“The Slow Grind" & the inevitability of degrowth in fashion
In episode 259, Kestrel welcomes Georgina Johnson, London-based artist, curator and social thinker, to the show. Georgina is the founder of arts and curation platform The Laundry and the editor of The Slow Grind: Finding Our Way Back to Creative Balance.
“Our thirst for change is unquenchable — and the more that people feel like they have agency in that, is the more that degrowth becomes possible.”
-Georgina
Conversations around degrowth are beginning to infiltrate the fashion space – but thus far, I have been pretty skeptical when I see it discussed in mainstream publications or by bigger brands, because it feels strangely familiar, like it’s quickly going to become the next *buzzword* the industry co-opts for marketing purposes.
I discovered this week’s guest in a somewhat desperate Google attempt to uncover anything about fashion and degrowth with substance on the interwebs.
In the article I found – “It’s Time For Brands To Engage With Degrowth” – Georgina writes that growth is taking a backseat to a pursuit of equity and balance, and I was instantly enthralled and wanted to learn more.
Turns out, she is also the author of a beautiful new book called The Slow Grind.
While the book explores ideas to help us find our way back to creative balance, through a multitude of lenses – something that really struck me was how it weaves mental health into the sustainability or regenerative narrative – something I rarely see directly linked.
For example – the book reminds us to reflect on what we currently value in our society.
We revere things like – speed, working all the time, doing jobs beyond our pay grade, and keeping our mental health a secret – so yeah, the aspects that we quote unquote value seem to be inevitably leading us down a path to eventual burnout … AKA a mandatory slow down.
Centering an awareness of our current pace – this week’s guest reminds us that expanding our views on what a path to a better world looks like is key to lasting transformation.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
“It’s Time For Brands To Engage With Degrowth”, article Kestrel mentions that Georgina wrote for The Future Laboratory
"Sometimes I really think like -- why do you need to grow so much? Why does there need to be 4 H&Ms on Oxford Street? Why? Why do there need to be multiple Zaras? This is one street. And there are multiples of one store on this one road. To me, it doesn't make sense. The growth agenda is really just rooted in greed, because you don't need to own everything.” -Georgina
