Convo No. 2
Dr Claudia E. Henninger is a lecturer in Fashion Marketing Management at the University of Manchester, and teaches a number of units at BSc and MSc level, in the School of Materials, relating to fashion marketing, online marketing, consumer behaviour, and sustainability. Her areas of research encompass nothing less than just about anything to to with sustainability in the fashion industry.
What is your personal relationship to sustainability & fashion?
I have been interviewed previously for a project that asked about items in my wardrobe, which made me realise that although I do have a rather large wardrobe, the majority of my clothes are five years or older. And yes, I am still wearing them! I have created what can be described a quirky style in which I mix and match all my items. I am quite an emotional person and have memories associated with a lot of different items. Do I still shop? Yes, but I am conscious of what I am buying. For me sustainability implies long-term use, loving a piece of clothing and wearing it as long as possible.
Why have I engaged with sustainability in fashion? I'm passionate about it! I find it interesting to see how organisations define it, what people think about sustainability and whether or not changes can be made. It is a fascinating topic that is current, engaging and has the potential to have an impact.
Working together with the team has provided an opportunity to gain even more of an insight into sustainability, really digging in deep and exploring all avenues associated with sustainability.
Your area of research is very broad, how do you and your team go about it to make your work and impact more tangible?
First of all sustainability and the fashion industry as a topic is really fascinating and can be looked at from a variety of angles. Although you talk about the same term, ‘sustainability’, it can have a variety of meanings and link to different parts of the supply chain from the raw materials to the actual consumption processes.
As a team we're currently exploring interdisciplinary topics of sustainability and see how these overlap and what can be done to make them more accessible. Just a brief intro to the team:
Dr Celina Jones is a textile technology expert – key questions Celina is investigating in her research concern raw materials, dying processes, and structures of textiles.
Dr Helen McCormick is a technology and retail specialist – her focus is mainly on where sustainability fits within the 21st century and the omni-channel experience. Dr Rosy Boardman is an eye tracking and retail expert – her key concern is on website design and how sustainability can be effectively communicated.
I, Dr Claudia Henninger, am a sustainability and corporate marketing specialist and interested in what organisations do to foster sustainability across their supply chain and more specifically how this is portrayed in their identity.
Together we work on projects that encompass all our areas of expertise and make a real life impact!
Any interesting findings to share?
The most interesting thing about sustainability and fashion is that it is different for different people, depending on their background, their culture, and their upbringing. What is ‘normal’ for some is an exceptional act for others. One of our favourite quotes from a cross cultural investigation is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This really highlights that sustainability is not that easy to understand, it may by an intuition, but not the same for everyone.
An interesting trend is that the retail environment has changed. Looking at our high streets – it has seen a revamp… vintage, secondhand, and charity shops become an every day occurrence in the UK, what may have been an exception to the rule at one point is becoming the norm. It will be interesting to see what is going to happen in the next 3-5 years taking all aspects of the environment into account, especially the massive push towards more circular processes.
Do you consider yourself an optimist or pessimist when it comes to the current and future state of the fashion industry?
This is difficult. I like to think of myself as an optimist, as I strongly believe that there is always a chance that people and organisations can change. At the end of the day it has to be a joined effort to make sustainability happen. Yet, it is vital to have a healthy portion of pessimism, as not everything that glitters is gold and/or feasible.
Any tips/advice for people who want to contribute to making fashion more sustainable?
Any change, no matter how small or big is a change that can have an impact. Believe in what you do and be passionate about it and things will turn around.
