Examining climate change and sustainable/fast fashion in the 21st century: 'Trash the Runway' - Oxford Academic Journals
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Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, 1(1): kgab003
doi: 10.1093/oxfclm/kgab003
Research Article
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Examining climate change and sustainable/fast
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fashion in the 21st century: ‘Trash the Runway’
1,
Maxwell Boykoff *, Patrick Chandler2, Presley Church3 and Beth Osnes4
1
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies Program, University of
Colorado Boulder, UCB 397, Boulder, CO 80309, USA, 2Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado
Boulder, UCB 397, Boulder, CO 80309, USA, 3Inside the Greenhouse, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 397,
Boulder, CO 80309, USA, 4Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Colorado Boulder, UCB 261, Boulder,
CO 80309-0261, USA
*Correspondence address. Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies Program, University of Colorado Boulder,
UCB 397, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. E-mail: boykoff@colorado.edu
ABSTRACT
We interrogate fast fashion in the 21st century in the context of a changing climate, assessing emergent trends in sustain-
able fashion as an alternative consumption pathway through the annual ‘Trash the Runway’ event in Boulder, Colorado. In
this research, we interviewed and surveyed designers and analyzed workshop activities that led up to their annual fashion
show. We also interviewed and surveyed students at the University of Colorado who worked with designers to produce
short films about them and their work. The project centers on decolonial practice by providing —who are often marginal-
ized in decision-making processes—a stage to articulate policy and behavior changes to address climate change and
sustainability. We found designers expressed reticence before the workshops and events to speak about climate change in
everyday life, yet their design work creatively spoke powerfully for them, and they expressed less discomfort after the
experience, while they advanced their skillset as climate communicators. Moreover, we found both designers and student
partners reported that they think climate change will impact people greatly in the future. Also, while comparatively fewer
respondents reported that climate change impacts them personally, our findings showed those noting personal impacts
nearly doubled after participation in the sustainable fashion project. Although engagement with sustainable fashion helps
to defetishize production processes and link consumption habits with awareness of climate and environmental change,
more creative work should be done through fast- and sustainable-fashion endeavors to draw out spatial and temporal
considerations of climate change threats here and now.
Key words: climate change; sustainability; fashion; environment; decolonial practice.
INTRODUCTION industry’s emissions are on the rise as people buy – and discard – their
‘When you shop for new clothes, you’re probably not thinking about clothes more frequently. The problem is made worse by the rise of fast
the climate. But making apparel creates carbon pollution, and the fashion – clothes that are cheap to make and cheap to buy.’—Stephanie
Submitted 17 December 2020. Received (in revised form): 2 March 2021. Accepted: 4 March 2021
C The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.
V
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),
which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
1
2 | Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, Vol. 1, No. 1
Manuzak (https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/07/carbon-emis In terms of the garments themselves, studies of life cycle
sions-from-the-fashion-industry-are-on-the-rise/) emissions have found that a quintessential cotton tee-shirt
(based on 50 washes) contributes 35% of carbon dioxide (CO2)
Traces of what we recognize as commercial fashion trends
emissions through the manufacturing phase and 52% through
date back to 14th-century European cultures, but the industrial
the use phase [18]. Moreover, the fashion industry now produ-
revolution of the 18th century fueled an increase in the pace
ces twice the volume of clothing than it did in 2000 [19]. With
and scale of change [1]. Along with these tenets of increased
the use life of collared shirts, woven pants and tee-shirts esti-
consumption and more entrenched consumer capitalism came
mated at 3–3.5 years [20], this has led to surges in the amounts
environmental impacts, among many reverberations. In the
of textiles that have gone into landfills in the past two decades
late 19th century, there was a superstition about making French
[21, 22].
stage costumes in green, as green dye was highly poisonous be-
Together, the past decade and past years have seen
cause it was created using arsenic [2]. In the early 20th century,
increased engagement in the intersections of sustainability,
asbestos was being proposed as a high-fashion material for
fashion and fad. In this larger context, the ‘Trash the Runway –
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clothing and radioactive radium was being built into timepieces
Recycled Couture’ (https://www.shopcommonthreads.com/
so they would glow in the dark [3]. In other words, environmen- trash-the-runway)project began in Boulder, Colorado in 2009.
tal impacts from fashion choices were not prioritized in this Formerly known as ‘Recycled Runway’ (until 2018), ‘Trash the
time. The sped-up and compartmentalized hyperconsumption Runway’ (TTR) is an annual independent study workshop and
of today’s fashion landscape has been dubbed ‘fast fashion’ [4]. capstone fashion show for young designers (ages 11–18).
Fast fashion refers to inexpensive clothing that is produced and Through this research, we analyze the work of TTR from 2017 to
turned over rapidly by mass-market producers and retailers in 2019 as well as the processes associated with their collaboration
response to fast-changing trends. Nowadays, fast fashion typi- with the ‘Inside the Greenhouse’ (ITG) project at The University
cally runs on a multiseason calendar, producing new lines mul- of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder). (‘Inside the Greenhouse’) is an
tiple times a year rather than two seasons (Spring/Summer and interdisciplinary, evidence-driven and action-oriented project
Fall/Winter) that comprised previous fashion traditions. In addi- that began in 2012. ITG draws its name from an acknowledge-
tion to its nod to quick turnovers in clothing lines [5], Joy et al. ment that, to varying degrees, everyone is implicated in, part of,
[6] have noted that ‘fast fashion helps sate deeply held desires and responsible for greenhouse gas emissions into the atmo-
among young consumers in the industrialized world for luxury sphere. Through the development and experimentation with
fashion, even as it embodies unsustainability’. creative modes of communication, participants in ITG treat this
In the 21st century, the fashion industry has been found to ‘greenhouse’ as a living laboratory, an intentional place for
be responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- growing new ideas and evaluating possibilities to confront cli-
sions [7]. Approximately 20 new garments are made for each mate change. Through commitments to meet people where
person every year on this planet [8] and fashion purchases have they are on climate change, the ITG project draws upon stu-
increased 60% since 2000 [9]. As Lucy Siegle puts it, ‘if the gar- dents’ strengths and perspectives to consider the complexity of
ment business were a nation, it would be the fourth largest climate change in new ways. ITG seeks to build competence,
climate polluter on Earth’ [10]. confidence and capacity of undergraduate and graduate stu-
Fashion industry impacts extend beyond emissions and dents as emergent communicators and leaders in the new mil-
climate change (In this research, we invoked ‘climate change’ lennium. As such, this project has sought to create cultures of
and ‘global warming’ interchangeably as it is often used synon- participation and productive collaboration among students, in-
ymously in colloquial discussions. Nonetheless, we do under- terfacing with the larger community and world in retelling the
stand scientific distinctions here where global warming is stories of climate change and to become meaningful and sus-
focused on temperature increases and climate change involves taining content producers. In doing so, ITG offers direct links be-
other changes such as sea level rise, precipitation changes, tween the natural and social sciences and arts to communicate,
ocean ice extent, etc. over time [11]. We also approached it in imagine and work toward a more resilient and sustainable fu-
this way so that a part of our survey instrument would be con- ture.) In so doing, we interrogate the intersecting pressures of
sistent with ‘Six Americas’ or ‘Climate Change in the American fast fashion, climate change and sustainability in the 21st cen-
Mind’ survey instruments [12].) to other associated environ- tury through creative communications and engagement strate-
mental concerns. For example, 200 tons of water is required to gies (Fig. 2).
