Minimalism, at its simplest, is living with less stuff both in our physical and mental spaces. It can be adopted as a lifestyle, to cut out the excess and prioritise what is important in life.
Considering the current crisis involving scarcity of imports, unprecedented rates of inflation and a crumbling economy set against a backdrop of global warming and mass destruction of our environment, perhaps the adoption of a simple lifestyle is something that bears considering.
Looking at the adoption of minimalism from the perspective of consumption, particularly material consumption like furniture, clothes, accessories, technology, etc., it can be said that while we as consumers do understand to an extent the importance of not contributing more waste to the overgrowing landfills around the world, the changing trends in the market and the mass production of easy-access, fast fashion items continue to fuel our desires and keep us buying more.
As consumers, we may lean towards blaming the big corporates for this behaviour of needing to constantly upgrade because they keep giving us more and more things to want. But how much responsibility do manufacturers really bear and can we, as consumers, blame it entirely on the other party?
It’s a two-way street
Lonali Rodrigo, Founder of House of Lonali – a conscious lifestyle and fashion brand – shared her thoughts on adopting a ‘minimalist lifestyle’ and how battling overconsumption may be a shared responsibility with both the consumer and the producer having equally important roles to play.
“I think what we need is simplicity – a simple lifestyle which I would take to mean a minimalist lifestyle. I do see it as a solution for overconsumption,” Lonali said, adding: “Overconsumption and overproduction are definitely not sustainable ways forward, and as creators and designers we absolutely shouldn’t be overproducing, but I think that responsibility is also on the consumers as they are the ones who create the demand.”
She said that often manufacturers produced a massive amount of products in environments where responsible consumers did not voice their demands and concerns. “If consumers demand better, high-quality products that are sustainable and eco-friendly, this will definitely give the brands an incentive to minimise scale and not go into mass production as there is no demand for it,” she said.
This is illustrated by slow fashion, where mass quantities are intentionally not created and clothes are designed to last multiple seasons in terms of trends. Slow fashion also advocates for ethical clothing and apparel manufacturing with respect to people, the environment, and animals.
In relation to the current crisis Sri Lanka is experiencing, Lonali noted: “During crisis situations in the past people have understood the importance of sustainable living. Look at the behaviour during the World Wars; there were food shortages and clothing and other materials were scarce, so people started looking inward and preserving what they had. We took similar action during Covid here – we started looking at what we had and preserving it because of a lack of imports.”
For Lonali, adopting a minimalistic or rather a simple lifestyle means to start valuing what we already have, and “recognising that we can reuse, upcycle, and bring things back to life. We can’t have a throw-away culture during a crisis. We must look at circular solutions where you keep materials in circulation, whether it is your old clothes, household furniture, etc.”
She noted that it was important to learn how to preserve already existing items, to give them a longer life, then upcycle and finally recycle as the very last step. Most importantly, she said that it was imperative that we adopt these practices not as trends that would pass us by, but rather as a way of life. “We should not follow these systems of behaviour as a trend. We must make them more of a practice; a part of our life. We can achieve better results and outcomes that way.”
The Sri Lankan mindset
If we know what needs to be done, how do we put it into practice? Tara Wickramasinghe, Founder of Derana by Tara – an ethical and eco-conscious brand providing upcycled or pre-owned items – shared some simple steps that could be adopted when moving towards more minimalist fashion.
“In my opinion, overconsumption in the fashion industry generally happens because of the lack of awareness in consumers and of trends. It’s important to be aware of how your purchasing decisions would impact the environment, the society, and even the economy,” she said. She also cited some potential solutions.
The first solution to overconsumption, according to Tara, which she believes does not get mentioned enough, is to take good care of the things that you already have in your possession. When it comes to clothes, “if something can be fixed, simply mend it instead of buying new. Follow the care guidelines given for your clothing items and they will last in their best condition,” she said.
She added that yet another great solution was thrifting, providing that while Sri Lanka didn’t have many well-known thrift stores for fashion items, you would be able to find many good stores online if you looked. She shared that you could also borrow or swap clothing with your friends and family.
However, she also acknowledged the Lankan aversion to thrifting or owning pre-loved items. “I know there’s some stigma surrounding thrifting, especially when it comes to clothing. But honestly, you can find really great stuff in good condition if you check carefully. Not only is it more sustainable than buying brand new but it’s also budget-friendly. You might get your hands on a unique, timeless piece that you can wear for a long time,” she said.
“To put it all simply, don’t buy unnecessarily, and when buying, do some research. A few things you might want to consider are whether you’re buying according to trends, the quality and durability of the items, and whether the brands you’re buying from are ethical. You can do some research on these brands like their waste management, sourcing, and labour conditions.”
Giving further advice, Tara added: “Try to buy timeless pieces instead of following trends; you’ll be able to wear them for a longer time. Small brands and individual designers usually create in smaller quantities and everything is considerably better in quality, so it’s obviously a more sustainable option than buying from huge brands. Also, buying locally is always better because it has a smaller carbon footprint.”
Minimalism is easier than you think
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle suitable to your consumption patterns may not be so difficult, particularly for those of us in this part of the world. Sustainable fashion designer Ruwanthi Gajadeera noted that this wasn’t a brand new concept for Sri Lanka or the Asian region, especially when it came to sustainable fashion.
“We used to practise it before colonisation. The history of our hand-woven cotton fabric dates back to before Prince Vijaya’s arrival in Sri Lanka. As the story is told, Kuveni was weaving yarn when he arrived. This shows that we were a nation rich in handcrafted fabrics that originated from environmentally friendly sources.
“Traditional outfits such as the redda and sari were zero-waste garments that utilised the entire cloth, avoiding cut waste,” she said, adding: “When looking at Asia, the kimono of Japan and the sari of India are both zero-waste garments that were made with very high-quality fabric and passed down for generations.”
She also provided that the widespread change in thinking to favour sustainable production – which supports a more simple lifestyle focused on purchasing only what was high quality and would not be discarded after just a few uses – may even lend itself to the economic growth of our country.
“As a nation facing a major socio-economic crisis, I think the ideal way is to consider our ancestors and adapt their practices in a more evolved way to create new solutions which will facilitate new avenues to bring foreign revenue into the country.
“Sri Lanka’s popularity as a go-to apparel destination is slowly shifting towards countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, and therefore, adopting a strategy that revolves around heritage methods and sustainable technologies will allow us to attract sustainable and ethical luxury fashion brands instead of the fast fashion brands that Sri Lanka is currently catering to. Our local fashion retailers are also pushing out cheap fast fashion rejects to the locals which are poorly made and with plenty of defects, ensuring their short lifespan.”
Ruwanthi noted that while we adopted ‘minimalism,’ we must also keep in mind there was a strong urgency to uphold and value the ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ brand name and to ensure that consumers received a quality yet sustainable product when they bought Sri Lankan products. “I believe that this is the pathway to building a Sri Lanka that is financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable,” she asserted.
