5 Sustainable Fashion Documentaries

Sustainable fashion documentaries are a great way to learn more about what is going on in the industry and you can do it from the comfort of your sofa!

They all touch on slightly different parts of the industry and its problems. And all provoked me to think about the issues long after I watched them, which is the basis of a good documentary, in my opinion.

River Blue

River Blue focuses on the environmental impact of the fashion industry. It is difficult to watch and not be overwhelmed by the massive disregard of proper water usage. River Blue follows river advocate Mark Angelo as he visits several of the worst polluted areas. The film talks a lot about blue jeans, how the toxic dyes from the jeans are colouring the rivers blue. But it also provides sustainable alternatives that are already in production. Footage includes working tanneries, with toxic chemical and dyes being used. It is hard not to notice that it is mostly children working in these toxic environments. Available – Google Play, Amazon Prime and iTunes.

The True Cost

The True cost focuses more on the social impact of the fashion industry. It delves into details about the Rana Plaza disaster in which a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing 1134 people. The True Cost really is an eye opener. Consequently I now find it difficult to shop at any fast fashion brands after watching it. There are some great interviews with people who are striving to make a difference in the fashion industry. Available – Netflix, Amazon Prime and Digital Download.

Dior and I

Dior and I doesn’t focus on sustainability. It follows the team at Dior as they prepare a couture collection. I included it in this list as it is a fascinating account of the work involved in making such a collection. We are at such a disconnect with our clothing today. We don’t know who is making our clothes but additionally we don’t know how the clothes are made either. Available – iTunes.

Alex James – Slowing Down Fast Fashion

Alex James – the bassist in Blur – investigates how and why clothing is being sold so cheaply nowadays, as well as trying to provide solutions.  He visits a landfill, talks to different people who are coming up with alternatives to fast fashion and conducts experiments along the way. I particularly liked when he performs an experiment to find out the difference between burying a wool and acyclic sweater. Even if you know the answer, it is still sobering to see! Available – Amazon Prime and iTunes.

Minimalism

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus are The Minimalists. They share their story about minimalism and how it helped them live better. The film will have you decluttering your possessions for sure. But it also plants a seed for future shopping purchases. In short, there is no point buying lots of clothes and stuff that you don’t particularly need or want. I found Minimalism a great film for realising how little ‘stuff’ I actually need to live. Or even to take on holiday in a suitcase. Consumers are being conditioned to buy more all the time – whether it is clothes, skincare or anything else – and all things considered, we just don’t need to do that. Available – Netflix, Vimeo, Google Play, Amazon and iTunes.

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