produce 1 ton of cotton textiles and petrochemicals used in pro-
duction contribute significantly to ocean microplastics pollution BACKGROUND
[13]. Long supply chains and labor demands—from farming to
transportation to garment production to retail staff—place fur- ‘We really don’t have long now to change things. But I honestly believe
ther demands on climate and the environment [14] (Fig. 1). it’s doable – I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t believe that’ Stella
Manufacturing largely takes place in the Global South—such as McCartney [23]
Honduras, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Indonesia—while de- There are many intersecting challenges regarding unsus-
sign and consumption largely take place in the Global North tainable consumption in the 21st century, including unsustain-
[15]. These are effectively ‘hidden costs’ of fast fashion retail able consumption in fashion. Over the past decade—and
[16]. Through various adaptive strategies encased in the logics particularly in recent years—there have been several responses
of consumer capitalism, various fashion sectors look to new to address these trends. The Copenhagen Fashion Summit in
markets of both production and consumption in emerging and 2009 was the first significant appearance of a sustainable fash-
developing countries—referred to as ‘frugal innovation’—in or- ion event. This event was followed by Green Fashion week—in
der to outpace these feedback loops [17]. Along current trends, partnership with the UN Framework Convention on Climate
the fashion industry is expected to triple resource consumption Change—beginning in 2010. Yet, there have been earlier trac-
by 2050 [9]. ings of earlier brand engagement, such as Patagonia’s
Boykoff et al. | 3
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Figure 1: Garment-manufacturing supply chain (reproduced with permission [13])
switch to making fleece jackets with recycled polyester from harvested and to landfills strewn with discarded outfits. Also in
water bottles (Fig. 3). (https://www.patagonia.com/our-foot 2018, H&M declared its commitment to make their garments
print/recycled-polyester.html) from 100% recycled or sustainably sourced materials as they
In terms of informal efforts to change norms and social con- also opened a recycling facility for old clothes [34]. In 2018,
ventions, many have called for consumers to support ‘slow Burberry agreed to stop its practice of burning unsold clothes
fashion’ (purchasing garments that last a long time) [24] and to [35], while in 2019 they joined ‘the Science Based Targets
consider a ‘wardrobe diet’ (buying fewer textiles over time) [25] Initiative’ to commit to GHG emissions reductions targets in
(Fig. 4). Others have called on designers to produce two or fewer line with the 2015 United Nations (UN) Paris Climate Agreement
collections a year and produce more durable goods [26, 27]. And, [36]. Shortly thereafter, Kering (parent group to Yves Saint
others have demanded that the fashion industry limit growth, Laurent, Balenciaga and Gucci) announced that it has commit-
reduce waste and promote a circular economy [13]. From ted to carbon neutrality and to halving their GHG emissions by
research academics to eco-designer Stella McCartney [28], 2025 [37]. In that same month, Gabriella Hearst held the first
comedian Hasan Minaj [29] and actor Woody Harrelson [30], ‘carbon neutral fashion show’ at New York City Fashion Week
the fast fashion industry has increasingly been subjected to [38]. And in partnership with the UN, fashion industry stake-
scrutiny in the public arena [31]. holders launched the ‘Fashion Industry Charter for Climate
Developments have been catalyzed by trends in sustainable Action’ at the December UN climate negotiations in Poland.
fashion itself. As example, in 2017, Stella McCartney spoke out This Charter contained specific goals of emissions reductions
about the fashion industry as ‘incredibly wasteful and harmful (30% by 2030), materials use (‘prioritizing materials with low-cli-
to the environment’ [32]. Also in 2017, the initiative ‘Fashion mate impact’), and revamped supply chains (‘support global
Switch’ was revealed as London Fashion Week. Partnering with transition to low-carbon transport’). (https://unfccc.int/sites/de-
Vivienne Westwood and the Mayor of London, UK-based brands fault/files/resource/Industry%20Charter%20%20Fashion%20and
were encouraged to switch to a green energy supplier by 2020 %20Climate%20Action%20-%2022102018.pdf [7])
[9]. During this same time, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation re- In 2019, the company that owns retailer Zara announced a
leased a landmark report with strong calls to move the fashion plan to make all its collections from 100% sustainable fabrics by
industry to circular economies and emphases on reduced waste 2025 [39]. Several brands in the Spring/Summer 2020 collections
and durable goods [33]. catered to sustainable fashion trends as well, like Versace,
In 2018, Connect4Climate (Connect4Climate [the Dolce & Gabbana and Coco Chanel [2]. Meanwhile, ahead of the
Communication for Climate Change Multi Donor Trust Fund 2019 G7 summit, 32 of the world’s biggest and most influential
(MDTF)] has been one of the most influential and early entrants fashion brands signed onto the ‘Fashion Pact’ calling on 100%
to these spaces of sustainable fashion, beginning with their renewable energy by 2030 and changes in materials and ship-
work to initiate ‘Sustainability Dialogues in the Design Industry’ ping packaging, among a host of pledges [40]. In the words of
during the 2014 Milan Fashion Week.g (a global partnership pro- fashion correspondent Vanessa Friedman, ‘Forget street wear.
