Make Fashion Open: How Open Source Is Changing Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the most traditional and change-resistant industries in the world. There are many challenges that come with working in fashion, but one of the biggest is the slow pace of change. It's just how things have always been. In a world where technology is evolving at an ever-increasing pace, changing our everyday behaviour and how we interact with one another, fashion can often feel like it's stuck in the past.

The fashion and textile sector also happens to be one of the biggest polluters on the planet. And, while there are plenty of resources and tools online to educate businesses about the ethical and environmental impacts of the supply chain, there are few resources for learning about technology that can help them do just that in a way that’s accessible to them. The most common case studies and general recommendations are centred around cost-prohibitive solutions that would result in vendor lock-in, particularly for smaller businesses. Many times, smaller businesses simply don't know how to be more sustainable.

Free and open source software and its principals can help facilitate a more transparent landscape in the industry, which could ultimately help to decrease its socioeconomic and environmental impact.

What is Open Source?

In layman's terms, open source software refers to any kind of software where its source code is freely^ⓘ accessible to anyone who wishes to view it.

Open source software is usually, though not always, free in cost. The software's accompanying license (a file, much like this one) determines what a user can and cannot do with the license, and this will tend to vary.

There are many types of open source software, and it's used in a wide range of industries. For example, the popular browser Firefox is open source. Open source is also used in a variety of business applications, such as the OpenOffice suite of office productivity software.

Open source doesn't just refer to software though. There is an entire philosophy dedicated to the practice, which has been traced back to the 80s. There are three core principles behind open source: transparency, participation, and collaboration. As you can see, open source principals transcend software.

What these principles mean is that the very development of the software is an open and participatory process built on communication and trust. This allows for improvement based on collective feedback from a wide range of people with diverse perspectives, which can make projects more innovative, robust, and efficient. Ever heard the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child"? Ultimately, a community working together toward a common goal will benefit not just the goal, but the community around it as well.

The open source model has been successful in a number of industries, helping to drive innovation and cut costs. But the fashion industry seems to have trailed behind. Why is that?

A lagging industry

Historically, the fashion and textile sector has been much slower to adopt open source as a viable option. Historically, open source was seen as something that only smaller businesses do, but this is quickly changing. There is a sort of unspoken secrecy in fashion, with businesses and professionals alike tending to be more guarded about business practices. But in the context of climate change, the opposite approach must be taken, because transparency is tantamount to combating climate change.

Why fashion companies should care about open source

Open source impacts you more than you think. A recent study by OpenUK found that 89% of companies use open source software. Any company that uses or depends on software should care about open source.

Cutting-edge technologies are already used in so-called "smart factories" around the world, making production processes more efficient. Yet many of these innovations are not shared openly. How great would it be if businesses of all sizes could benefit from these advances?

Sometimes, though, it's not up to the company to share these advancements. They might agree to a testimonial or interview explaining how they are using X or Y software to be more efficient, but they can't do much more than be a case study that will ultimately be used to sell more of the vendor's software.

That's the nature of proprietary software. It's not meant to be shared and built upon in the open, it's meant to be consumed. But this kind of "to each their own" mentality isn't going to cut it.

In order to be more sustainable, we need to work together and share more. Share processes, practices, innovations. Because at the end of the day, you're not selling software. You shouldn't be scared to share these things, because, chances are, that's not where your competitive advantage lies to begin with.

That's why it's so vital that the fashion industry begin to adopt open source. It wouldn't just help the industry and the planet, but it would free businesses from the shackles of vendor lock-in.