The Importance of Unlearning in Fashion & Beyond
I was first exposed to the term “Unlearn” through Rachel Cargle’s program, “The Great Unlearn” focused on shifting and reframing our historical perspective on Race in America. The term stuck with me - As I sought to unlearn years of instilled biases around Race, I began to realize how and where I have been unlearning in other aspects of my life, without even knowing it.
Unlearning = Growing, or as Kylie Jenner so profoundly put it, “realizing stuff”. It’s the idea that the more you learn, the more truths you come across, the more you are actually unlearning.
The definition according to Harvard
“Unlearning is not about forgetting. It’s about the ability to choose an alternative mental model or paradigm. When we learn, we add new skills or knowledge to what we already know. When we unlearn, we step outside the mental model in order to choose a different one.”
We can unlearn anything - years of diet culture that has been ingrained in us, our racial biases, skin care and beauty propaganda, toxic behaviors passed down from generational trauma. We can unlearn anything, as long as we put the work in. When it comes to things like consumerism, sustainability, and colonization we have some resources readily available. It just takes some awareness on our part and the journey begins.
Intention over perfection
To unlearn is to know better and do better. We’ll be here as a resource for you if you’re interested- through stories about the women behind our brands, sharing amazing content from really smart and passionate people and through building our business upon the value of unlearning.
Want to <un>learn about fashion? Check out some of our favorite resources
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ReMake.World
Founded by Ayesha Barenblat, Remake Our World is a community of fashion lovers whose mission is to change the industry's harmful practices on people and our planet. Their goal is to make sustainability accessible & inclusive across education, advocacy and transparency. -
Slow Factory
We recommend starting your journey with Slow Factory's Open Education program. It is a free program focused on equity, climate justice and human rights. - Consumed by Aja Barber
What we're currently reading! Aja Barber is an expert in fashion focusing on the intersection between sustainability and fashion. She looks at sustainability using the lense of privilege, wealth inequity, racism, feminism, and colonialism.
Check out some other people we love that have changed the way we think:
- Jessica Defino
As she calls herself - a "pro-skin/anti product beauty reporter". She's written amazing articles in all sorts of publications as well her weekly newsletter, The Unpublishable. She'll change how you view your 10 step skin care routine for the better. -
The Fuck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy
Caroline Dooner reframes dieting aka eating in a hilarious way. Through the humor, there is a deeper message. Your body knows what it's doing and all the things telling you that you shouldn't those chips or that cupcake is actually toxic diet culture. Spoiler alert: the F it diet is not actually a diet. - Nap Ministry
This social media account has changed the way we look society's emphasis on the need to productive. It fully rejects the concept of "grind culture" and sends the message that "rest is resistance."