gram based in the World Bank) developed a traveling exhibit Sustainability [is] the hottest look of the day’ [38]. Furthermore,
called ‘X-Ray Fashion’ that has explored climate impacts of the climate advocacy groups like Extinction Rebellion made appear-
fashion industry through immersive virtual reality technology. ances at London Fashion week in recent years as they protested
This project has traveled from fashion events and climate nego- against fast fashion in the name of environmental protection
tiations as its creators have sought to defetishize the products [41, 42].
of fashion by virtually taking people into factories where work- Meanwhile, in the USA the 2020 Academy Awards featured
ers produce garments, into the fields where cotton is grown and gestures of sustainable fashion. For examples, Jane Fonda wore
4 | Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, Vol. 1, No. 1
the same dress that she wore at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival,
while Saoires Ronon’s Gucci gown was said to have been made
of leftover black satin from her British Academy of Film and
Television Arts (BAFTA) awards dress (recycling of a sort) [43].
Largely situated in high-consuming societies, efforts to
make change have been strong on commitments, proclama-
tions, performance and rhetoric and not as strong on formal
governance. Yet there are some exceptions. For example, in
2018 a French law—‘Projet de loi relatif à la lutte contre le gas-
pillage et à l’économie circulaire’ (or ‘the fight against waste
and the circular economy’)—mandated that clothing brands
were held responsible for postconsumer recycling of their prod-
ucts. On its face, this was viewed as an effective way to reduce
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waste, where just 6% of these items found themselves in land-
fills or incinerated. But, to cope with these new rules, French
companies began exporting the majority of these items over-
seas (6% were resold in France 33% were down-cycled) [44]. This
veritable old-clothes NIMBYism though has led several African
countries to call for a ban on this practice as it suppresses local
textile production, while burdening African countries with new
sources of cotton, textile and apparel waste [45].
PROCESS
‘Fashion, the epitome of consumerism, is also its stealthiest critic’
Elizabeth Wilson [46]
The TTR project has been hosted each year by the ‘Common
Threads Creative Lab’ (https://www.shopcommonthreads.com/ Figure 2: Presley Church, TTR 9 Winner (and research co-author). Photographed
creative-lab/). The subtitle for this initiative is ‘teens transform- by Barbara MacFerrin 2019.
ing trash’ because they make garments and accessories from
found materials (Fig. 5). TTR is a guided independent study
workshop for teens to make garments from found materials
that culminate in a fashion showcase for the Boulder commu-
nity [in pre-Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) times] amongst an en-
thusiastic and sold out 900-person Boulder Theater crowd. The
2-month workshops build organizational, creative and technical
design skills, while also prompting participants to reflect on cli-
mate and environmental impacts of material use in ‘fast’ as
well as sustainable fashion (Fig. 6).
Much of this reflection is captured by surveying designers as
well as analyses of interviews by students in a class that has
been part of ITG. ITG student participants asked the designers
to consider what TTR teaches them about waste and the inter-
section of fashion design and the environment. Designers are
instructed to use landfill-bound material, stimulating thought
and conversation surrounding where waste comes from, how it
can be transformed, and where it ends up (Fig. 7).
For the past 4 years students and instructors in an upper
division course called ‘Creative Climate Communications’
from the CU Boulder have partnered with ‘Trash the Runway’.
Students were mainly third- and fourth-year undergraduates
from three majors where the course was cross-listed:
Environmental Studies, Theatre & Dance and Engineering.
There were also some students from Geography, Education and
Sociology.
This class is part of the ITG project at CU Boulder. The objec-
tives for this course have been to (i) generate quality multi-
modal compositions on the subject of climate change and
(ii) engage meaningfully with various dimensions and issues
associated with climate, environment and sustainability.
Participants worked to deepen understanding of how issues
associated with climate change are communicated creatively Figure 3: Chip bag top by TTR Designer Leo Scribner. Photographed by Lianna
by analyzing previously created expressions from a variety of Nixon 2019.
Boykoff et al. | 5
media (such as interactive theatre, infographics, film, fine art
and performance art). Students then integrated insights gained
into the process of creating their own work.
Moreover, with guidance from experienced designers as
well as near-peer mentors, through these interactions young
designers gained competence and confidence communicating
(verbally and through their creations) about climate change,
sustainability and waste.
Trash utilized for garment designs has included worn
bike tires, computer wires, plastic bags, old coffee filters, used
straws, balloons, construction flags, gum wrappers, compact
discs and DVDs, shower curtain liners, bubble wrap, wire hang-
ers, wallpaper samples, aluminum cans, ribbon, film strips,
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discarded sugar packets, popped bicycle inner tubes, plastic
utensils, paint swatches and old postcards and magazines.
On the event nights in the years studied, a line of excited
community members wrapped around the block, eager to see
the creations of these young designers. Parents, students,
friends and strangers alike would cheer as each model strutted
down the runway showcasing technical skill and passion for
environmental conservation.
Three local high-profile judges sat at a table amid the excited
crowd at the end of the runway. During the show, the emcee in-
troduced each designer—nearly all of whom modeled their own
creations— who then entered the stage amid cheers and spir-
ited music. The designer walked down the runway and back
adding turns, smiles and various other touches that help to
highlight unique aspects of their design. Then, standing beside
the emcee, each designer was interviewed about some salient
aspect of their ‘look’. Designers described their artistic process,
challenges they faced during construction, and the story of the Figure 4: TTR judges interviewing designer Hattie Westnedge. Photographed by
trash from which the outfit was created. The judges deliberated Lianna Nixon 2019.
and contestants returned to the stage, eager to hear how their
creations were received. Each year, there are seven awards After all the performances, the final 15 min of the session was
given in two groups (ages 11–13 and ages 14–18) in these catego- set aside for discussion and reflection.
