Local Slow Sustainable Fashion is the core argument of this 2022 book, edited by Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Tone Skårdal Tobiasson. They argue that the future of clothing isn't in high-tech solutions, but in a radical return to localized production. Valuing natural resources—especially wool—and abandoning the addiction to endless growth.
The Book’s Unique Scope
This edited collection goes beyond traditional fast fashion debates to make a powerful case for the agriculturally-based fiber and textile industry. It highlights how local, small-scale operations, coupled with a direct connection to soil health, can drive transformative change.
The research draws heavily on studies of Norwegian wool (the four-year KRUS project), as well as similar work in Poland and Portugal. Crucially, the book broadens the conversation by exploring the role of women and incorporating Indigenous perspectives—including Sámi, Inuit, and First Nations voices—to show how ancient, traditional wisdom offers modern solutions.
The Core Problem: A Wasted Industry
Sheep must be shorn for their welfare, yielding a valuable, renewable fiber. But because shearing costs surpass the wool's price, the EU industry trashes the majority of raw wool—a crisis of magnitude that the book aims to solve.
The editors argue that the worldwide textile industry is in an environmental crisis due to decades of:
- Over-production and Over-consumption: Creating massive pressure on land, oil reserves (for synthetics), chemicals, and water. Resulting in clothes that are thrown away after very few uses.
- The Wool Paradox: Sheep require shearing to maintain their welfare and provide a valuable, renewable fiber. However, because the cost of shearing outweighs the sales price, the EU wool industry dumps the majority of its raw wool—a crisis of magnitude the book highlights.
- The Growth Trap: The system is governed by an economic model where profit and competition are the main drivers, which actively prevents sustainable change.
The Core Solution: A Radical Return to Localism
The philosophy of Local Slow Sustainable Fashion directly confronts the modern clothing industry's hyper-globalized supply chain. While a single garment often travels more than a person does in a lifetime, clothing simultaneously defines local cultures. The solution demands strengthening these local cultural and economic threads. The book proposes a fundamental shift back to localized, cooperative systems, using wool as the prime example of a sustainable path forward.
1. Localized Value Chains (The KRUS Project)
The central idea is that the greatest environmental gains come from "closer cooperation in these localized value chains."
- Defining "Local": The book advocates for production and consumption linked to our terroir (a French term referring to the total natural and human environment of a region). This means connecting sheep farmers, processors (carders, spinners), designers, and consumers who are geographically close.
- Context Over Globalization: The philosophy of Local Slow Sustainable Fashion directly confronts the modern clothing industry's hyper-globalized supply chain—a single garment often travels more than a person does in a lifetime. However, clothing simultaneously defines local cultures, exemplified by the Norwegian bunad or Indigenous attire. The solution demands strengthening these local cultural and economic threads.
2. Wool as a "Fabric for Change"
Wool is positioned not just as another sustainable material, but as the ideal catalyst for change because:
- It is Indigenous to many parts of the world, including the editors' home country of Norway.
- Its use is deeply rooted in European culture and economies.
- Its natural properties are often unsurpassed by synthetics, yet it is currently being sidelined by "greenwashing of non-renewable fibres."
- Promoting wool directly supports better animal welfare (since sheep must be shorn) and strengthens rural economies.
3. Challenging the System (The Degrowth Debate)
A key radical element of the book is its critique of the current economic debate:
- The authors question whether continuous growth (even "green growth") is even compatible with the Earth's demands. Suggesting this is a central discussion within the book.
- They emphasize the need for a "paradigm shift" where profit is no longer the sole goal.
Chapter Breakdown
The book is structured to analyze the problem. To propose a solution through wool and then discuss the massive economic and social changes required.
| Chapter | Topic Focus | Key Takeaway |
| 1: KRUSing into the Future | Restoring a Local Value Chain Through Cooperation. | How localized projects (like KRUS) can succeed by having all parts of the supply chain—from farmer to customer—work closely together. |
| 2: The Fate of Natural Fibres | Environmental Evaluations: A Question of Volume. | A deep dive into how current tools like LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) often misrepresent natural fibers, inadvertently giving non-renewable synthetics a "green light." |
| 3: Upping the WOOLUME | Waste Prevention Based on Optimal Use of Materials. | The book demands optimal usage of wool. It outlines strategies to capture value from every grade of the fibre. Including lower-quality fleece, effectively ending the current massive textile waste. |
| 4: Slow and Indigenous Approaches | Learning from Textile Arts and Cultural Heritage. | Highlighting traditional and Indigenous craft techniques that inherently promote longevity, quality, and a cultural connection to clothing. |
| 5: Setting a New Stage | Small Scale as a Way Forward. | Arguing that decentralized, small-scale production—rather than global giants—is the most resilient and sustainable economic model for fashion. |
| 6: Rethinking the (Wool) Economy | Discussing Degrowth and Social-Ecological Transformation. | An essential discussion on moving away from the "profit-as-sole-goal" model and exploring radical economic alternatives for the textile sector. |
| 7: A Fashion Future | Fibre Diet (The Conclusion). | A forward-looking vision for how consumers and producers can adopt a new "diet" of clothing consumption—prioritizing appropriate, quality, natural fibers. |
Why This Book Matters Now
This book is more than a study of wool; it's a radical manifesto for change. It challenges the conventional wisdom that sustainable fashion requires complex, worldwide technology. Instead, "Local, Slow and Sustainable Fashion" asks us to look to our own backyards and heritage.
The editors, Klepp and Tobiasson, argue that the path to a healthier Earth—and a more resilient economy—lies in cooperation, localization, and a deep respect for natural resources. By focusing on wool, a regenerative fiber under threat, the book provides a clear, actionable blueprint for disrupting "fast fashion's" destructive mindset.
Prepare to have your assumptions about clothing, value, and economic growth completely rewoven.