Hi there! I’m Diyanah Abdul Kadir, a third year Psychology student at Nanyang Technological Uni and this is a blog I have created on the topic of Organic Lifestyle as part of my Conservation Psychology course.
Before taking this course, I was not aware of just how much our society had been abusing nature, and how we are all contributing to this destruction of a planet that has so graciously given us more than we deserve. Growing up in Singapore, my first real experience of being immersed in the true beauty of a natural environment was during 2012 when I got the chance to visit rural India.
Over there I was introduced to organic farming methods, seeing for myself how the villagers used cow manure mixed with natural farm waste to form a compost which was then used as fertilizer for the crops. While these natural farming methods took time to manurefacture (it takes about half a year before the compost is ready for use), the effects from these natural farming methods resulted in fresh, insecticide-free organic produce for the villagers.
It was that same year too that I learnt more about organic clothing and started to do research on a side of fashion that Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar rarely ever published about; sustainable fashion. I was shocked to discover that an industry portrayed to be so beautiful and glamorous was in fact an empire built on many underpaid and overworked employees operating in an unethical labour environment where the fumes from the garment dyes had potential deadly risks. Organic clothing was not just about the material used, it concerned the individuals involved in the entire process of clothing production.
“The Devil Wears Prada” – this saying seems to be ringing true of the fashion industry. But more and more people, especially big names like Vivienne Westwood and Diane von Furstenburg are now putting a stronger emphasis on ethical and sustainable fashion through the entire clothing production; from threads to tunics, these fashion trendsetters are hoping to inspire their fashion followers to realise that organic fashion is just as good as conventional high fashion.
At first I was doubtful that organic fashion could look as good as existing high fashion apparel. However that was not the case. As a fashion follower, I had been inspired to venture into ethical fashion someday.
It had always been one of my three life goals to open a fashion boutique of my own someday – but this new information now motivated me to open a sustainable fashion boutique, carrying only organic clothing and apparel.
I have a mission and vision for my boutique. It would be a fashion boutique that aims to make an enduring and positive change in the lives of women in need by providing them with ethical employment opportunities.
My boutique would provide a showcase for original eco-fashion creations by local designers as well as a pioneer promoter of organic clothing here in Singapore. In addition, if I had not spent all my capital, I would like for a part of the boutique to be converted into a cafe serving organic prepared food made from the freshest organic ingredients in Singapore. With this, I hope to successfully increase awareness and attractiveness of sustainable fashion and organic food in Singapore. (A girl can dream, can’t she?☺☺)