ries: functionality, innovation, design, construction, audience Following this session, the TTR leadership team visited the
choice, runner up and grand prize. Students have returned year class and introduced the TTR project. They also then introduced
after year to continue their work as designers and climate the designers by name, age and the recycled materials that they
communicators, many hoping to take home the grand prize had chosen for their garments. From that information, CU
awarded to the creation that encompasses best design, best Boulder students selected one of twenty designers and formed
construction, most functional and most sustainable pairs based on their selections. In sessions following this visit,
As a part of the partnership under study, over a 4-month the pair of CU Boulder students met the designers in two sched-
period (February–May 2019), 40 CU Boulder students inter-
uled sessions at the Common Threads Creative Lab and learned
viewed TTR designers and drew out stories that ultimately
more about their interests and motivations. The CU students
appeared in 2-min video compositions. (Video compositions
then participated in a ‘pitch and feedback’ session with the rest
from 2017 to 2019 can be viewed here https://insidethegreen-
of the class where they described how they would approach
house.org/project/trash-runway.) In preparation for this
their video composition. With feedback from the instructors
work, CU Boulder students first paired up and interviewed
and students, the CU Boulder students then coordinated and
one another about what is at stake for each person regarding
conducted interviews with the TTR designers as well as col-
climate change. This open-ended exercise was to help stu-
lected b-roll footage and other still shots as provided by the TTR
dents begin to learn the technical dimensions of the recording
equipment and to begin storyboarding the narratives they designers. Interspersed with this preparatory work, CU Boulder
found. This process also introduced them to editing and inte- students read about dimensions of climate change and the
grating b-roll footage as well as music to augment and en- fashion industry, engaged in vocal, physical and improvisa-
hance their 2-min interview. tional activities and were visited by various guests involved in
Next, students reviewed a set of articles relating to sustain- the dimensions of sustainable fashion. [Guests included
able fashion and then participated in an article-to-performan- young designer Lily (Shafroth) Forbes, Connect4Climate
ces exercise. They were placed into ten groups of four people #Fashion4Climate lead Max Edkins (virtual), and scholar
each, and were then given 20 min to discuss an article assigned Shannon Mancus (Colorado School of Mines).]
to their group and then create a short 2–3-min performance/ On the night of the highly anticipated 2019 show, CU stu-
scene communicating the issues raised. Articles included dents entered the front doors of the Boulder Theater in down-
themes of fast fashion economies, circular fashion economies, town Boulder, CO beneath the bright lights of the marquee
UN engagement with fashion industries and greening fashion. announcing the sold out TTR event. A subset of six students
6 | Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, Vol. 1, No. 1
was granted backstage passes and worked to gather footage about the importance of climate change to them and questions
from different vantage points backstage and in the front of the about communication about climate change to more specific
house before, during and after the event (shared postevent for questions about their participation in TTR and its effects.
integration into compositions). Overall, 22 questions were then asked about their views of cli-
In the weeks following the show, the CU students took to mate change advocacy, soliciting responses based on the extent
editing the footage they captured of the TTR process and event. to which they agree or disagree with each statement.
In May 2019, 40 completed video compositions were presented The interdisciplinary approach taken up here sought to cap-
in a public event—attended by CU Boulder students, faculty, ture, value and interrogate interactions of fashion, climate
TTR designers and their families, and members of the local pub- change and sustainability. Our methodological approach sprung
lic—at the CU Boulder Museum of Natural Science. The format from an expansive view of climate change in society, where
for each of the videos was similar—interview of the teen-de- more formal scientific and policy work is part of, rather than
signer, footage of them constructing their piece in the Common separate from, public uptake. Representational practices of vari-
Threads Creative Lab, the model walking the runway the night ous sorts then are seen to play key roles in drawing attention to
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of the show and the designer getting interviewed about their de- how to make sense of the changing world. Mediated por-
sign. The sparkling, charming and sometimes quirky personali- trayals—through fashion design and live performance—are crit-
ties of each young person is animated in their video. Their ical links between people’s everyday realities and experiences,
expressions of commitment to sustainability descriptions of and the ways in which these are discussed at a distance in more
what encouraged them to get involved in TTR also brought en- formal spaces [47].
ergy to these compositions.
Many were inspired by older community members who par-
ticipated in years past. One student mentioned she applied be- FINDINGS
cause ‘[Two girls], they’ve been in the Runway for a long time, ‘The fashion industry is all about storytelling, self-expression and inti-
they’ve been really big older girls that I’ve looked up to all my mate objects we wear on our bodies. If brands made a concerted effort
life’ (https://insidethegreenhouse.org/media/trash-runway-10- to leverage all of these tools towards educating people about the carbon
tyler-jacobs). Another stated, ‘I saw my fifth grade teacher’s son footprint and ethical impacts of their purchases, the fashion industry
do it, so that’s why I decided to do it “because I was like that’s could have an outsized impact in shifting the conversation’ Elizabeth
cool”’ (https://insidethegreenhouse.org/media/recycled-run
Segran [31]
way-8-keara-friel). These participants benefited from direct
positive influence by older students bringing climate communi- The CU Boulder in-class performances—based on the fash-
cation and art to the Boulder Community. Other TTR designers ion articles exercise—was found to be a useful way to embody
joined specifically motivated by their material. One middle- these dynamics through short performances. CU Boulder stu-
school student and ballerina told the event emcee, ‘I want peo- dents reported visceral, emotional and experiential ways of bet-
ple to know that a pointe shoe dies after 8 hours of use, so a ter understanding these dimensions of circular fashion
principal dancer can be going through ten pairs of pointe shoes economies, UN engagement with fashion industries, fast fash-
a week, and each is going to be costing about 90 dollars per ion economies and greening fashion. For instance, CU Boulder
pair.’ She devoted her time on the runway alerting the audience student Kaisa Simon commented, ‘I remember starting off feel-
of waste realities in an industry she is interested in. These stu- ing uninspired and nervous that we wouldn’t come up with any
dents are able to weave together zeal for design, creation and content. When we did, I felt like it ended up being really
the environment supported by their peers, mentors and the funny. . .We made a silly fashion show skit satirizing how far
community. companies take sustainable fashion’. Each of the student groups
(We authors have taken up various positionalities in the created lively depictions of the issues through mostly comic
partnership. Boykoff and Osnes have attended TTR shows for scenarios that effectively engaged the rest of the class’ attention
several years and have led the ITG–TTR partnership. Chandler and seemed to deepen the comprehension of the complex and
has participated in the ITG–TTR partnership under study as he abstract ideas within the articles. This result is consistent with
attended the events and contributed to CU Boulder class exer- studies that have shown the benefits of using performing arts
cises. Church was an award-winning TTR designer for 6 years to convey science-based lessons [48].
and became a near-peer mentor and coproducer in the ITG–TTR Moving to the ITG-TTR video production exercise as well as
period under study.) the April and May 2019 events, quantitative and qualitative
presurvey and post-survey responses revealed challenges and
METHODS successes as well as changed and sedimentary perspectives
throughout.
