Adam Smith’s 1759 The Theory of Moral Sentiments is beyond a classic. To my mind, it is one of the most astute books ever written. One of his many brilliant contributions to ethical theory is his analysis of the spectator. It is the idea that our lives are monitored by the sense we have that…
Articles abound about the political meaning of clothes worn on certain occasions or the political significance of words on some jackets. Such reflection is certainly appropriate but reading this excellent piece by Joel Kotkin (https://www.city-journal.org/html/new-demo-pessimism-15991.html) deepens our understanding of the political role luxury fashion might play. V&R Chapter 1 assesses David Hume’s argument about…
Nidhi Kapur — below — is the founder of Maiden Home, a reasonably priced American furniture company that is operating on localist principles. A discussion of her business, and other US manufacturers realizing the wisdom of Scheler, is here: https://www.fastcompany.com/3068744/moving-the-needle/made-in-america-20
News indeed! And credit where credit is due. In a number of earlier posts, I have been critical of Under Armour’s commitment to Baltimore not being matched by a commitment to manufacturing in Baltimore. That is starting to change (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/01/30/under-armour-debuts-made-in-the-u-s-gear-and-tests-what-we-think-we-know-about-manufacturing-in-america/?utm_term=.936aae807586). Taking a leaf from Zara’s book (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/fast-fashion-localism/), Under Armour has linked design and…
https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/how-can-traditional-craftsmanship-survive-in-the-modern-world/chanel-saviour-savoir-faire
V&R Chapter 5 lauds Patagonia’s recycling programme. Embedded in the text there is a Patagonia graphic celebrating sewing as a radical act. When writing that chapter I did not appreciate that Patagonia in fact has no factories at all: all manufacturing is contracted. I find this very odd. A company so concerned about the earth…
Byborre updates traditional friar’s habit for a new generation As the article points out, the design permits local makers the world over to use customary fabrics to kit out Dominican brothers and sisters. The designer — perhaps in jest — wonders whether the Order might get into the fashion business. It’s not so crazy: a…
*I would like to thank Jordan Ross for supplying the opening image to this post. More of Jordan’s work is at: www.jordanrossmedia.com L.L. Bean is a model of localism (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/baltimore-and-under-armour/). It is also a challenge to something heard around business schools all the time: businesses must grow! This supposed imperative is not a moral…
My recent posts on Under Amour try to explain why companies have an obligation to fix production in their local communities. Localism is a moral claim relevant to discussions of business organization and strategy, as well as debates about trade, globalism, and offshoring. Chapters 3 and 7 of V&R are critical of Fast Fashion…
This post continues an earlier one on a talk by the CEO of Under Armour (http://www.ethicsoffashion.com/armour-morally-responsible-company/). Affirming the company’s moral standing, Kevin Plank argues that Under Armour provides thousands of jobs for the poor overseas and with a major redevelopment of underused land in Baltimore City for flats, housing, and restaurants also gives back to…