Filmed & Edited by Celina Collot
Directed by James Venvell
Featuring the locals of Granary Square, King's Cross
Summary: ‘Dress Like Dad’, a short Father’s Day film by Brothers We Stand, asks for our memories of Dad, to share the answer to fashion’s overconsumption.
In their Father’s Day campaign, Brothers We Stand, the platform for ethical men’s style, encourages us to ‘Dress Like Dad’ for a style that's slow and full of memories. Memories made by holding onto our clothes for longer.
‘Dress Like Dad’ follows the Brothers team as they interview members of the public about the clothes they most associate with their dad. Running around King’s Cross London in their own dad style, they ask people to reflect on the memories of dad in those clothes, and how it makes them feel. Proud? Warm? Nostalgic? Embarrassed? If we throw away the clothes we have so easily, will our children have the chance to experience those same feelings?
Back in Dad’s day, clothing consumption was smaller, and slower. In the 60s and 70s, trends would last between 5-10 years (Cainz). But, with the rise of fast fashion and the social media influencer, that has decreased to as little as 3-5 months, giving them their ‘microtrend’ name. In the same timeframe, the amount of clothing consumed per capita has more than doubled. (Euractiv). And, it’s not slowing down. By 2030, it is predicted our clothing consumption will increase by 63% - the equivalent of 500 billion more t-shirts. It’s colossal, and something our planet simply cannot take. Unless we ‘Dress Like Dad’.
With constant advertising telling us to buy more and buy again, Brothers’ film reminds us of the value of holding onto our clothes for longer. Clothes hold memories, and the longer we keep them, the more opportunity we give for these memories to build.
This message is a core part of Brothers We Stand, the ethical menswear platform founded in 2013. Based in East London, their mission is to help you find the right style for you, as well as the people and the planet who made it. They add a footprint to every product, so you can take your time to understand where, who and how the item was made before you decide to purchase:
'My dad holds onto his clothes for a while and it means I can colour in memories with familiar items. Growing up my mates and I loved playing pick up football matches in the park and my dad would often play in goal. One time, we were up against some decent players and they couldn’t score past him. Impressed by his reflexes, one lad said, “This old man is nang'.” As I picture the scene I see my dad in his trusty light blue sweatshirt that he wore for as long as I could remember when playing sports of any kind.
At Brothers We Stand we champion shopping less and better as a way to protect our planet. Our Fathers Day film was an opportunity to look at things from a fresh angle and see how when we hold onto our clothes for longer we give those we love opportunities to build memories.'
Jonathan Mitchell, Brothers We Stand Founder
Urska Trunk from the NGO Changing Markets Foundation highlighted that “unless the fashion industry gets off this trajectory of churning out billions of clothes every year made from cheap low quality fibres…then we will be unable to cope with the related ecological disaster.” (Euractiv) Curbing overconsumption will need to be a team effort, from governments and brands through to activists and customers.
But, this Father’s Day, the simple act of slowing down our consumption is something we can all do. If we ‘Dress Like Dad’, we can discourage mass production, and encourage holding onto our clothes for longer. If we ‘Dress Like Dad’, we can build a wardrobe full of memories, and lower our footprint on the planet at the same time.
Video availability: later this week
Release to the public: June 13th
To schedule interviews or for more information, contact
Jonathan Mitchell, 07531818227, jonathan@brotherswestand.com
