A recent story about unpaid labourers slipping requests for help in Zara’s clothing tags made huge waves on the internet. This consequently led to sales drop in their recent quarter. If someone like Zara can face problems from supply chain crisis stories, how long can brands get away without giving fair credit and appropriate wages to its makers? Can ‘slow fashion’ step in and become more than just a buzzword?

Companies like Airbnb and Uber introduced the aggregation business model to the world and it prompted the launch of many similar start-ups. To name a few in just fashion, there is Rent the Runway (US), Girl Meets Dress (UK), GlamCorner (Aus) and Borrow for Your Bump for maternity wear. This had already done wonders for those in direct-to-consumer retail. Looking forward, there are predictions that soon retailers might turn to the crowd to fulfil deliveries and partner with regional services to deliver outside of normal coverage areas. Can this model be also extended to how we design and manufacture? As design software becomes more accessible and education goes online, is the future of production more along the lines of socially engaged communities of designers, engineers, manufacturers and users who will together brainstorm, test and build products?