For this study, we deployed a mixed-method approach. We con-
ducted anonymous surveys of CU Boulder students and TTR
Exploring climate change in ITG-TTR minds
designers as well as TTR leadership in February (at the begin-
ning; N ¼ 86) and April 2019 (after the TTR event; N ¼ 70) (The Pretests of participants showed that 80% of respondents (N ¼ 86)
survey was conducted through Qualtrics with Human Research reported that they were ‘very worried’ about global warming
and institutional review board (IRB) approval (protocol #19- while 20% reported they were ‘somewhat worried’ (Fig. 8). Post-
0022). Consent was given by CU Boulder students as well as TTR test responses remained stable.
designers and their parents or guardians.) and supplemented When asked ‘how important is the issue of global warming
these findings through content analysis of the video composi- to you personally?’, half of respondents replied ‘extremely im-
tions from 2017 to 2019 (N ¼ 74) as well as participant observa- portant’, 42% said ‘very important’ and 8% selected ‘moderately
tion throughout the process. important’ (Fig. 9). Post-test responses varied slightly regarding
The survey was a mix of 2 dozen Likert scale and open- personal importance of global warming: 61% selected ‘ex-
ended questions. Questions ranged from their general inquiries tremely important’, whereas 27% picked ‘very important’ and
Boykoff et al. | 7
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Figure 5: TTR Backstage. Photographed by Lianna Nixon 2019. Figure 7: Pointe-shoe skirt by TTR Designer Leela Newton. Photographed by
Lianna Nixon 2019.
Figure 8: Survey responses to the question ‘How worried are you about global
warming?’
Figure 6: TTR eight participants as winners are announced. Photographed by
Dylan Crossley 2017.
10% and 1% responded ‘moderately important’ and ‘slightly
important’, respectively.
Further, when asked about whether climate change will
impact them personally, responses in the pre-test were as
follows: 16% selected ‘a great deal’, 62% chose ‘a moderate
amount’, 19% selected ‘only a little’, whereas 3% reported that
they ‘don’t know’. In the post-test, responses varied as well
with 29% choosing ‘a great deal’, 53% selecting ‘a moderate
amount’ and 19% still picking ‘only a little’.
When asked about how much they thought global warming
would harm future generations of people, in the pretest, 91% of
respondents selected ‘a great deal’, whereas the remaining 9%
chose ‘a moderate amount’ (Fig. 10). In the post-test, responses
varied slightly with 94% picking ‘a great deal’ and 6% choosing
Figure 9: Survey responses to the question ‘How important is the issue of global
‘a moderate amount’.
warming to you personally?’
These questions were adapted from the ‘Six Americas’ or
‘Climate Change in the American Mind’ [12]. ITG–TTR partici-
pants report higher levels of concern than a representative participate in these activities and events due to pre-existing
sample of US adults (Fig. 11). They also consider global warming interest or concern with climate change. With this in mind, it is
more personally important (33% higher) and TTR–ITG partici- noteworthy that there was a shift in how much respondents be-
pants also think that global warming will harm future genera- lieved climate change would impact them personally, with 13%
tions at higher levels (28% higher) than the US national more responses indicating a different relationship with climate
averages. Moreover, ITG–TTR respondents reported at higher change after the project. It is also important to consider the 19%
levels that global warming will impact them personally (57% of respondents who indicated they believed climate change
higher). would impact them ‘only a little’ remained constant. This
We interpret these responses to illustrate that the TTR shows that the students who became more concerned with
designers and mentors as well as the ITG students chose to climate change through this project were already somewhat
8 | Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, Vol. 1, No. 1
To illustrate, a TTR designer remarked, ‘I think that the night
of the show showed me how fun it could be to step up in front
of an audience, which is something that I used to be very afraid
to do. I don’t get stage fright as much since the show’. Another
commented, ‘At first I was very nervous to go out on stage and
talk about my outfit, but once I did I realized how fun it was and
would feel better doing this in the future’. Among other qualita-
tive responses in the survey, a TTR designer observed, ‘After do-
ing Trash the Runway, I now feel so much more comfortable
telling people about how trash impacts our environment.
Talking about these problems in front of everyone in the show
and the audience has really helped me get better about feeling
comfortable talking about it in everyday life’. Another TTR de-
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Figure 10: Survey responses to the question ‘How much do you think global signer commented, ‘Talking about things like air and water pol-
warming will harm you personally?’ lution in front of the people in my workshop and the audience
has made it much easier to talk about it in front of other people
that ask about it every day’.
Meanwhile, an ITG student noted that these activities, exer-
cises and events ‘helped bridge the gap between the jargon and
scale of climate communication; it helped me see a real world,
local activity which helped me access the issues’‘. Focusing on
technical skills, an ITG student commented, ‘I now feel very
comfortable with a camera, editing software, and developing a
storyline and how it will impact the audience’. Taken together,
another ITG student reflected, ‘I feel confident that the knowl-
edge and experiences I’ve gained have helped me to better craft
questions, responses, and an overall storyline when making a
video project. Throughout both the interview-a-partner and
TTR assignments, I was constantly thinking about how to frame
shots, and how the editing process was going to feel post-
filming’.
Figure 11: Survey responses to the question ‘How much do you think global
In another set of questions, respondents were asked to
warming will harm future generations of people?’
