This study abroad opportunity has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We have traveled and learned about so many different and fascinating things. But this week, we learned all about sustainability in fashion. This included looking at fabrics at Esquilino market and visiting Coloriage, which is a store that is a human rights project. Esquilino Market had so many fabrics that immigrants can purchase and have traditional clothing custom made or regular clothing custom made. At Coloriage, they hire refugees and use sustainable fabrics to make clothes and accessories. They will then sell the products in their store where you can see the tailors at work.  

We also went to the Mercatino Usato Roma, a vintage market. It was so much fun and similar to a flea market and thrift store but so much more, and some items sold were really cheap. Learning all about sustainable fashion has opened my eyes to how to better shop for clothes that are both wonderful for the environment and support local economies. I look forward to looking more into ways to be sustainable both with food and fashion. 

Going into the vintage market also showed a sustainable side to fashion as it showed the continuous circle that clothes can take. This process isn’t just for clothes but for other items as well.  It is safe to say that those clothes and other things are being saved from landfills in another country. I am seeing ways to incorporate sustainability into my clothes. The whole discussion reminded me of something I experienced while in Madagascar. My family and I saw a lot of clothes that may be considered out of date or trash being worn or sold on the streets.  This connects with what I have seen in Italy as it shows that clothes don’t always have a good cycle whenever it comes to being trashed. This is important wherever I buy clothes and even donate clothes as I need to remember what I have learned about being sustainable in the art of fashion. 

Olivia Stanwick