problems with over-consumption of fashion products in the UK
- Understand what consumers need in order to actually change their behaviour (i.e. labelling, information pack, seminars etc)
- Contribute to a grassroots movement of positive change in consumer behaviour” (Hart, About Me)
Here are some of the exciting things happening over on her site:
Hart has created a large visual artifact that illustrates “the problem with fashion overconsumption, and the global torment we are creating with this excessive spending” (Hart, About My Project). She will also be conducting a series of workshops. If you are interested in participating, be sure to contact her. Her book, titled Buy Now. Pay Later – today’s treasure is tomorrow’s trash, will soon be available on her site, and she is currently working on what she calls “bite-size learning materials” on the following topics:
- Fibres and Fabrics – taking the microscope to our clothes
- The hands that touch our fashion – a journey into the histories of our garments
- Fast Fashion – the issues
- Recycling/Reuse – what to do with your clothes when they are worn out
If you would like to learn more, be sure to follow Hart on her journey toward solutions for sustainable consumption and learn how you can ‘curb’ your consumption habits.
***Will you be in London the first week of December? Her work will be on display at the MA Design Studies Final Exhibition, Applied Imagination – Bringing Method to the Madness at T2 Truman Brewery – from 4th – 8th December 2009.
Here are some images of her work via the online lab:
For more images, visit Curb Your Consumption.
MADS is a graduate program offered through Central Saint Martins. For more information on the program, click here.
Mary has a PhD in Sociology from University of Edinburgh, researching responsible fashion and transnational labour rights activism in the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh.
