The Role of Collaborative Fashion Consumption and Human Rights in Transitioning Towards a Degrowth Society Lived Experiences of Dutch Female Consumers

The impact of the Apparel Industry on the environment and people has grown tremendously over the past years. The rising Degrowth movement (in The Netherlands) proposes to lower levels of fashion consumption. The movement argues that we should raise awareness over the false promises of fashion consumption and act structurally accordingly to reduce it. However, the empirical research on Collaborative Fashion Consumption initiatives in The Netherlands presented in this paper shows that fashion consumption is often deeply embedded within local practices and cultural values. Therefore, giving up high consumption levels means that many Dutch citizens will have to make “sacrifices”. This paper argues that in order to facilitate these sacrifices, understandings of well-being might have to change (as proposed by the Degrowth movement), but also the feelings of being part of a global community and of responsibility towards it. It argues that Human Rights as a counter-hegemonic force might offer a fruitful framework for the Degrowth movement to build these feelings of common responsibility.