At a recent event, a well-wisher introduced me to someone who mentioned that Metaphor Racha is all about "slow fashion." I stood there grinning awkwardly, realizing I had no real grasp of the term. After recovering from the encounter, I turned to Google for answers. The definition I found described slow fashion as producing high-quality products, promoting a clean environment, and ensuring fairness to both consumers and producers.
But as I reflected on this, I couldn't help but wonder: shouldn't this be the normal way of working? Why is it labelled as "slow"? Is "slow" always the opposite of "fast"? Can we normalize these positive work ethics in our industry?
Questioning the Terminology
Consider this: does any farmer grow their cotton slowly and intentionally? If I travel by train instead of flying, does that make me a slow traveller? While "slow" might be associated with laziness, loitering, or boredom in many aspects of life, "slow" is admirable, commendable, ethical, and honourable in fashion.
Design houses are often expected to churn out two dozen looks per season and four collections a year for the runway—spring, summer, autumn, winter, prêt, lounge, festive, resort, cruise, pre-fall, etc. In this context, what part of the work is truly slow? When business growth is equated with fast, cheap, and efficient production, do slow fashion brands want to sell their products slowly?
Understanding Fast Fashion
While my understanding of fast fashion may be vague, I see it as the actions of a CEO, akin to a hamster on a wheel, who has studied kinematics and understands speed well. They focus on tinkering with machines and pressuring human labourers to maximize output in the least time and cost. They often disregard ecological issues, upselling cheap products with false narratives to consumers to accelerate their company's growth.
The Normal Way
The rest of us aren't "slow"—we're normal. Those who make products that last, take the time to understand and appreciate culture, collaborate with craftspeople respectfully, and bring dignity and living wages to reality don't have a specific label. We are considered "concepts" because paying attention to our true selves in a fast-paced world is an alien concept.
Metaphor Racha's Approach
At Metaphor Racha, we are neither fast nor slow. We work at a pace representing our craftspeople's best efficiency most effectively. We believe "slow fashion" is about being intentional and mindful in every aspect of our work. It's about creating a product that lasts, honours the culture, and respects the craftspeople behind it.
"In a world of haste, let's normalize the beauty in the deliberate, the thoughtful, and the carefully crafted."
