Nobody was Dirty
Over the lifecycle of fashion apparel, the ‘use’ phase is credited with the highest environmental impact due to washing, drying and ironing. A study conducted by Tullia Jack from the University of Melbourne was a great indication of how dirty Nobody really became.
A modern standard of cleanliness consumes water, energy and chemicals To investigate what happens when people curb the idea of the modern standard of cleaning, a study was conducted which involved 30 participants in Melbourne, Australia.
Participants were given a pair of Nobody jeans to wear for 5 days a week for three consecutive months.
“In the coming years as finite resources and burgeoning population intersect, everyday norms and practices must change. By considering the experience of these 30 everyday people in Melbourne (Australia) we can gain insight into shifting the intertwined patterns of aspirations, expectations and behaviour, leading to positive change towards sustainability,” Tullia Jack, University of Melbourne.
The results were astonishing.
Consuming less washing resources can save time, water, energy and chemicals and with minimal interference to social well-being. Evaluation was based on the participants’ self-observation and via in-depth interviews after the three-month wearing period.
The 30 enthusiastic participants who took up the low-wash experiment to consume less water, energy and chemicals, indicated that when they were provided with the right information, behaviour changed. They also believed that this idea of changing positively towards sustainability could even be dispersed through wider social groups.
The Nobody was Dirty exhibition will run from the Wednesday 14 July to Thursday 14 August 2011 at the Nobody Gallery on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Australia.
www.nobody.com.au