Cultural Sustainability in Fashion

The concept of cultural sustainability is developed under the 2001 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity which recognises culture as the fourth dimension of sustainable development. Cultural sustainability was first defined by the World Commission on Culture and Development in 1995 (WCCD) as inter- and intra-generational access to cultural resources.

According to Pereira (2007), cultural sustainability is based on the principle that the current generation can use and adapt cultural heritage only to the extent that future generations will not be harmed in their capacity of understanding and living the multiple meanings and values of this heritage.

Textile craftsmanship is part of cultural heritage and has been an important element in building cultural identities. This is reflected in the traditional garments of different communities and indigenous people worldwide.

In the context of fashion and textiles, cultural sustainability means transmitting, or supporting the knowledge transfer of traditional textile knowledge and traditional textile cultural expressions to future generations (Boța-Moisin, 2017).

The first Workshop tailored to 'Cultural Sustainability in Fashion' was designed by Monica Boța-Moisin and introduced to Master Students in Fashion Marketing and Textile Value Chain Management at The Swedish School of Textiles, Borås, in December 2018.

More on Cultural Sustainability in Fashion at www.culturalsustainabilityinfashion.info