When I reposted this newsletter email about Midwest vs NYC fashion on LinkedIn, many people commented with their own experiences with either the Midwest fashion industry or fashion-hub fashion industry. Most people agreed that the industry communities are very different between the two, but not just due to regional differences.
One comment by @Sew_OzzyWar_Made_This really brought up another difference (shared with permission):
“I’m on the east coast with access to NYC Garment District, and I can confirm the lack of community in NYC fashion scene – it’s so competitive for no reason. There’s a small (mostly sustainable and indie) fashion brands that are more community based. They are great to interact with and hoping this small niche group grows into a bigger community.”
The difference is not just between regions, but between sustainable, slow fashion and big mainstream fashion. Sustainable fashion is leading the way to a better, happier, less-toxic fashion industry. I love this for us, but it also makes me sad that this part of the fashion community is still a niche and not the norm.
I think it is because each group is playing a different game. The competitive brands are playing to win. To win, that means other brands, people, or the planet have to lose. In this game, there is only one winner.
Sustainable brands aren’t in it to win, they are in it to keep playing the game. They don’t want the fashion game to end because they love playing. To keep playing, sustainable brands need people to play with and need to pace themselves and their resources so they can keep playing long into the future. In this game, the more the merrier! This mindset, I think, is what creates the beautiful indie community that we see.
What team do you want to play with?