Vanishing Roots

Preserving Cultural Heritage in the Wake of Displacement

As the number of forcibly displaced persons continues to rise, an often overlooked impact is the loss of diverse cultural heritage and the effect of this on the refugee community. As the linear fashion system has grown in power and influence it has become overwhelmingly unsustainable in terms of cultural heritage and diversity, with cultural appropriation, exclusion and exploitation dominating fashion practices. This has meant non-Western and culturally diverse identities have already been at risk of decimation in the face of the fashion industry. Now, with climate change increasingly driving human displacement, mostly in regions in the Global South, the cultural heritage and identities of displaced communities are under increasing threat.

The cultural repercussions of climate change are overlooked, yet deeply connected to sustainability and fashion. While the Global North is able to carry on with business as usual, largely unscathed by the perils of climate change, it is the communities in the Global South, many of whom have played vital roles in the fashion supply chain, who are the most vulnerable to the impact. Sustainability without an understanding or appreciation for culture is not sustainable. There is inadequate emphasis on the importance of the intangible cultural heritage of displaced communities and why it needs to be protected and preserved. What this tells us is that sustainability falls-short on culture. While the narrative seems to understand that sustainability is nuanced, there is a lack of understanding of the need for a cultural dimension that respects and honours cultural diversity and the importance of this to a sustainable and ethical fashion system. Sustainability policies and practices, whether in reference to the fashion industry or not, are often designed with a one-size-fits-all approach that overlooks cultural differences. With many sustainability initiatives being implemented by the West, for the West,  there is a lack of diversity and representation among decision-making bodies. As a result, sustainability conversations often lack an understanding of different cultural contexts, giving them limited cultural relevance. 

How many times do we see sustainable fashion conversations discussing environmental degradation, pollution and waste? A lot. How often do we see sustainable fashion conversations centering around the importance of cultural heritage and the threat refugee populations face to preserving their own cultural identities? Rarely. 

As a result, displacement is leading to a loss of cultural identity and an immense disconnect to cultural heritage. 

Cultural heritage provides a sense of belonging and a connection to roots, traditions and ancestry that shape an individual and collective identity and can act as a source of resilience and healing. This cultural heritage manifests through craftsmanship, rituals, traditional practices, knowledge and skills - many of which have been passed from generation to generation, carrying unique stories of the past. Displaced communities often possess unique traditional craftsmanship skills that are not only a crucial part of cultural heritage, but they also hold knowledge and skills crucial for sustainability. These practices that align with nature and promote environmental sustainability carry an abundance of lessons for Western practices of mass production, including ecological regeneration, creating with durability and slow production cycles. Traditional craftsmanship focuses on quality and durability, creating things that are made to last, whilst having minimal impact on the environment. These practices are slow and sustainable - two terms the linear fashion system is unfamiliar with. With the fashion system constantly pushing for mass consumption of cheap fast fashion, these traditional practices are often undervalued.

Undervalued is not the only problem. Often a brand or initiative will collaborate or seek inspiration from displaced communities - this may be with good-hearted intentions aiming to have a positive impact, but in many cases brands will extract what they need whilst appropriating the cultural symbols and knowledge of displaced communities, without acknowledgement or compensation. The relationship between the brand and the community involved will also often be built on a power imbalance, with the fashion brand taking what they need and using the displaced community to accentuate their brand image and identity. Many of us will be familiar with a fashion brand having “collaborated” with a marginalised community, claiming to have a positive impact. In reality they are either creating products that appropriate the communities' cultural heritage, failing to reflect the cultural values or commodifying cultural elements. All in all these "collaborations" reduce the cultural heritage to a fast fashion trend that people can buy into, without needing to understand the original value and meaning. 

The fashion system needs to understand the importance of preserving and appreciating craftsmanship and promoting techniques that demand time and care, with slow production cycles. Through this time and care, we see the creation of handcrafted, durable, timeless pieces of art that hold stories and instil significant value - this value is what needs to be woven back into fashion. Preserving cultural heritage and embracing cultural practices of artisanship and craft, creates economic opportunities and sustainable livelihood opportunities for marginalised communities that are critical in times of displacement. But this will only happen if sustainable fashion initiatives and brands collaborate and co-create with displaced communities, involving them in every stage of the design and production process, rather than extracting what they need and exploiting the cultural heritage. There needs to be fair recognition and compensation given to displaced communities for the use of their vital traditional knowledge and designs. Cultural heritage cannot be preserved if it is not fairly recognised and understood.

“Preserving cultural heritage and embracing cultural practices of artisanship and craft, creates economic opportunities and sustainable livelihood opportunities for marginalised communities that are critical in times of displacement.”

The fashion system and sustainability discourse needs to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for diverse cultural heritage that should be at the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement. This starts with the fashion industry reforming its idea of sustainability to include cultural heritage, to foster cultural appreciation, inclusion and diversity and to challenge the homogenisation of fashion that has often excluded culturally diverse identities.