written by Lily Carroll for Special Project: Experiential Learning in Journalism
Through experiential learning at FUA-AUF, I’ve gotten the opportunity to interact with Bio Fashion Lab, an independent boutique dedicated to responsible, ethical shopping. The store’s owner, Debora Florio, has spent over nine years in the fashion industry, seven of which were in fast fashion, an industry worth approximately 103 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, projected to reach 291 billion U.S. dollars in 2032, according to PR Newswire. This experience has driven Florio to conduct extensive research, educating herself about consumer behavior, the fashion industry as a whole, and ethical solutions to the extensive problems it creates. With her findings, Florio started Bio Fashion Lab, a space designed to invite others to join in this mission for change.
Upon receiving a degree in Economics, Florio realized that she wasn’t dissatisfied in this line of work. She says that at the time, unfortunately, shopping for clothes was what brought her the most joy, so she decided to find a job in the fashion industry. Unaware of the many unethical practices implemented in the industry, Florio slowly uncovered the ways we harm people around the world and the environment when we support fast fashion. She learned that these stores use minimal human resources, producing thousands of the same products at low prices, 30% of which wind up in landfills. Just one of the many ways this industry is creating crises everywhere.
“I realized what was behind the scenes of production in terms of social injustice, and the negative impact that this industry has on the planet, I decided to take action,” Florio said. “I started studying consumer behavior, marketing and whatever lies behind the mechanism that triggers our mind to go and shop for ourselves.”
Florio continued to work in the fashion industry, this time with a seemingly ethical brand. It was there that she met a woman with a crippling shopping addiction, spending thousands of euros a week with no satisfaction, and an insatiable desire that could not be fulfilled. This woman inspired her to create a solution for people to shop responsibly.
So, Bio Fashion Lab was born, to promote emerging, ethical designers using natural materials and equitable production. Offering a healthy way for customers to shop in a manner that does not promote overconsumption, and respects the environment and all who inhabit it.
“Whenever you start to go really deep in the research, you see the truth with your eyes. I’ve never been to Pakistan, Bangladesh, places where these issues are most prevalent, so we do a lot of calls with different unions and government workers on the other side of the world,” Florio proudly states. “We can hear their testimonies and see that it’s quite real. It’s there. When you really understand what’s going on, you can never go back.”
Florio says that the clothes are just a small part of the ways she educates others on the fashion industry, and how we can improve it. Through documentary screenings, workshops, and panels. Bio Fashion Lab strives to educate this generation of consumers to make the right choices. An environment that encourages shoppers to ask themselves, “Do I really need this?” especially when faced with a cheap, overproduced option. Bio Fashion Lab teaches us how to say no, and explore another option.
To learn more about Bio Fashion Lab, visit https://biofashionlab.com/, where you can read about the movement and upcoming events. On Thursday, 13 June, Bio Fashion Lab will host its first fashion show entitled, “Fashion Under Construction,” making light of the construction that currently surrounds the store, highlighting the store’s call for unconventional ways to shop.