‘Select the response that best fits these statements for you.’ In
response to the statement ‘I can always manage to solve diffi-
concerned about personal impact and those that were not con- cult problems if I try hard enough’, presurvey responses indi-
cerned remained set in their beliefs. cated that 63% felt this statement was ‘moderately true’ and
37% felt it was ‘exactly true’. After the project, these percentages
Finding ITG–TTR confidence and competence as climate shifted to 49% for ‘moderately true’ and 51% for ‘exactly true’.
This indicates a clear boost in problem-solving confidence. This
change communicators
general confidence boost of respondents may raise the question
Another set of survey questions asked about ITG–TTR partici- of whether the project had impact on climate communication
pants’ confidence and competence as a communicator about ability specifically or rather a general impact on confidence and
climate change. These questions were adapted from McCroskey communication that also applied to climate-related topics. This
and McCroskey [49] and Schwarzer and Jerusalem [50]. In re- topic is further explored in the next section.
sponse to a series of questions regarding their ability and com-
fort communicating about climate change in various situations, Searching extra-discursive climate communication
pretest results showed a large majority of respondents noting pathways
their greatest competence and confidence speaking with friends
First, we found that the ITG–TTR experience—from perspectives
or groups of meetings of friends. The lowest levels of comfort
of ITG students as well as TTR designers, significantly helped to
were reported to be in a presentation or large meeting of strang-
advance them as effective climate communicators (Fig. 12). One
ers. Yet after the ITG–TTR workshops, processes and experien-
TTR participant noted, ‘I feel that wearing the trash that par-
ces, greater confidence was expressed in speaking with
tially causes the climate change happening in the world is able
acquaintances and strangers. Our survey data showed that 90%
to grab people’s attention and have a lasting impression rather
of respondents in the pretest expressed comfort in speaking
than being told the facts’. Another remarked, ‘I’ve always
with peers and 12% more specifically were comfortable speak- wanted to help the environment and one way is to be a climate
ing through performance. Our post-test survey data showed communicator’. An ITG student observed, ‘When I was doing
that this increased to 96% and 15%, respectively. Similar trends the interviews I thought more about what I truly was doing, it
were noted in questions about comfort communicating about made me look deeper into the good effect it had instead of the
climate change with family before and after the events. In ques- fashion designer part’. Another ITG student commented, ‘I
tions regarding communicating climate change to the public, think it did, since it made me critically engage with the material
73% of ITG–TTR respondents expressed comfort (13% through and think about scientific ideas in a creative way. I am very
performance) before the activities, exercises and events. These data-oriented so I have a hard time engaging with things crea-
numbers rose to 88% (and 14% through performance) afterward. tively, however I felt that. . .these projects helped me’. After the
Boykoff et al. | 9
final events, one ITG student also noted, ‘I do think that being
able to interact with designers that are part of TTR has helped
me to broaden my understanding of climate change. It was very
helpful to hear how others view climate change, especially
those who are younger than me, I loved hearing how they are
affected and want to make a difference. It opened my eyes to
new perspectives of how we can all make a difference for the
better. . .we all can participate where we are comfortable’.
Second, we found that the ITG–TTR partnership helped to
defetishize the production and consumption of fashion. For ex-
ample, one TTR designer noted, ‘The fast fashion industry is a
huge contributor to climate change issues. . .however, it can also
be a part of the solution based on how brands decide to interact
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with their environment, materials, and workers’. Another TTR
designer commented, ‘I really want to be a biologist when I’m
older and I love fashion, I want there to be a happy medium be-
tween the two of sustainable fashion. People don’t realize how
much energy and water consuming clothes are’. Meanwhile, an
ITG student reflected, ‘The fashion industry is inherently
unsustainable; from sweat shops, transportation miles, and the
general need of wealthy individuals to consistently be buying/
wearing new clothing, there are several dimensions that are in
need of significant reform in order to achieve sustainability
(profit, supply chain, and general buyer behavior). However,
there are designers, businesses, and local artisans that are in Figure 12: A word cloud depicting frequency of words (4 letters or more) used in
this industry to make a difference. . .everything is tied back to qualitative responses by ITG students and TTR designers in presurvey and post-
the choices a consumer makes on a day-to-day basis’. Another survey
ITG student commented, ‘Before this class I had never really
thought about fashion being related to climate change. Now
that I’ve learned more about the process of cheap fashion, I feel is a way to communicate things that may be difficult to nor-
like I’ll apply that in my future. I’m very interested in designing mally talk about in creative and sometimes more positive
and making wedding dresses in the future and after going ways’. Another TTR designer noted, ‘I think fashion is so beauti-
through this course, I’m very determined to make the dresses ful and I think it is a perfect outlet for communicating because
out of environmentally friendly and safe materials’. A third ITG it is for sure an attention grabber’. A third TTR designer com-
student noted, ‘TTR shines a huge light on consumerism, partic- mented, ‘Art is well-suited for climate communication because
ularly when projected from the youth. We see that the small it is a form of communication that most people would not ex-
buying choices we make on an everyday basis (disposable coffee pect. In seeing art based around climate change, many people’s
cups, latex swim caps, straws, etc.) add up to an enormous im- first exclamations are positive and they are able to take away
pact on our environment. The decisions we make at all points some message from the art’.
