The mass consumption of clothing has resulted in collection charities such as Oxfam exporting unwanted second hand clothing to markets in the Sub-Saharan region. This is a trade that is seen as supporting sustainable solutions to unwanted clothing but offers ‘both opportunity’ and ‘danger’ to local communities (Haggblade, 2007). The research explores the second hand clothing trade in Ghana, which evidences this danger and challenges the notion of opportunity.
The second hand clothing market whilst benefitting local communities in Africa has also impacted upon local textile production. From our conversations around these issues, a collaborative project idea emerged entitled ‘Return to Sender’. The project aims to highlight and challenge the effects of the second hand clothing market upon local heritage in Africa. A shared perspective through global design stories can encourage designers to understand the consequences of design but at the time same enable them to have the power to impact and drive change of consumer habits. The current and future perspectives of purchasing clothing and re-use is explored, regarding how this could then influence and change the global second hand clothing markets.
This paper also explores the potential of sustainable outcomes through focusing design in the present, rather than the future. In order to understand a global world we need to see the world as it is to solve the problems and in turn prevent problems in the future. We need an approach that is not engrained into a system but something that promotes creativity and openness to change