in the supply chain, from producer to consumer, must be With these findings and successes in mind, a looming set of
shifted in order to create the impact we need to address climate questions remain about whether the scale of these engage-
change and sustainability’. ments match the scale of the intersectional challenges regard-
Third, we found that the ITG–TTR experience effectively is ing climate change, fashion and sustainability. The short
connected through art-science and extra-discursive communi- answer is no, but there remains optimism within the program-
cations. As one TTR designer put it, ‘Art can show different per- ming that these engagements will plant seeds for larger-scale
spectives that can’t be shown through words alone’. Elsewhere, changes down the line. Nonetheless, some associated critiques
expanded pathways of learning—experiential, emotional, aes- were offered by ITG students and TTR designers within the
thetic and tactile as examples—have been found to effectively events. For instance, a respondent commented, ‘the Trash the
improve possibilities for enhanced engagement and action in Runway event is a cute way to get youth involved, but the mes-
the face of contemporary climate change [45]. One ITG student sage being sent is going to people who live in Boulder, who al-
commented, ‘I really enjoy fusing different disciplines (like arts, ready probably know about the issues at hand, considering it is
science, fashion, etc.) together to find common ground and a white, affluent, and left-leaning town. . .I think that this event
make a significant impact for the community. I really like seeing probably informed a few people in the audience about an issue
how sustainability, science, the arts can take on a variety of they did not fully understand and there were some amazing
forms and it really inspires me to pursue other creative outlets youth designers who took it upon themselves to inform the au-
in the future’. Another noted, ‘It helps to show that fashion is dience about what is going on and how they can make a change,
not always produced, consumed and distributed in responsible beyond that, the impact was not nearly as grand or meaningful
ways and that this can be damaging to the environment. It also as I had hoped’. Another respondent noted, ‘Trash the Runway
helps to show that there are alternatives which can be fun, is a fun way to engage a community with shaking up the status-
empowering and creative’. And an ITG student also pointed out quo of the fashion industry, but it doesn’t aggressively push the
‘Without art, climate change breeds nihilism. We need the message against the unsustainable nature of the fashion indus-
merging of art and climate science in order to provide hope’. try. Instead, it focuses on positive alternatives without getting
Meanwhile, a TTR designer reflected that TTR ‘a way to pose a into the details’. Through these comments, analysis of the con-
question while allowing others to interpret it on their own. Art tent of the videos produced and participant observations, these
10 | Oxford Open Climate Change, 2021, Vol. 1, No. 1
are valid criticisms that point toward ongoing work to further away from a focus on what we use too much of and toward spe-
deepen and improve these efforts within TTR and elsewhere. cific impacts of overconsumption would take more discussion
Nonetheless, our analysis points to consistent evidence that and interaction with the science of environmental impact, but
TTR feeds hope that young people are going to have a positive might help participants to better understand and discuss the
impact on our future and that they have agency to more capably impact of their fashion choices as a system that starts with
tackle climate change. production.
Third, moving participants and audiences from awareness
to action is one of the most important challenges of climate
CONCLUSIONS: SOME SUCCESSES, YET MANY communication. In the case of this project, TTR participants
CHALLENGES REMAIN brought awareness to many of the waste and consumption
‘When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to every- challenges we face, but few focused on local behavior and policy
thing else in the Universe’ John Muir changes that would address the problems they raised. Our sur-
vey focused mainly on perceptions of climate change and confi-
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This research has focused on the connections between dence in discussing the issue but did not address how able
fashion and climate and environmental impact, as stages all participants felt in initiating action. To participate in this proj-
along the chains of creation, consumption and waste or re-/ ect, TTR students often worked with local businesses and al-
down-/up-cycling as accessed through examinations of active ways worked with specific products. There is a great
participation and behavior change. In this Boulder, Colorado, opportunity to include a specific policy or behavior request in
case study, we found that these TTR designers—and the larger communication efforts. Many similar projects and partnerships
TTR project—were able to actively change narratives and con- also miss this opportunity. If we are to address climate change
ceptions from ‘fast fashion’ to sustainable fashion solutions with the urgency it demands, action and behavior must always
(Fig. 13). be a focus of messaging.
In the context of the project itself, there are some important The TTR project and the research operate in the spirit of
findings and subsequent critiques to note. First, it is challenging Donna Haraway’s work Staying with the Trouble [51]. There she
to strike a balance between broad and specific messaging on cli- says, ‘Staying with the trouble requires learning to be truly pre-
mate-related topics. Second, there can be confusion when con- sent, not as a vanishing pivot between awful or edenic pasts
versations about waste and climate change are combined. and apocalyptic or salvific futures, but as mortal critters
Finally, the project focused on awareness in a time when action entwined in myriad unfinished configurations of places, times
must be prioritized. Each one of these critiques will be unpacked matters, and meanings’ [51]. Haraway’s concept of staying with
in the following paragraphs. the trouble helps form an approach to decolonial work. Instead
First, when climate change is brought up in conversation, it of focusing on the colonial system as a whole and the Western
is often discussed in broad terms. ‘We must reduce carbon out- epistemologies that exemplify it, we can begin by unravelling
put’, and, ‘Increased greenhouse gasses are melting arctic ice!’ one case, one specific impact of our current system. Through fo-
Although statements like this are true, they do not necessarily cusing on cocreation and copresence in both the deconstruction
lead to action or change [47]. In this project, there was some in- of problems and the design of solutions, the research and prod-
depth discussion in the ITG class about the specific impacts of ucts of TTR partnership aim to dismantle the relationship struc-
the fashion industry when it comes to climate change. tures that help to keep colonial systems, and fast-fashion as a
However, in conversations and interviews between ITG and TTR specific example, intact.
students, these specifics seem to have been lost. Instead of dis- Inviting groups, including youth, to take part in authoring
cussing the supply chain impacts and material acquisition that their own future rather than designing it for them is a part of
results in so much of the climate change impact of the fashion decolonial practice [52]. TTR provides youth, who have been his-
industry, conversations centered instead upon general ideas of torically denied political voice and vote in colonial structures, a
sustainability and why it was harmful to create so much trash. platform for their voices to be heard on environmental and so-
In survey results, the term ‘supply chain’ was only mentioned cial justice issues. This gives youth a stage—literally and figura-
in two respondents’ written answers across all questions asked. tively—to suggest policy and behavior change and a voice in
The shift from specific to general is understandably given the redefining the relationship of youth to adults. (As a co-producer
limited interactions between ITG and TTR students and may and co-author here, Church brings her lived experience as a
speak to the need for a more targeted approach to including cli- multi-year participant in TTR to enrich this writing with a par-
mate change impacts of the fashion industry in discussions ticipant view point, which also ensures the inclusion of youth
with TTR students in the coming years. voice in this analysis.) The TTR project also works to dismantle
Second, when working directly with trash, it is easy to focus colonial hierarchies by focusing on establishing near-peer men-
on waste rather than climate change without unpacking their torship models between University and 11- to 18-year-old stu-
entanglements. This speaks to both a challenge and a path for- dents instead of relying solely on perceived authority figures for
ward. As a challenge, the general topic of sustainability and expertise. Finally, the project and our research critique one of
green practices has been rolled into one idea in many commu- the most deeply enshrined colonial systems: fast-fashion and
nication campaigns. Few campaigns exemplify this more than the production of clothing as an extractive and exploitive enter-
reduce, reuse and recycle. This slogan has been taught in prise that deeply impacts both humans and the other-than-hu-
schools and through public messaging so effectively that it has man world.
become synonymous with saving the environment in many The partnerships involved in this project highlight several
contexts. However, the slogan does not address many of the levels of codesign and coproduction. Involving CU Boulder stu-
transitions necessary to mitigate the impact of climate change. dents in the TTR project required the coordination and trust of
Complicating the narrative of environmental messaging is im- community and academic leaders. In this partnership, partners
portant to avoid greenwashing and provide concrete solutions were careful to address power and status by honoring each
rather than general ideas. In the case of this project, moving other’s expertise without forming hierarchical relationships. ByBoykoff et al. | 11
Outside of lessons learned and critiques specifically applica-
ble to our project, we recognize that sustainability in fashion is
part of wider political economic trends as well as branding and
reputational ‘intangibles’ [55] along with education and innova-
tive business models [56]. For fashion to be sustainable, fast
fashion must give way to slow and linear patterns of consump-
tion and must be substantively complemented with circular
patterns of consumption. This requires political, economic and
cultural/psychological reconceptions of fashion in the 21st cen-
tury [57]. Moreover, brand loyalty is also a function of authentic-
ity and trust [58]. In fact, research has found that ‘eco-
friendliness’ has contributed to brand preferences, especially
among luxury brands through perceptual notions of added
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value [59].
Kirsi Niinimäki and colleagues have noted:
Figure 13: Sold out Boulder Theater TTR billboard. Photographed by Lianna
The current business logic in the fashion sector is based on ever-
Nixon 2019.
increasing production and sales, fast manufacturing, low product
quality and short product life cycles, all of which lead to unsus-
recognizing that ‘relationships are power-laden. . .pre-con- tainable consumption, fast material throughput, substantial waste
structed by history, and weighted with social gravity’ [53], part- and vast environmental impacts. . .Ultimately, the long-term sta-
ners were able to attend to the iterative work of overcoming bility of the fashion industry relies on the total abandonment of
the fast fashion model, linked to a decline in overproduction and
preconstructed relationships in order to support equally hon-
overconsumption, and a corresponding decrease in material
ored roles within the project. Partnerships were also necessary
throughput. Such transformations require international coordina-
among student teams. These teams focused on allowing stu- tion and involve new mindsets being adopted at both the business
dents to work with each other rather than placing the university and the consumer levels. [13]
students in positions of authority over middle and high school
students. Again, students strived to honor each other’s exper- These ongoing dynamics intersect importantly with perva-
tise while providing support. sive challenges associated with socioeconomic, gender and ra-
The products of this project, high fashion clothing made cial inequality. For example, often clothes are manufactured in
from trash and videos of this process, exemplify the way in impoverished countries with low-wage often BIPOC workers
which the products of art and science partnership can be forces [60]. Although environmental impact has become more of a fo-
of decolonization. The clothing produced by young designers cus of the sustainable fashion industry, ongoing complicity in
using repurposed materials pushes against an industry that systematic oppression of Black and Brown often-poor commu-
thrives on extraction and exploitation. The fashion show in nities has increasingly been identified as shaping decisions all
which the designs were modeled brought together 1000 people along the fashion supply chain, from designers to manufac-
who were there to support youth authorship of knowledge on turers, marketers, transporters and consumers [61].
sustainability in the form of fashion. The videos documenting This research helps to advance further work that identifies
the production process brought viewers from the Boulder and how alternatives must be pursued [62], from technological
University of Colorado communities together and opened up developments (e.g. new fibers) [63] to cultural shifts in appetites
discussions on the issues and products highlighted by the (e.g. as conscious consumerism displaces commodity fetishism)
young designers. Furthermore, the research revealed how these [6, 64]. Together, these trends have been engaged in dynamic
efforts can (re)shape attitudes, perspectives and engagements processes called ‘fashion futuring’ [65]. As such, ‘slow fashion’
relating to fashion, climate change and sustainability. Although brands like Rustic Hue, Doodlage and [Ka] [Sha] have gained in
anchored through embodied work at the local scale, the pro- market share as customers factor working conditions, material
cesses and products are transferable to other cultural, social, use and up-cyling post-production into their purchasing deci-
economic and political contexts and locales. sions [66]. Although some have viewed these shifts with suspi-
Although project partners worked to attend the issues of cion of mere reforms [67], others have noted openings through
power and status and during the project held each other as sustainable fashion for more fundamental re-considerations of
equal participants, it’s important to note that even if these val- dominant systems of ‘unbridled consumption’ [68].
In the meantime, movements for greater accountability
ues are attended to within partnerships, ‘that doesn’t stop peo-
have grown. For example, Sofia Garcia-Torres et al. [69] have de-
ple on the outside from relying on the academics, patronizing
veloped a ‘Fast-Fashion Sustainability Scorecard’ as a disclosure
community members, privileging Whiteness/maleness/aca-
framework and assessment tool.
demic credentials, or trivializing the collaboration’ [54]. In the
Some of these alternatives may be prompted by external dy-
context of the TTR and other similar projects, there is a risk that
namics and others may be pursued through internal restructur-
culminating events and the messages they offer will be seen as
ing. Interestingly, the Royal Society of the Encouragement of
applicable to the performance space itself, but not outside of it.
Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA) found that in 2020
Although youth are honored as designers and authors of ideas
the COVID-19 pandemic has changed clothing consumption:
in the performance space, the ideas they share may be pushed
aside once the event is over. This speaks to the importance of it- • 28% of those surveyed said they are now habitually reusing or
erative events to maintain momentum in addressing the issue recycling clothes;
of who is allowed to speak on environmental and policy prob- • 35% of women stated that they intend to buy fewer clothes post-
lems within a community. pandemic; andYou can also read
